Wetbike
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A WetBike is a hydrofoil water motor cycle that is often described as cross between a motorcycle and a jet ski.
The original wetbike was introduced in 1978 by Spirit Marine, a subsidiary of Arctic Enterprises (now known as Arctic Cat). The Wetbike is challenging to ride, because like a motorcylce it does require a good deal of balance. It was powered by a Suzuki 2 cycle engine, and a small Pump-jet.
The first appearance of the Wetbike was in the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. In one scene, right before the film's end, 007 is seen riding on a Wetbike (the actual Spirit Marine prototype) to villain Karl Stromberg's lair, the submergible fortress Atlantis. Bond refers to the Wetbike as a Q gadget.
During the latter years of wetbikes (late 1980s) there were considerable advances such as 60hp Suzuki 800cc engines, and the Metton hulls, which were much lighter than previous models. Eventually the Wetbike gave way to the new personal water craft (PWC) such as the Yamaha WaveRunner, mainly because they are much easier to ride. They were last produced in 1992.
