The Batpod, featured in The Dark Knight, has 20″ front and rear tires 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. The Batpod is steered by the shoulders instead of hands, and the rider’s arms are protected by shields. Continue reading to see three homemade versions.
3. Electric
Though no technical specifications were provided, we do know that this one is the only all-electric Batpod on our list. One thing you may not know about the original is that six models were constructed for the film’s production to anticipate some of them crashing.
2. Scrap Metal
While not as powerful as the others in this list, a Batman fan from Vietnam built this one entirely from scrap metal, along with a 125cc Suzuki scooter engine that’s good for 13.3 horsepower. In the actual film, the engine noise was designed around the Shepard tone, for which sound effects came, in part, from the sound of the Tesla Roadster’s electric motor.
1. Chopper City
Chopper City built the amazing Batpod you see above from scratch. They started with an 850cc V-Twin engine, mated to a fly-by-wire throttle system and sports-auto transmission from Aprilia’s Mana commuter and then built a low-slung, boxy frame for it.
