Bizarre flying bike really works!

Future of mobility? This flying bike actually works and we have the footage of it.

We already know the flying bicycles from various films. They are also there in real life. Not only as concepts, but also as working devices. Japanese startup ALI Technologies recently unveiled its Xturismo hoverbike at a race track near Tokyo.

flying bike

Testing is of course included. The hoverbike flew a few feet off the ground trembling for just over a minute – which wasn’t too impressive. That was last year. Now they have tested the device one more time in more detail. On March 29, the company gave a much more exciting demonstration, testing it out in front of thousands at the Sapporo Dome in Japan for a Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters match.

If you look closely, the principle is quite simple. The Xturismo is a motor placed on a large drone. And this makes it a VTOL, which means a vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The hoverbike is a hybrid and gets its power from a conventional motor and four electric motors. It can fly thanks to a set of propellers: two primary and four secondary propellers at each corner, which act as stabilizers.

Future

Will we all go shopping by flying bicycle in the future? Well, that’s just the question. But the Xturismo qualifies as an ultralight aircraft, meaning you don’t have to be a certified pilot to fly it. The maximum speed of the bike is an ambitious 100 km/h, with an expected flight time between 30 and 40 minutes. However, there are no legal regulations for such devices yet.

The Xturismo is also quite pricey. It’s in your driveway for $680,000. With the emphasis on ‘state’, because flying with it is not allowed in the Netherlands.