Batcycle

The Batcycle is the fictional personal motorcycle of comic book superhero Batman. In the comic book universe, Batman's personal Batcycle is a modified street-bike with a 786 cc liquid-cooled V-4 engine. It contains a computer-controlled carburetor and bulletproof wind-guard.

In other media

Live-action

Batman (TV series)

The Batcycle from Batman (1966).^[1]

The Batcycle made its first appearance in 1966 in the Batman TV series. It was a 1965 Harley Davidson with a side car, but it was taken on lease and was only used for the first season episode "Not Yet, He Ain't".

Later that year, a new Batcycle was introduced. It was produced by Kustomotive, conceived by Dan Dempski, designed by Tom Daniel, and built by Dan and Korky Korkes using a Yamaha Catalina 250. It was leased to 20th Century Fox starting on April 18, 1966 for $50 a week with an additional $350 up front. The new Batcycle was first used in the 1966 film Batman and continued to appear in the rest of the TV series. Hubie Kerns and Victor Paul did most of the stunt work with the motorcycle throughout the series. The total amount paid to Kustomotive was $2,500. When the series was canceled, Kustomotive used the Batcycle in car shows, paying royalties to Greenway, 20th Century Fox, and National Periodical Publications. Kustomotive built four replicas of the Batcycle for tours.

Batblade (Batman & Robin)

The Batblade^[2][3] is the name of a specialized motorcycle used by Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) in the 1997 film Batman & Robin. This vehicle can function under the most extreme weather conditions.

The Batblade was built on the body of a drag racer: the rear tire comes not from a motorcycle, but from a car. Originally the equipment for fast pursuits was conceived, and with the help of the special effects it functions also on smooth underground and under most extreme weather conditions.

The Dark Knight

The Batpod

The Batcycle for the 2008 superhero film The Dark Knight (directed by Christopher Nolan) is called the Batpod^[4][5] and its mock-up was done by Nolan^[6] and later designed by Nathan Crowley, who designed the Tumbler for Batman Begins (2005). The bike has 20" front and rear tires (the Tumbler's front wheels), and is powered by a high-performance, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine - geared toward the lower end for faster acceleration and with no exhaust pipes. The exhaust is routed through the hollow steel/aluminum/magnesium tubing used for the frame of the bike. ^[7] The Batpod is steered by the shoulders instead of hands, and the rider's arms are protected by shields. The two foot pegs are set 3 1/2 feet apart on either side of the tank, which the rider lies on, belly down.^[8] The sound effects for the Batpod came, in part, from the sound of the Tesla Roadster's electric motor. ^[9]

The Batpod ejects out of the Tumbler's front end, making the Tumbler's front wheels both of the Batpod's. Because the Tumbler is ordered to self-destruct, the Batpod allows Batman to continue his pursuit. For the film, the bike is armed with grappling hooks, cannons, and machine guns. Six models were constructed for the film's production to anticipate some of them crashing.^[10]

One action sequence in the film shows the wheels rolling against their normal axes, seemingly for added stability in sharp turns or other maneuvers. This also allows for instant changes in direction - if the driver approaches a wall, the Batpod's central frame will rotate to keep the driver upright.

Animation

Batman: The Animated Series

The Batcycle was one of the many vehicles used by Batman and Robin in Batman: The Animated Series. The Batcycle was themed to look like Batman's other vehicles, the Batmobile, Batwing, and Batboat. Batman would use it in certain episodes, as would Robin. Perhaps the most important part the Batcycle played in the series was in the movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where Batman jumped off the Batcycle so it would crash into a giant fan that was being controlled by the Joker. The Batcycle saw a little more use from Robin, particularly in the episode "Robin's Reckoning." Robin would continue to use a variation of the Batcycle in later seasons after he had become Nightwing. Batman always donned a helmet, modeled to accommodate his cowl's ears, before driving the Batcycle.

The Batman

The Batcycle was used by Batman only a few times the first time was when Catwoman stole Batman's utility belt and accidentally pressed the button activating the Batmobile's autopilot. The second occasion was when Gearhead wrecked the Batmobile and Batman had to build a new one; Batman finished constructing it but when Gearhead was on the loose again the Batmobile's exp power core was not completely charged he needed another transportation and used the Batcycle but left it on autopilot. Batgirl stole it in this episode and ended up destroying it after Gearhead infected it with a nano virus. A variation of the Batcycle is used by Robin and Batgirl with their own colors on the bike. Robin has a similar Robin styled bike in the Teen Titans animated series.

Video games

• Batman & Robin (Robin drives the Redbird, and Batgirl drives the Batblade)
• Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (the Batcycle and the Nightwing Cycle are unlockable 3D Models in the Trophy Room)
• LEGO Batman: The Video Game
• The Dark Knight (canceled)

Toys

Art Asylum created a toy version of the Batcycle for C3 Sets Wave 2 of Minimates in 2005. LEGO paired the Batmobile with "Harley Quinn's Hammer Truck" for their LEGO Batman line. In 2008, Mattell's Hot Wheels line released a 1/50 scale of the 1966 Batcycle, and in 2009, released a 1/12 scale of the same model. Both featured detachable sidecars. An upgraded 'Elite' version of the 1/12 model is also expected, with even greater detail. The Batblade has also been mentioned as a candidate for the 2010 series of 1/50 Bat-vehicles.

See also

• Batmobile
• Redbird

References

External links

• Batman & Robin - Bikes
• Television - Batman: The Series - Gadgets - Batcycle
• Character Profiles - Gadgets - Batcycle
• Television - Batman: The Series - Batgirl's Batcycle
• Dark Knight Batpod
• Internet Movie Cars Database
  • Honda Batblade in Batman & Robin, Movie, 1997
  • Made for Movie Batpod in The Dark Knight, Movie, 2008