Back to the Future? Here are 4 hoverbikes you can actually fly in 2022: channel No Time to Die with the Triumph Tiger Bond Edition or splurge US$777,000 on the new XTurismo Limited Edition
NFTs, e-learning, mRNA vaccines … 2021 popularised a bunch of innovations that sound like something straight out of a sci-fi film. But nothing says “we’re living in the future” like some form of flying personal transport – in this case a hoverbike.
Hovering cars, bikes and boards are not new. Many minds were blown when Marty McFly commandeered a hoverboard in the film Back to the Future II – released in 1989. In the real world, the Dubai Police announced in 2017 they were going to adopt hoverbikes to help them “protect and serve”, alongside the Lamborghini Aventador, Bugatti Veyron and other supercars and superbikes in its extremely well-kitted-out garage.
Here are some of the coolest hoverbikes we’ve selected for you.
1. XTurismo Limited Edition by A.L.I. Technologies
The hoverbike debuted at the Fuji Speedway racetrack in Shizuoka prefecture in October 2021. A month later, the company reached an agreement with Yamanashi prefecture, a mountainous, sparsely populated region, for testing of its “social implementation”.
As for performance, the XTurismo uses four battery-powered motors and an internal combustion engine supplied by Kawasaki Motors, to propel a rider for up to 40 minutes, at a maximum speed of around 100km/h on a single charge. The flight experience is supported by Nvidia’s Jetson AGX Xavier, an AI computer for autonomous machines. The Nvidia Jetson platform has been used for drones and other UAVs because of its low-power and high-performance GPU.
The XTurismo Limited Edition will be available to customers by mid-2022 – although A. L. I Technologies is only making 200 of them, so you’ll need to get in quickly to claim one for yourself.
2. DAB Motors Concept-E RS Burberry Edition
Hoverbikes may be cool, but the Concept-E RS Burberry Edition, designed with the luxury brand and limited to just 20 units, is high fashion. Besides the Burberry Emerson TB logo on the side panels, there are monogrammed handlebar grips and customised rims. The brand’s environmental commitments mean the Concept-E RS uses a 10kW electric motor – equivalent to a 125cc engine. Wannabe riders can stop by any of Burberry’s flagship stores to see the bike IRL, and can buy through Burberry or DAB Motors’ websites.
3. Triumph Tiger Bond Edition
4. Ducati DesertX
Prefer Dune to Bond? No problem, we’ve got you. The new DesertX is made for your wildest off-road dreams, powered by a 937cc liquid-cooled Testastretta 11-degree desmodromic valvetrain engine, delivering 110 horsepower at 9,250rpm, with a maximum torque of 92Nm at 6,500rpm. This is the first modern Ducati with a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear, which also inspired the bike’s capsule collection, 21/18. Bringing style to go with the substance, the collection includes a suit, jacket and helmet, all in the bike’s colours.
- NFTs, e-learning, mRNA vaccines … 2021 popularised plenty of technologies that sound like they’re straight out of a sci-fi film, but nothing says ‘the future’ like hoverbikes
- The DAB Motors Concept-E RS Burberry Edition is high fashion and limited to just 20 units, while the XTurismo Limited Edition is 75kg lighter than the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special