If you asked a non-comic book nerd to name the most famous motorcycle in the world of superheros, there’s really only one answer: The Batcycle. This two-wheeled alternative to the Batmobile car has been appearing in comic books since 1956, and is a longtime staple of Batman’s TV and movie appearances.

Now,Mecum is going to auction off a replica of the Batcycle used in the 1966 television series.It looks just like the real thing, and just like the original ’66 bike, it appears to be a sketchy deathdrap. It even includes the quick-detach sidecar which converts to a go-kart, allowing Batman’s sidekick Robin to take off on his own, to pursue criminals.

To the Bat-Cave!

After an early episode that featured a specially-paintedHarley-Davidson sidecar rig, the Batcycles built for the 1966 television show were built off Yamaha donor bikes. In the case of the machine shown here, the builder used a 1966 Yamaha YDS3 Catalina 250. This was a sporty little roadster from the early days of the Japanese invasion of the US market. It had a two-stroke parallel twin engine, with 246 cc capacity. Like many early Japanese bikes, it was based on a pre-existing European design (in this case, the Adler MB250).

When these hit the market, Yamaha claimed output of just under 30 horsepower, and 19 pound-feet of torque. That was more than enough power in the late ’60s, and the Catalina added such niceties as a five-speed gearbox, an oil injection system (no need to pre-mix your fuel) and a 12V electrical system.

Despite their modern features, in the late 1960s, Japanese motorcycles were an unknown entity for US buyers. Dealers and distributors wanted to get the word out, so it made sense for Yamaha to donate machines as the basis for the Batcycle.

Riddle me this …

一个相对tame-looking雅马哈变成怎样the radical Batcycle? Here’s how collector Eric Seltzer describes the arrangement, at his excellent website1966Batmobile.com:

Batcycle是想法和创建两个成矿ders, Daniel Dempski and Richard “Korky” Korkes of Burbank California and doing business as Kustomotive. It was designed by Tom Daniel and built in 5 days in April 1966. The first Batcycle … was built from a modified 305cc Yamaha YM1 with a customized side-car and a gas powered go-kart.

Dan and Korky used the basic design of the scalloped fairing from a Yamaha racing fairing that was modified with Filon (fiberglass) sheets. Filon sheets were also used to create the sidecars large scalloped wing which was finished off with 3 rocket tubes. There were two “Speedline” patterns used on the sidecar. One was shaped as an “S” and the other was shaped as a “Z.”

The sidecar had a removable gas-powered go-kart that was deployed by Robin. It was custom built and powered by a 55cc Yamaha engine. It had motorcycle controls and a chrome moly steel frame.

After this first bike was made, Seltzer said Yamaha saw it was popular and donated three more motorcycles to build further Batcycles (Catalina 250s, like the bike in these photos, it seems). Seltzer says:

One was seen in two episodes of the Batman TV show and included a working gas powered go-cart … The other two had a similar design, but had a non-working “Bat Kart.” All the Batcycle’s toured the U.S. and Canada to promote the TV show and bring in extra money for Kustomotive.

Holy deathtrap, Batman!

As you could expect, the cobbled-together Batcycle was no fun to actually ride. Some pop culture sites say show stars Adam West (who played Batman) and Burt Ward (who played sidekick Robin) never actually rode the machine themselves—only their stunt doubles rode the bike. However, Adam West did say in later years that the two co-stars actually rode the bike themselves for some scenes, and that the sidecar was potentially dangerous.

Who knows if any of those old stories are true, but like all the oddball vehicles used in shows like Batman, The Munsters, and so on, the Batcycle was made to look cool, and any functionality was secondary.

The bike here?

The machine here is up for grabs at Mecum’s Kissimmee 2022 auction, on January 6-16. There is no reserve price. The listing details say the bike was never ridden or shown in public (unlike the original Kustomotive bikes), and that the detachable go-kart has an electric motor, done up to look like the gas engine of the original. And, it has signed certificates of authenticity from Adam West and Burt Ward.

Uh, what? How can a replica be authentic?

Digging around online, it seems there are some replicas with bodywork built around molds made from the original 1966-series Batcycle. If this bike is made off those molds, and based on a Yamaha Catalina 250 like the originals, then it’s collectible, even if it isn’t the original cycle seen on the show.

Will it get the $40,000-$60,000 that the auctioneers estimate? It depends how much value you put on a replica.

See the Mecum auctionhere.