This is a replica of Shotaro Kaneda's bike from Akira, built by Masashi Teshima over the past seven years for a cost of around $120K. It's the only replica with the official blessing of Akira's creator Katsuhiro Otomo, and now Teshima is riding the bike across Japan to raise money for children's autism. Afterwards, the bike will be on display at an exhibit celebrating Akira's creator, where it will be raising money for victims of last year's earthquake/tsunami. And after THAT, it will be purchased by yours truly and ridden up and down the street while wearing a Godzilla mask and yelling at my neighbors about the dangers of nuclear proliferation. They will call the police. There will be a chase, and I will crash into a mailbox trying to jump a curb. I will be tazed and, God willing, not evacuate my bowels this time. You can't make friends in the clink with soupy drawls!

Hit the jump for several more shots and some videos of the bike going vroom vroom.

The Akira Bike of Your Dreams Is Racing Across Japan [kotaku]

Thanks to Chance and Community Chest (sorry I couldn't help myself!) and Manuel78, who both want a replica of the bike from Peewee's Big Adventure.