Honda NM4 Vultus to debut at comic fair

HONDA’S new NM4 Vultus hasn’t even been shown outside Japan yet but it’s already a controversial bike thanks to its, ahem, distinctive styling.

Now Honda has revealed that its first public appearance in Europe will be this weekend, in London. At a bike show? No. ComicCon, which runs from 23-25 May at Excel, Royal Victoria Dock.

Honda has made no bones about the fact the Vultus wouldn’t exist without manga, although the firm hasn’t come out and admitted that it’s a take on Kaneda’s bike in Akira, preferring to suggest it’s the ‘genre’ that’s provided inspiration.

Honda is also planning to bring along its designers to meet the public, as well as an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset that will allow people to ‘ride’ the Vultus through a futuristic version of Tokyo, all within the confines of a computer program. Comic Book Guy would be impressed.

Dave Hancock, Head of Product Planning and Business Development at Honda Motor Europe, said: 'With the NM4 Vultus, we are offering customers a motorcycle with a unique identity and riding experience. Its futuristic look has been influenced by Japanese animation and manga, which makes ComicCon a natural environment to display it to the public for the first time.
'The Vultus has been built to appeal not only to existing licence-holders, but to attract new people to the joy of motorcycling. It’s simple to ride thanks to our twist-and-go Dual Clutch Transmission, has unusual features like the multi-coloured instrument panel and flip-up back-rest, and we truly believe it can help us reach a new audience in a way no other bike can.'

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HONDA’S new NM4 Vultus hasn’t even been shown outside Japan yet but it’s already a controversial bike thanks to its, ahem, distinctive styling.

Now Honda has revealed its first public appearance in Europe will be this weekend, in London. At a bike show? No. At ComicCon, which runs from 23-25 May at Excel, Royal Victoria Dock.

Honda has made no bones about the fact the Vultus wouldn’t exist without manga, although the firm hasn’t come out and admitted that it’s a take on Kaneda’s bike in Akira, preferring to suggest it’s the ‘genre’ that’s provided inspiration.

Honda is also planning to bring along its designers to meet the public, as well as an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset that will allow people to ‘ride’ the Vultus through a futuristic version of Tokyo, all within the confines of a computer program. Comic Book Guy would be impressed.

Dave Hancock, Head of Product Planning and Business Development at Honda Motor Europe, said: 'With the NM4 Vultus, we are offering customers a motorcycle with a unique identity and riding experience. Its futuristic look has been influenced by Japanese animation and manga, which makes ComicCon a natural environment to display it to the public for the first time.
'The Vultus has been built to appeal not only to existing licence-holders, but to attract new people to the joy of motorcycling. It’s simple to ride thanks to our twist-and-go Dual Clutch Transmission, has unusual features like the multi-coloured instrument panel and flip-up back-rest, and we truly believe it can help us reach a new audience in a way no other bike can.'

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