See A Real Working Version Of Kaneda’s Bike From Akira

By Joshua Tyler | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

Without a doubt the coolest, most iconic image from the classic sci-fi anime Akira is that of Shotaro Kaneda’s red, futuristic motorcycle blasting down the highway. That sweet ride has long been the fantasy conveyance of nerds everywhere, but one geek has stepped up and made that fantasy a reality.

Yep, that’s a real working version of Kaneda’s bike. It was made by Masashi Teshima, a resident of Fukuoka, Japan. Anime News says it took him seven-years and roughly $121,000 US to build, but the results make it seem like it was worth the effort.

Here’s how the bike looked in the movie…

And here’s Teshima’s bike in action on the road.

Teshima’s currently in the process of riding the Akira motorcycle across Japan in an effort to raise money to fight autism in children. His ride will end in Tokyo after which the bike will go on exhibition to allow photos with it. But charity or not, this is cool. Insanely cool.