Pokémon and Honda build the ultimate bike for Nicole Lynch
The best concept build ever
Pokémon. If it wasn’t for their collectable cards, toys and clothing that our children seem to like /need so much I’d have enough money for one of those Ducati Special Panigale Tricolore things. The ones that look like a Kawasaki Ninja 650from the right hand side. Even with 216bhp and 120Nm of torque, the fact that I want /need one just doesn’t compare to what other members of my family want.
After an opening paragraph like that one I think it’s only fair that I get to the point or at least get a bit closer to it. Pokémon characters have had their own trading cards for many, many years now. Like other collectables, if you get the right one then you’re minted. Big house, fleet of stupid cars, your own jet and a helicopter to get you to it all with a tragic back story relating to a loved ones ‘raging cocaine habit and weird sexual behaviour’ type of money. You could even afford one of those Ducati things that are camouflaged as a Kawasaki. I haven’t yet found one of these winning cards in either of our children’s collections of horrendously overpriced pieces of paper.
It even changes facial expression
The things /cards all have different trading values, rather like some sort of Top Trumps. They also have funny names like ‘Butterfree’, ‘Rattata’, ‘Bulbasoar’ and such. There’s a staggering 1,025 of the things. These days there’s a Nintendo game and a whole lot of other stuff such as clothing and toys.
One of them is called ‘Koraidon’ and it’s a fighting dragon.
Pokémon are a Japanese company. So are Honda. Usually when reading a piece we of this length we follow through to the end, however, now is probably a good time to take a smoke break for a few minutes. It’s ok since the next bit is going to be a bit weird.
Some bars in Tokyo have really cool names such as ‘Deathmatch In Hell’ which is in the cities Shinjuku City parish and sounds like a great place to go for a few quiet scoops. While I have absolutely no idea if the current CEOs of both companies even drink alcohol, I’m going to presume that they met up in one of these places and got so rat arsed that they thought it was going to be a good idea to build a Honda Pokémon motorcycle.
I reckon the snug is nice and quiet
So what’s happened is that the lads in the Pokémon shop have taken over design and supervision while Honda have launched the project. Because one of Nintendo’s best selling games, Pokémon Scarlet, featured the Koraidon dragon thing they’ve gone with that.
This wonderful madness has a certain pedigree. Last year Toyota made one based on a character called Miraidon. Once the car lads got out of the way the ‘Honda Koraidon Project’ got underway.
Toyota were the first out of the blocks with this one
So 41 engineers were recruited from the Motorcycle and Power Products Businesses and the Innovative Research Excellence who have shown interest in this project, (they’re super nerds). They've been working under the slogan “Honda’s Devotion Make Children’s Dreams Come True.” This is just another way of saying that they’re nerds and like playing with children’s toys, Nintendo Switch games and collecting the cards. I don’t imagine any of them have girlfriends.
Not the very best performance of a modern tyre
They’ve used the companies advanced self-balancing technology. This allows it to walk on all four legs, and self-stand on two-wheels. This tech isn’t new, Yamaha have a self balancing prototype, and the Honda technology was first seen all the way back in 2017. They used the tech that they’d developed in the ASIMO humanoid robot.
“I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” ...
Because of the technology used the Koraidon will also feature hands, legs, neck, facial movements that will change depending on its’ ‘sprint speed’. Even its’ eyes and eyelids will move.
Handlebars or clipons?
It’s 2.5 metres tall and weighs 303 kilos. It’s on display at the Honda Welcome Plaza in Aoyama for three days next week, Friday the 7th of March until Sunday the 9th between 10am and 6pm and 1pm until 6pm on the Sunday. Because of space restrictions it’ll be a static display.
So, if you’re in Tokyo and you can drag yourself away from the Deathmatch In Hell place grab a few pics on your phone and send them on. I really like the idea of a bike that can stand up and change its facial expressions and this sounds like just the thing to settle a few, on track, scores.
Honda in Ireland are on 014381999. Why don't you give them a call, ask about this thing and see if their heads explode?