A Batman-styled motorcycle known as Batpod is a dream for everyone when the Dark Knight hit the theaters in 2008. We all want them in our garages especially with their rugged look, outrageous features, and powerful engines. A replica of the Batpod is shown below with the creator illustrating how to ride this motorcycle with giant tires.

Two months of thorough research studying the real Pod, in the image below, was spent followed by careful blueprinting in the case of the Batpod since the design is the hardest part of almost any build. As the project begins, it uses an ultra-compact, water-cooled, single-cylinder motorcycle engine similar to KTM 690, a welded block-and-tube style frame, and a set of 508-mm Hoosier Racing tires mounted on steel wheels.

During the fabrication of the frame in which every motorcycle starts with, its structure houses underslung steering and hidden drive components, making it unique in the way it offsets its wheel hubs as shown in the photo below during a steady progress. For the bike to track straight and true and the wheels do not sit at different camber angles relative to each other, everything should be welded at proper angles, which is the big challenge in building the frame.

A short chain hooked to a jackshaft is driven by the engine’s output sprocket as the jackshaft runs down the tube parallel to the axis of the rear wheel and a chain hooks to another shaft that drives the rear tire. Because of this design, no chain on the Batpod is visible. As seen below, the engine and driveline mounting brackets designed into the frame and prefabricated are now used to accept their relative bits. In order for the chains not to skip off at speed and disable the vehicle, it requires absolute precision since everything is complicated. A shroud is used to cover a small fuel tank and the engine computer by installing them closely to the engine. The coolant runs down the main frame tube and just ahead of the rear tire, the radiator is mounted at the driver’s feet.

There are some arm protectors and no visible handlebars in the steering shown below. The Batpod uses a series of shafts and levers instead handlebars and yoke. The motion made by rotating the handlebars to translate into a push/pull motion is done by mounting the handlebars below the main frame tube and mounting a shaft to a lever arm to allow vertical-axis steering inputs. This process is repeated at the end which leads to a steering input at the front wheel hub by connecting this shaft to another shaft running down the front wheel’s main support tube.

To create the shroud during the body work, a 3-dimensional form is created from the non-corrugated cardboard which is cut and taped to shape. The same shape from metal was cut using the cardboard as a template. The shroud is created by bending and welding them together as seen below in order to make the engine as invisible as possible.

This is followed by adding dozens of detailed parts such as the Hollywood-grade guns, grappling hooks, forward controls including brakes and clutch levers & throttle, forearm rests at the top of the handlebars, and knee & foot rests complete with shifting & braking controls. The updates are illustrated in the video below.

Taking everything apart and painting it is the final step in the process with flat black and silver-gray Batpod colors. The pictures show the finished Batpod.