Holy Motorcycles, Batman – It’s Built Around an Original Catalina 250!
The dawn is coming – and by all accounts, it’s coming in the form of a replica Batcycle about to go up for auction.
Our report for today’s bit of gossip comes from TopSpeed, along with the news that the Mecum auction house will be the lucky block to take the iconic Dark Knight‘s lot for the auction itself.
“While the first Batcycle was based on a Harley Davidson, it was soon replaced by a new Batcycle, based on a Catalina 250,” recounts the article.
“Four Batcycles were built by Dan and Korky Korkes of Kustomotive and were toured around America after the series ended…then a sidecar was fitted for Robin to ride on, and this incorporated a four-wheel go-kart-type sled that could be ’fired’ from the sidecar chassis to go on its own way under its own power with a 55cc motor.”
Today, it’s more than obvious that the villains of Gotham proper wouldn’t have too much trouble getting away from the twin-cylinder two-stroke 250cc engine of a Yamaha YDS3 Catalina 250 (or maybe that’s why some of the fight scenes were so long…in which case, that’s brilliant).
Here’s a list of the bike’s features, fresh off the listing on Mecum’s website:
Replica BatCycle Highlights
- Never ridden or shown in public
- 1966 Yamaha Catalina 250cc motorcycle meticulously restored into a 1966 Batcycle Replica with Sidecar
- Gas tank Bat emblem autographed by Adam West with letter of authenticity
- Cart Robin decal autographed by Burt Ward with letter of authenticity
- Hand-painted pinstriping, tank Bat, and logos
- Proper Batman styling accents
- Detachable steel-bodied Replica Robin Cart with electric engine made to look like gas-powered original
The best part of this BatCycle for me, though, is the little car intended for his sidekick, Robin.
It’s powered by a 55cc Yamaha engine with 3-speed transmission and “impossibly short low-mount handlebar controls,” though the original was fossil fuel-inclined – and according to Mecum’s website, the cart was designed to be launched from the sidecar of the BatCycle, though the “challenging-to-control go-kart rarely went in the intended direction and [Robin] often ended up more white-knuckled than white lighting.”
Should you decide that this holiday’s shenanigans will involve flinging the more grumpy holiday guests in Robin’s cart, Mecum’s website tells us that you’d be paying something along the likes of the bike’s current auction estimate: $40,000 – $60,000 USD.
That’s an expensive family feud.
For more information, hit up Mecum’s website for the original listing; be sure also to check out the BatCycle we covered for next year’s upcoming hit flick, “The Flash” (2022), take a gander at the photo gallery below, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
*All media sourced from TopSpeed*
