Gibbs Quadski

The Gibbs Quadski is an amphibious quad bike/ATV, launched in October 2012 by Gibbs Sports Amphibians. The Quadski is a 4-stroke amphiquad that converts from a quad bike/ATV to a personal watercraft. It can attain a top speed of 72 km/h (45 mph) on both land and water.^[1] The Quadski uses a marine jet propulsion system as well as wheel retraction, allowing it to transition between land and water.

The Quadski, developed and manufactured by a team based in Detroit, shares several features with the Gibbs Aquada. It is powered by a marinised version of BMW Motorrad's 1.3-litre engine from the K1300S, producing 100 kW (140 PS).^[1] However, on land, the power is reduced to approximately 60 kW (82 PS).^[2] To switch to water mode, the driver presses a button that retracts the wheels into the vehicle's body and disconnects them from the drive train.^[1] In water, the Quadski uses a stone guard-protected intake to draw in water, which is then propelled by an engine-driven impeller through stator blades and a nozzle. Steering is controlled by a nozzle at the rear, directed via the handlebars.

The Quadski can travel for about two hours on water and has a range of approximately 600 kilometres (370 miles) on land.

About 1,000 Quadskis were produced in Michigan^[3] between 2012 and 2016, when production ceased. The vehicle is no longer manufactured by Gibbs or under any official licence. A Chinese company, Hison,^[4] has attempted to copy the Quadski, but their version uses images of the actual Quadski in marketing materials and lacks strong evidence of functioning as a true amphibian vehicle and is legally questionable.

Official Quadski parts and technical support are supplied by Gibbs Amphibians in New Zealand.^[5]

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Gibbs Quadski

Appearance on Top Gear

See also

References

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