If you’ve perused Ichiban’s Instagram page over the past few years, you’ve likely seen at least a couple dozen retrofuturistic sports bike renders that you wished were real. However, in the past two years, the Japanese design studio has slowed down its posting rate, likely due to its work on a concept model that it’s trying to make a reality.
Akira’s Staying Power
Just like its initial rendering two years ago, Ichiban’s debut Electric Motorcycle will be inspired, in part, by the 1982 manga Akira, which was eventually turned into a hugely influential animated film in 1988. Akira helped popularize the anime genre and had a massive effect on cyberpunk design language, still used to this day. The Ichiban motorcycle isn’t nearly the first to be inspired by the manga-turned-movie but it’s arguably the most unique because the company imbues its own ethos.
While Ichiban and Zhurba certainly use Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo’s bike design as a guiding spirit, they’ve also made sure that the futuristic aesthetic conforms to the Japanese design principle Kanso, emphasizing simplicity and purity. In turn, this approach has given the inaugural Ichiban electric motorcycle an aesthetic all its own.
The Bike
With the help of industrial designer Ivan Zhurba, Ichiban has yet to launch a production model, so this would be the first. However, going from concept to prototype is a challenge in and of itself. Fortunately, they’ve done enough legwork to provide for us some estimated specs, along with some features the electric bike will have.
For right now, the Ichiban motorcycle will be powered by a 45kW dual-motor powertrain delivering 155mi of range and a 30-minute quick charge that gets you 70% of your total power. In terms of performance, we don’t know much yet but it’s said to have a 0-to-60 time of 3.5 seconds.
At the risk of burying the lede, we should also mention that the bike has a Godzilla Mode that “unleashes unparalleled torque and power for a breathtaking 10 seconds of pure motorcycling frenzy, guaranteed to accelerate your heartbeat with intense exhilaration.” There will be other transmission modes as well, to be revealed later, as well as ABS and traction control.
Spec Sheet
Model: Ichiban Electric Motorcycle
Engine: 45kW dual-motor
Power: Unspecified
Range: 155 miles
0-to-60: 3.5 seconds
Pricing & Availability
While there is no price or release date yet, Ichiban does plan on bringing this to production. But first, they have to get through the production phase they’re currently in. You can sign up on the company’s website for future updates and release info.
Recap
Ichiban Electric Motorcycle
Ichiban is in the process of turning its Akira-inspired concept into an electric motorcycle for production.
