When you see a jet ski on the road, you’d expect a truck or SUV to be towing the watercraft. That’s not what the police in Daphne, Alabama, found when drivers on Highway 98 called the cops to report seeing a bizarre sight going down the road.
Officers responded to a man riding a jet ski on the highway. While it was undoubtedly a weird mode of transport, the cops weren’t able to fault the rider. His bizarre rig was fully tagged and street-legal.
The Daphne Police Department posted a single image of the vehicle on Facebook. It has a small light bar in front, turn signals, and chrome side mirrors. While not visible, the jet ski-cycle must have brake lights to operate on the road.
The rider was not from Alabama. The police gave him a warning for not wearing a helmet. State law requires wearing head protection.
The police did not identify the rider or say where he was from. Daphne, AL, is on the Mobile Bay. It’s not too far from the Florida border.
The Miami Herald noted people photographed a different jet-ski motorcycle near Cape Coral, Florida. That one was white with a purple seat.
There’s no indication this vehicle is amphibious so that the rider could operate it on land and in the water. However, our colleagues at Ride Apart found such a vehicle in 2021. The KSM Innovations Prototype ATV came from the late 1980s. It used a Honda three-wheeler engine that turned a big, rubber track that was a little similar to a snowmobile’s layout. The chunky belt functioned as paddles when on the water. Floats on each side provided stability. The company reportedly only built a single prototype.
Amphibious cars are far more common. They can serve a military role as a way to keep troops safe while performing a landing operation. Alternatively, a small watercraft conversion like the Dutton Reef lets people enjoy the water without needing to buy a boat and have a rig for towing it.
