GiBBS QUADSKi

We here in the Gulf love our quad bikes. We also love our jet skis. So what if you were to take two of the region’s favourite pastimes, and combine it into one? Well, it looks like we’re soon to find out…

CoMING SooN to the region (as soon as all the dealers clamouring for them can receive stock) is the Gibbs Quadski, an amphibious personal vehicle/watercraft that can transform from quad bike to jet ski within a matter of seconds!

This ingenious contraption caused a stir worldwide when it was featured in the famous BBC motoring series Top Gear, when it raced an Alfa Romeo 4C around lake Como in Italy.

Amphibious vehicles are no new thing, having been around since the 1800s, and they had entered into widespread military use by WWII. However, in terms of amphibious craft for personal use, this has only started to creep into the market over the last few years. And never before has an amphibious craft been so accessible as now, with the Gibbs Quadski combining the versatility, mobility and sheer enjoyment of both a quad bike and a jetski!

The vehicle is based on a monocoque dual skin composite hull that also works as a chassis. It uses a version of BMW Motorrad’s four-cylinder 1.3 litre motorbike engine, as seen in the K1300, that has been customised for marine use. on land, it has a rearwheel-drive configuration, but on the sea it’s powered by Gibbs’s patented jet drive.

In its amphibious form, the engine will produce 140hp on the water, but only 80hp on land, although this still translates to commendable speeds of up to around 72km/h on both land and water!

You’ll get around two hours travel time on the water, but a range of around 600km on land, so it’s also perfect for applications like close shore search and rescue too, and is already being adopted by lifeguard services in the states.

What this vehicle is NoT, is a desert stunt bike, so won’t be any good for launching off sand dunes at high speeds. People who’d want to own this vehicle are those who live on or near the beach, who want to be able to ride to the beach and enjoy some water sports whilst there.

Currently, the only dealership for these crafts in the region is in Jeddah, but we’ve heard that they’re planning to offer them across the region in the immediate future, so watch this space!

To find out more, log on to www.gibbssports.com.