Motorcycles and the fictional characters who ride them epitomize rebellion, independence and individuality.
These characters tend to be edgy, jaded and vengeful. They’re guys that you want at your back in a bar fight and the type a father never wants to see his daughter so much as looking at. They are anti-heroes, and the motorcycles beneath them signify their inability to fully conform to a society that they both disdain and, for some reason, protect.
Of course, an epic comic front man has to have an equally awesome ride if anyone is going to take him seriously, and that’s why we’re taking a look at three of the baddest bikes and bikers comics have ever known. We’re breaking down the incredible motorcycle accessories, weapons, defenses and, as the Joker might say, “toys” that put these wheels on a road of their own.
Captain America
Captain America is the nickname of Peter Fonda’s character from Easy Rider for several reasons, but the Captain America in the comic books, cartoons, made-for-TV-movies and films has always sported a Harley, and there have been several that he has taken into battle over the years. Perhaps the most ridiculous one appeared throughout the 1970s and featured, among other things, a turbo booster, silencer and a hang glider.
Accessories: Vibranium shield, enhanced feeling of patriotism and horrendous disco soundtrack.
Ghost Rider
Not to be confused with the Swedish man (or men) known for baiting police on a GSX-R100 at speeds surpassing 300 km/h, the supernatural Ghost Rider has been in the Marvel universe since the early seventies. Daniel Ketch, the second iteration of the character, rides a bike with wheels that turn to hellfire. The bike can also ride across water and drive up sheer walls. Furthermore, the sigil on the Ghost Rider ride actually turned Daniel Ketch into the flaming skeleton figure that people most-often associate with the comic. Considering how cool it’d be to ride that thing, it’s kind of a fair tradeoff.
Accessories: Indestructible chain, Spirit of Vengeance and a copy of “Con-Air” on DVD in the top-box.
Batman
Trying to outdo Batman when it comes to your ride is pretty much impossible. The heir of Wayne Enterprises is not going to be outdone when it comes to adding accessories and muscle to anything, whether it’s the Batcycle from the 60s or the Bat-Pod from the “Dark Knight” trilogy. Though the Batcycle is to the Bat-Pod as boy is to man, these bikes have always been state-of-the-art and fully decked out. The latest incarnation shoots out of a Tumbler, is steered by using the shoulders (because the rider’s hands are protected by shields), can lower and elongate itself while in operation and has been outfitted with machine guns and cannons. This is not your run of the mill chopper.
Accessories: 508-mm Hoosier Racing tires, grappling hooks and no sidecar (to deter Robin infestations).
From heart-racing action to a casual cruise through Gotham, these bikes are in a league of their own. Speed limits are more of a suggestion, crime is a petty housefly and justice is just one rev of the engine away.
image by Al Pavankanan
