This Akira-Inspired 3D-Printed Electric Motorcycle Glows
Image Credit: DAB Motors / Vita Veloce Team.
Have I got a story for you today… Sometimes, the world of electric innovation throws us a curveball so fabulous, so outlandishly extra, that you can't help but giggle and gasp all at once.
Enter the latest creation from the bright sparks at DAB Motors and the Vita Veloce Team (VVT). These clever creators decided that what the world really needed was an electric motorcycle that looked like it rode straight out of a Japanese anime – specifically, Akira. If you haven't seen it, picture a super cool, very red, very futuristic bike. And if you have seen it, then you're already picturing this new machine, aren't you?
Image Credit: DAB Motors / Vita Veloce Team.
This electric two-wheeled marvel made its grand debut at Colombian singer J Balvin's birthday bash. Of course - where else would a boundary-pushing, anime-inspired, 3D-printed electric motorcycle show up? J Balvin is also the co-founder of VVT with designer Mattias Gollin. They roped in Simon Dabadie, the brains behind DAB Motors, and voilà! A rolling piece of art was born.
The two design teams, clearly not ones to shy away from a challenge, used AI tools to get all the shapes and details just right. They created an "overbuilt, monolithic bodywork," as they call it, that fully cocoons the DAB 1α. There's even a windscreen - when you're channeling your inner Kaneda, you need to be prepared for fast rides! The entire frame is slathered in a deep matte red, which they've then patinated by hand. The little scratches and scuffs are left on purpose, to give it that "oh, this old thing? I've had it for ages, battled a few cyborgs, you know how it is" kind of vibe. I do appreciate a vehicle that comes with a backstory, even if it's an imaginary one.
Image Credit: DAB Motors / Vita Veloce Team.
The creators are a bit coy about shouting "AKIRA!" from the rooftops, but honestly, you'd have to be living under a rock not to see the resemblance. From the specific shade of red to the overall stance and those impressive wheels, it's a love letter to the iconic anime. They started with sketches and 3D modeling – the usual suspects – and then 3D-printed the bodywork. The rest involved good old-fashioned sanding, painting, and hand assembly. This thing really is a delightful marriage of a super-smart robot and a meticulous artisan, all sipping organic coffee and discussing aesthetics.
The creative souls behind this project installed sound-absorbing foam between the wheel covers and rims in order to produce a low-frequency tone. The idea is that the gentle hum of the electric engine will subtly reverberate through the rider's body. I'm not sure if that's a feature I've been desperately missing in my life – "Oh, I wish my scooter would just vibrate me a little more profoundly" – but I guess we can't argue with innovation…
Image Credit: DAB Motors / Vita Veloce Team.
And because "subtle reverberations" clearly weren't enough, this electric motorcycle also glows in the dark. The wheels have atmospheric lighting, thanks to LED strips hidden inside that red shell, casting a purplish-blue glow from underneath. Can you imagine seeing this speed away at night? It's less of a motorcycle and more of a mobile disco-UFO. I'm half expecting it to levitate.
Now, for the part you're all waiting for – the numbers! The specs! The nitty-gritty that tells us how fast, how far, and how much, right? And this is where things get a tad… artistic. It seems in the whirlwind of creating a patinated, glowing, anime-inspired masterpiece, the juicy details like power outputs, battery capacity, acceleration times, or even a hint of a price tag for us mere mortals, seem to have been… misplaced? Overlooked?
Image Credit: DAB Motors / Vita Veloce Team.
But since this futuristic creation was built on the DAB 1α, we know it has a 31-horsepower electric motor that delivers 395 Nm of torque at the rear wheel. It comes with a 7.1 kWh battery and it weighs just a bit over 275 pounds. The standard DAB 1α starts at $17,000 so we can safely presume that all this fancy 3-D printed bodywork doubled its asking price. That's a pretty penny for an electric two-wheeler but when you consider its inspiration, the price becomes less of an issue.
And while this first one is for J Balvin (naturally), the design teams have hinted at a limited production run. So, it's not just a one-off concept to drool over from afar. You, too, could potentially own a motorcycle that makes you feel like you're about to save Neo-Tokyo, provided you have the means, and you like the idea of low-frequency bodily reverberations.
Image Credit: DAB Motors / Vita Veloce Team.
I can't help but think that this motorcycle is exactly what happens when high technology meets unbridled creativity and a beloved piece of pop culture. Is it practical? Probably not in the way your sensible electric scooter is. You need to remember that it will possibly cause a few minor traffic incidents from sheer rubbernecking.
As for me, I'm tickled pink (or perhaps matte red with purplish-blue underglow). It's undeniably cool. I really believe that a 3D-printed, anime-inspired, glowing electric motorcycle is just the kind of delightful absurdity we need.
