Let’s start by saying that this is not the first time that two-wheel artists have been inspired by the mythical manga Akira, created by the fertile imagination of Katsuhiro Otomo.
Since its appearance in 1982, and perhaps even more since the release of the 1988 animated film, recently adapted and available again on some streaming platforms, Otomo’s dystopian future motorcycles have entered the imagination of motorcycling. Perhaps no one has been able to make such a faithful and functional copy as Carles Bel and Jesús Bel, founders of the design studio Bel y Bel. Since 2005, the two Barcelona designers, almost namesakes but curiously unrelated, have focused heavily on recycling components from old scooters and cars to create new design objects.
Some of their office furniture has become discreetly known, such as the Vespa chair or the 600 sofa derived from a Seat 600. This is not even the first time they have tried to rebuild a motorcycle derived from a saga because, apparently, in 2020, they managed to recreate Bulma’s Capsule 9 motorcycle from the famous anime Dragon Ball.
Their latest effort, however, is the motorcycle that the character Kaneda drives in Akira, and the level of complexity is truly remarkable because it is a practically perfect reproduction. After a first version with a Yamaha 250 engine was even hybridized with an electric unit, they decided to opt for a battery-powered propulsion system. As can be seen on their Instagram profile, the motorcycle appears to be in working condition and has a pneumatic rear suspension that allows it to go up and down, just like in the famous anime. Even the animations on the display have been faithfully reconstructed. After finishing some prototypes, it seems that Bel’s intention is to prepare a miniseries to be sold during 2024 at a price – according to Mundo Deportivo – that is expected to be around €20,000.
