This DAB Motors 1α is an Akira Bike You Can Ride
Built in collaboration with the singer, J Balvin, the DAB 1α Akira bike is described as being “Part sculpture, part anime, and fully rideable.”
We’ve seen loads of replica bikes inspired by the one ridden by Shotaro Kaneda in the Manga series Akira. Few of them, though, are fully rideable bikes, and ones you can go out and buy are even rarer.
This bike is both of those things, and it's the result of a collaboration between the Colombian singer, J Balvan, and his Vita Veloce Team (VVT), and the French electric bike brand, Dab Motors. VVT took one of DAB’s 1α models and transformed it into Kaneda’s steed from the world of Manga in just three weeks.
Well, I say transformed it into Kaneda’s steed. It’s not totally there, is it? The proportions are a bit (a lot) out of whack, and gone is the long, low, feet-forward stance of the original machine. It is, though, instantly recognisable as a bike inspired by the show. It’s claimed to be fully rideable, and more than that, VVT is going to begin taking pre-orders, giving you the chance to cruise the streets on your very own Manga-inspired electric roadster.
To create the bike, VVT leaned heavily on Ai and 3D-printing in the bike's creation, with the satin-finished red paint being applied by hand and then intentionally scratched and scuffed for an authentic patina. The 3D-printed wheel covers also feature a sound-deadening foam within them, which is said to give the bike a distinctive low-frequency hum as it travels along the road.
The bike the replica is based on is a punchy little number, boasting a modest 29bhp but a stump-pulling 290lb ft of torque. Already a limited edition bike (just 400 examples of the 1α will be produced), the bike tips the scales at 125kg and is claimed to have a total range of around 100 miles if ridden in the city. It starts at £12,810, so we can only imagine that the even more exclusive Akira replica will be quite a bit more expensive.
You can find out more about the DAB 1α on the official website.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
