Honda brings video game fantasy to life with rideable Pokémon motorcycle

For the uninitiated, Pokémon — short for "Pocket Monsters" — is a globally successful video game series where players collect and battle fantastical creatures. Koraidon is a character from 2022's Pokémon Scarlet, depicted as a prehistoric dragon whose wheel-like limbs serve as both legs and transportation.

"Legendary Pokémon Koraidon is the beloved mascot of Pokémon Scarlet, a game that has captivated adults and children alike across the globe," reads a statement from Honda. "Many people have played with it and encountered it with its many different movements and builds within the game itself. But lots of players have wondered: what if we could actually move about atop a form of Koraidon in the real world?"

Some grown-up Honda engineers felt precisely the same way. Following Toyota's 2024 Miraidon creation, which brought Pokémon Violet's mascot to life, Honda decided to create their own interpretation in what appears to be friendly one-upmanship between Japan's automotive giants.

"With the power of Honda's technology, let's try to recreate Koraidon's mobility in real life," the team declared. "Honda is made up of people who wish to harness the power of dreams to spread happiness around people and society. We wanted to make our own Honda Koraidon future mobility ourselves, to share the joy of creating by showing everyone how fun it can be."

Approximately 40 volunteer engineers from Honda's Motorcycle and Power Products divisions, alongside specialists from Innovative Research Excellence, assembled in August 2024 under the slogan "Honda's Devotion Makes Children's Dreams Come True." The goal: to create a moving form of the Sprinting Build configuration of Koraidon from Pokémon Scarlet. 

"Reproducing the shape of Koraidon was no easy task, but we wanted to create something that is as close to Pokémon Scarlet's Koraidon as possible, down to the finest details." The team established four engineering requirements: match Koraidon's weight and size exactly; make it self-standing; ensure its limbs, head and neck move like the character's; and make it rideable. The result stands 2.5 metres tall, weighs 303kg, and precisely replicates the game character.

Rather than relying on traditional wheels, the vehicle's four articulated legs move back and forth to propel it forward at walking speed. This is made possible by Honda Riding Assist, the manufacturer's self-balancing technology developed through research on the ASIMO humanoid robot and first shown at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show.

The system keeps Koraidon upright without support, even when stationary. The motorcycle also features moving hands, legs, neck and face, with eyes and eyelids that respond dynamically to the vehicle's speed.

Koraidon first appeared as a static display in Tokyo in March 2025, before making its moving debut at the FIM Endurance World Championship at Suzuka in August, where it ran autonomously around the circuit. The September MotoGP event at Motegi, however, marked the first time a rider actually operated the machine, with selected visitors also experiencing ride-on sessions throughout the weekend.

"There's so much more to come," the team states. "Day by day, we're figuring out ways to make our Honda Koraidon even better, utilising the design philosophy and simulation technology developed by our Motorcycle Division, and incorporating the ever-improving Honda Riding Assist balancing capability."

Honda plans to display the Koraidon at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, which opens on 31^st October. The project demonstrates how advanced robotics and balance control systems can create novel forms of mobility — and goes some way to proving childhood fantasies can occasionally become engineering reality.

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