The Kaneda bike from the Akira cartoon series and the anime movie of the same name has inspired many unique copies over the past four decades. But the relatively recent acceleration of technology and electric motorcycle manufacturing means that something very similar is finally more viable on a larger production scale.
Rapid, an electric scooter brand supervised by the Thai company Smartech Motor, revealed its K-1988 as a motorcycle prototype intended for production at the Bangkok International Motor Show, and although it is white and not the red motorcycle of the protagonist Shōtarō Kaneda, there is no doubt about its inspiration. Named K-1988 (certainly “K” for Kaneda and “1988” to mark the release date of the Akira anime movie), the motorcycle is essentially a large electric scooter, but with a distinctly low seat, feet-forward riding position, and retro-futuristic style.
Source: https://www.cycleworld.comThe electric motor includes a 15 kW motor (equivalent to 20 hp in more familiar terms) that allows a maximum speed of 140 km/h, and Rapid’s claim of a range of 199.5 km seems well within reach. Although the bike supports a Type 2 charging socket, a standard capable of delivering up to 22 kW, there are no extravagant claims about the charging speed, with Rapid suggesting that a full charge takes two hours. The bike also has ABS and traction control, indicating that the prototype is intended to be a production model and not just a showpiece at the fair stand.
