So, what I was recalling was not Honda, but the Kawasaki CORLEO; a hydrogen powered quad just like in the link above. It is still a “concept vehicle”, but is working. It debuted in the shows last April.
Ignore statements like “150cc”. It runs on hydrogen fuel cell so the displacement spec does not compare across to internal combustion engines. What you can say is it is a mechanical horse with a lot more than 1 horsepower.
One particular item of note is in Kawasaki’s merchandizing, where they note that the design absorbs shock fantastically better than any wheeled vehicle. This goes a very long way toward justifying so many of George Lucas’ designs in the Star Wars franchise, Mechs in various franchises, etc. Machines that run are by nature better at absorbing shock and since robots have a power density far in excess of natural systems, it makes sense to build a robot horse.
I would not be surprised if the Kawasaki vid is also AI, but it is still instructive. Note early in the vid the right rear leg reaches outward to the right to find purchase. I can tell you after 60+ years of riding a horse that horses can’t do this.
What horses can do that motorcycles cannot is they can think. Riding a horse is a very different kind of activity than riding a cycle because of this difference. There’s no way any mechanical horse could be possible without AI. This mechanical mount is thinking how to move with each step.
Extraordinary.
川崎重工グループが大阪・関西万博で披露するKawasakiのモーターサイクルがもつ「Fun to Ride」を大切にした新カテゴリーのパーソナルモビリティ
www.khi.co.jp