Quadski

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Quadski is an amphibious quad bike/ATV prototype, launched in May 2006 by New Zealand inventor Alan Gibbs, the chairman and founder of Gibbs Technologies.

The Quadski is a high-powered, fully functional quad bike that converts to a jet ski in a matter of seconds. It features a top speed of 72 km/h on both land and water, a proprietary marine jet propulsion system, and five-second wheel retraction. The Quadski is the first personal off-road vehicle to make a seamless high-speed transition between land and water. Its High Speed Amphibian (HSA) Technology includes 60 patents.

Designed by a New Zealand-based team, the Quadski shares a number of features with Gibbs' Aquada. When entering the water, the driver can retract the wheels into the housing within the vehicle’s body and detach them from the steering column, all at just the touch of a button. Transition time is a maximum of five seconds.

The Quadski’s 140 bhp engine includes a stoneguard-protected intake, which draws in water before directing it through the engine driven impeller, which with the stator blades and nozzle propel the Quadski at high speed. The steering nozzle at the Quadski’s rear directs the vehicle via the steering wheel.

The Quadski allows for two hours travel time on the water. Its range on land exceeds 600 kilometres.