Honda's real-life Koraidon to run for the first time at Suzuka 8 Hours final
The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games got mixed reviews on their release, but I really liked them, and probably the main source of enjoyment for me was the ability to leisurely cruise across the idyllic Pokémon-filled countryside on a motorcycle. Sure, it was a bit of a downer that the motorcycle was also a living Pokémon, but they seemed to like my jalapeno, yogurt, and prosciutto sandwiches, so I guess it was OK.
Apparently, I wasn't alone in enjoying that part of the game, because recently, there's been a movement to bring these creature comforts into the real world. Toyota kicked things off by making a scale Miraidon from Pokémon Violet that kids could ride around on. While it didn't quite move like its video game counterpart, it did look really cool.
Now, Honda is aiming to one-up Toyota by making a scale Koraidon from Pokémon Scarlet that actually functions as a proper motorcycle. It already made its debut in Tokyo last March, but at that time, it still lacked the functionality to be ridden.
It looks like those kinks have been ironed out, however, because Honda announced that their Koraidon will be ridden publicly for the first time at the Suzuka 8 Hours motorcycle race in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, from 1 to 3 August.
What this Koraidon will be capable of remains to be seen. It is assumed to run like a proper motorcycle, and there are four legs with movable joints, but those may just act as elaborate kickstands rather than provide any sort of quadrupedal movement. It'll be forgivable if it can't also jump across rooftops, deploy a hang glider, and scale cliffs, but that sure would be something if it could.
Honestly, by the look of the thing, even running as a motorbike looks tricky, mainly because of those scutes on the tires. This is entirely based on looking at the photo, but it appears that the main wheels are fake, and tucked inside them at the very bottom are two smaller wheels that actually propel the Pokémon. If that is the case, it seems like it wouldn't be able to go all that fast or with any great deal of control, unless Honda has some tricks up its sleeves.
▼ Right after making my guess about the wheels, I found a promotional video confirming them.
According to Honda, they plan to 'pursue the form of mobility that Koraidon, a character from the world of video games, represents to the fullest extent.' That's not really a crystal clear explanation of what to expect, but much like with Miraidon, they are paying special attention to maintain the accurate size and weight of Koraidon in the game, which adds a whole lot of difficulty to the engineering process and makes it less likely to completely tear up the track with raw speed.
▼ According to the game, Koraidon is 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall when upright and weighs 303 kilograms (668 pounds).
We'll find out soon enough, though, as Koraidon will be on display on 1 and 2 August, and then will take part in the opening ceremony for the final race on 3 August. There, spectators will be able to see it being ridden for the first time ever.
Even if it does end up just kind of scooting around like Miraidon did, Honda's slogan is 'create, transcend, augment,' so maybe they'll keep putting work into it until it can do everything, including jumping around and eating sandwiches. After all, this is just one small step for Pokémon motorcycles, but one giant leap for Pokémon motorcycle…kind?
Event information Koraidon at Suzuka 8 Hours FIM Endurance World Championships Suzuka Circuit / 鈴鹿サーキット Mie-ken, Suzuka-shi, Inomachi 7992 三重県鈴鹿市稲生町7992 Koraidon on display in the Honda Racing Gallery 1 August: 8:15 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 2 August: 9:00 a.m. – 8 p.m. Koraidon rides in the opening ceremony 3 August: 11 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.
Website
Source: Honda, Autocar Japan
Featured image: Honda
Insert image: Honda, ©2025 Pokémon. ©1995-2025 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
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