first flying motorcycle 'XTURISMO' levitates to dodge land traffic

Sci-fi vehicle coming to life

Flying cars seem to be everywhere, but XTURISMO from Japanese start-up AERWINS Technologies changes transportation from automobile to electric motorcycle, levitating and drifting in the air with its two giant propellers and attached mini ones. The seat takes its design cues from a motorbike, a shift from the myriad of flying cars in the mobility market.

The company wants to turn science-fiction vehicles into reality and has done so by making the hovering motorcycle XTURISMO look like a spacecraft that outer-space citizens can hop on and ride as they travel in space. In this case, the ride takes place on Earth, but just above land to avoid traffic jams on the road like an eVTOL.

images courtesy of AERWINS Technologies Inc.

What are the features of the flying motorcycle?

XTURISMO, also dubbed as a hoverbike, weighs around 300 kilos, but accepts a payload of more or less 100 kilos to guarantee that it can still fly and cruise in the air. Its internal combustion and batteries allow the hovercraft to cruise for about 40 minutes with a speed of up to 62 miles per hour.

Riders are kept safe with its 3D control systems, air-route designs, mapping controls, and added sensors to detect any hurdles in the air. Using its dedicated app, riders are also afforded a virtual dashboard and localization, so that they are always informed on the flying motorcycle’s health and position.

visualization of the flying motorcycle

Joining the future of air mobility

XTURISMO aims to be an air-mobility vehicle that can be used for practical possibilities, including use in disaster relief, infrastructure inspection, and entertainment. It looks like rigorous tests are yet to be made with the flying motorcycle, but browsing through its site, XTURISMO is offered to flying-vehicle fans for 555,000 USD.

In his presentation, Shuhei Komatsu, CEO of AERWINS, says ‘Our vision is to become the leading company in the Air Mobility Eco-Sci System. We aim to be unique in the air mobility industry by developing a comprehensive business approach that includes hardware, software, and services.’

mini-rotors attached to the giant propellers