Gibbs Quadski
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The Gibbs Quadski is an amphibious quad bike/ATV, launched in October 2012 by Gibbs Sports Amphibians. The Quadski is a 4-stroke amphiquad that converts from a quad bike/ATV to a personal watercraft. It can attain a top speed of Template:Convert on both land and water.[1] The Quadski uses a marine jet propulsion system as well as wheel retraction, allowing it to transition between land and water.
The Quadski, developed and manufactured by a team based in Detroit, shares several features with the Gibbs Aquada. It is powered by a marinised version of BMW Motorrad's 1.3-litre engine from the K1300S, producing Template:Convert.[1] However, on land, the power is reduced to approximately Template:Convert.[2] To switch to water mode, the driver presses a button that retracts the wheels into the vehicle's body and disconnects them from the drive train.[1] In water, the Quadski uses a stone guard-protected intake to draw in water, which is then propelled by an engine-driven impeller through stator blades and a nozzle. Steering is controlled by a nozzle at the rear, directed via the handlebars.
The Quadski can travel for about two hours on water and has a range of approximately Template:Convert on land.
About 1,000 Quadskis were produced in Michigan[3] between 2012 and 2016, when production ceased. The vehicle is no longer manufactured by Gibbs or under any official licence. A Chinese company, Hison,[4] has attempted to copy the Quadski, but their version uses images of the actual Quadski in marketing materials and lacks strong evidence of functioning as a true amphibian vehicle and is legally questionable.
Official Quadski parts and technical support are supplied by Gibbs Amphibians in New Zealand.[5]
Appearance on Top Gear
A Quadski was used in a 2014 episode of British motoring show Top Gear, when Jeremy Clarkson raced it across Lake Como against an Alfa Romeo 4C driven by co-host Richard Hammond.[6] Despite arriving at the finish line first, Clarkson proceeded to concede the race to the Alfa.[7]
See also
- Amphicar (1961)
- Gibbs Aquada (2004)
- Gibbs Humdinga (2012)
- Iguana Yachts (2012)
- WaterCar
- All-terrain vehicle (ATV)
- Amphibious ATV (AATV)
References
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