3D printing is cool and useful. We’ve seen it used for medical procedures and we’ve also seen it used to create amazing but novel gadgets, so could it be that one day we might be able to 3D print our our transportation? While 3D printing a car has yet to become mainstream, a man by the name of Jonathan Band 3D printed his own motorcycle.
First of we’d like to point out that the motorcycle itself does not work, so no it does not seem like we will be able to print our own modes of transportation anytime soon. However what makes it impressive is the fact that it is a 1:1 scale of the 1972 Honda CB500 and based on the photos, it looks like Brand did a pretty good job. In fact it’s a great idea as this could allow car/bike collectors to print replicas of their favorite models that might not longer be available.
It is unclear as to how long it took Brand to recreate this motorcycle using the 3D printing process, but apparently he’s been at it ever since he’s had a 3D printing which was from a few years ago. Given that 3D printing isn’t exactly a speedy process, we can only imagine the hundreds, if not thousands of hours Brand has put into the project.
While the motorcycle itself does not work, Brand has created loose fits for moving parts which actually allows the wheels to move. The bike is hollow and is translucent which gives off a pretty cool prototype-ish look, and all in all it weighs just 18kg, significantly lighter than a regular bike. You can learn more about Brand’s process and see more of the motorcycle in the video above.