Kawasaki's Robot Horse Is Going To EICMA. So It Is a Motorcycle!

I mean, a horse is just a motorcycle without wheels.

Photo by: Kawasaki

By: Jonathon Klein

Nov 2, at 7:02am ET

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Ages ago, one of my old friends, Stef Schraeder, dropped a hellaciously funny review of a horse on Jalopnik. It was one of those late-aughts blogs that just dripped with humor and could only come from the demented minds of the writers of that site at the time. Please don't look up my first story there, though, it was well and truly awful, though similarly demented.

But the story always stuck with me as to how she was describing and reviewing said horse was how you'd review anything. And more importantly, it had a lot of similarities with how you'd review a motorcycle. Because, after all, what are horses if not just the motorcycles of the animal kingdom?! Well, fine sirs and ma'ams, we may have to find Stef and bring her horse review back for RideApart, as Kawasaki's robot horse Corleo is fast becoming a reality. So much so, the company just announced that the robotic equine will be showcased at this year's EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy.

So while others rebuffed my belief that Corleo was actually just a legged motorcycle, seems like Kawasaki agrees with me. Stef, I need you to grab the reins!

"Although Kawasaki’s booth primarily showcases its new and current two-wheeled models, EICMA also provides an ideal platform to share other exciting Kawasaki research and development projects, such as CORLEO," says the company's press release, adding that Corleo is actually just a personal mobility device that "combines the off-road performance made possible by four-legged robotics with the manoeuvrability and stability Kawasaki has cultivated through over half a century of innovative motorcycle technology and manufacture."

Folks, it's a horse-cycle. A motor-horse? A middle-weight Clydesdale? Whatever you want to call it, according to Kawasaki, Corleo is powered by a 150cc hydrogen engine, which is stored in the "rear of the vehicle." Um, is the hydrogen in its butt? Also, since it's hydrogen-powered and hydrogen-electric engines only produce water as a byproduct, does Corleo pee? I have many more very stupid questions.

Either way, Kawasaki says its committed to bringing Corleo to the masses as a new form of transportation, and based on the designs we've seen, along with the patents, I think the company is really trying to get this robo horse into mass or semi-mass production.

What do you think?

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You know how some trails hate seeing dirt bikers even though they're absolutely allowed? Imagine rocking up on a Corleo? Moreover, whenever Corleo comes out, I'm gonna call Stef and have her do the review. It's the only logical way of determining if the flesh and bone horse compares to all techno one.

Stay tuned.