Most badass motorcycles from science fiction movies

We grabbed the 14 most badass motorcycles ever featured in sci-fi movies

By Bruce Brown Updated February 18, 2019

badass motorocycles stolen 1990 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

While we were choosing the most badass motorcycles from sci-fi movies, the suggestions came faster than a 74-Z speeder and with more authority than a Lawmaster. In the end, what we originally intended to be a “top 10” list quickly grew to a “top 14.” If we included television shows — looking at you, Battlestar Galactica — the list could have easily grown longer. Either way, sit back and check out some of the more memorable motorcycles from science fiction (clips included)

Terminator 2 "I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle" 1080p

Stolen 1990 Harley-Davidson Fatboy
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is the 1991 sequel to 1984’s original Terminator, both directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In T2, Schwarzenegger’s cyborg character must protect a 10-year-old boy, John Connor (Edward Furlong). After landing in a parking lot on Earth, Schwarzenegger finds clothing and transportation in the form of 1990 Harley-Davidson Fatboy at a nearby biker bar.

Dredd - Motorcycle Chase

Lawmaster
Dredd (2012)

Directed by Pete Travis, 2012’s Dredd starred Karl Urban as a police officer with the power to make judgments as he saw fit in the pursuit of criminals. The Lawmaster, Dredd’s motorcycle, was built on a Suzuki GSX 750 with an extended chassis. The Lawmaster in the Stallone-starring Judge Dredd, was too overbuilt to steer so the later film constructed a bike the actor could actually pilot, according to the Lawmaster Wiki.

The Matrix Reloaded: Trinity on Ducati 996

Ducati 996
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Carrie-Anne Moss’ character, Trinity, escaped with the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim) in The Matrix Reloaded, directed by Lana and Lily Wachowski. Trinity drove off a vehicle carrier with a Ducati 996.

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - Speeder Bike Chase - HD 1080p

74-Z Speeder
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)

It turns out the affectionately known “speeder bikes” have an in-canon designation! Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) rode and were chased by Stormtroopers through the forests of Endor’s moon on these iconic speeders in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

THE DARK KNIGHT Bat Pod Sequence

BatPod
The Dark Knight (2008)

In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Christian Bale’s Batman drove the BatPod while in pursuit of the Joker (Heath Ledger). The BatPod is armed with front-mounted cannons, machine guns, and grappling hooks.

Terminator Salvation - Cyborg Motorcycle Scene

Moto-Terminators
Terminator Salvation (2009)

Terminator Salvation starred Christian Bale in the role of John Connor. The Moto-Terminators were weaponized by Skynet to hunt humans.

Tron Legacy Lightbike Scene

Light Cycles
Tron: Legacy (2010)

Two motorcycles star in Joseph Kosinski’s Tron: Legacy. The film starts off with Sam Flynn cruising the real world on his Ducati Sport 100. As cool as it is, in the virtual world, the Light Cycle racer is the real star. On their apparent 5th-generation, these vehicles bear a much closer resemblance to real motorcycles.

RoboCop (2014) | Warehouse Assault Scene | 1080p

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10
Robocop (2014)

José Padilha directed the 2014 remake of RoboCop. Joel Kinnaman plays the title role of Alex Murphy aka RoboCop. Murphy rides a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10.

Rollerball (2002) - leather trailer HD 1080p

Aurora’s bike
Rollerball (2002)

In the 2002 Rollerball remake, directed by John McTiernan, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos’ Aurora and other players rode modified Gas Gas trail motorcycles.

(60fps Test) Akira opening bike scene [BD]

Kaneda’s Bike
Akira (1988)

Katsuhiro Ôtomo directed 1988’s Akira. In the animated film Shotaro Kaneda, the hero fights a psychotic villain threatening Neo-Tokyo. Kaneda’s bike was not real, although some have suggested the Honda NM4 was inspired by the manga moto.

Tom cruise Dirt Bike scene in Oblivion

Tom Cruise’s custom Honda Folding Dirt Bike
Oblivion (2013)

Tom Cruise famously does his own stunts, including motorcycle riding, in his films. In 2013’s Oblivion, directed by Joseph Kosinski, Cruise, playing the part of Jack, unfolds a dual sport bike. According to Motorcycle-usa.com, the folding dirt bike was based on a Honda CRF450X.

Priest - Motorcyle Fight Clip

Vampire-hunting Jet Bike
Priest (2011)

If you’re going to hunt vampires, what better ride than a jet-bike built for the task? In Priest, directed in 2011 by Scott Stewart, Paul Bettany plays the title role, hunting vampires to rescue his niece even though the church told him not to. Priest rides a jet-powered bike with drag race tires on each end, according to Motorcycle News. The bike, which wasn’t really jet-powered, was based on a Suzuki Gladius 650.

Planet Terror 2 - gun leg

Gun Leg on a chopped Harley-Davidson
Planet Terror (2007)

Cherry Darling, played by Rose McGowan in Director Robert Rodriquez’s 2007 Grindhouse film Planet Terror, lost a leg in a terrible accident. Her choice of a machine gun for a prosthesis, hence her nickname “Gun Leg,” defines her character and the zombie film. Darling’s ex-boyfriend Wray, played by Freddy Rodriquez, rides a slightly chopped Harley-Davidson with Gun Leg riding backward on the passenger seat so she can keep shooting.

I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle - Cinema Trailer

Norton Commando
I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990)

A motorcycle plays the lead role in I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle, 1990, directed by Dirk Campbell. An evil spirit possesses a damaged 750cc Norton Commando that seeks revenge on a motorcycle gang.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…

Cars

Waymo faces questions about its use of onboard cameras for AI training, ads targeting

Two people exit a Waymo taxi.

In an iconic scene from the 2002 sci-fi film Minority Report, on-the-run Agent John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, struggles to walk through a mall as he’s targeted by a multitude of personalized ads from the likes of Lexus, Guinness and American Express, everytime hidden detectors identify his eyes.
It was clearly meant as a warning about a not-so-desirable dystopian future.
Yet, 23 years later that future is at least partlially here in the online world and threatens to spread to other areas of daily life which are increasingly ‘connected’, such as the inside of cars. And the new testing grounds, according to online security researcher Jane Manchun Wong, might very well be automated-driving vehicles, such as Waymo’s robotaxis.
On X, Wong unveiled an unreleased version of Waymo’s privacy policy that suggests the California-based company is preparing to use data from its robotaxis, including interior cameras, to train generative AI models and to offer targetted ads.
“Waymo may share data to improve and analyze its functionality and to tailor products, services, ads, and offers to your interests,” the Waymo’s unreleased privacy statement reads. “You can opt out of sharing your information with third parties, unless it’s necessary to the functioning of the service.”
Asked for comments about the unreleased app update, Waymo told The Verge that it contained “placeholder text that doesn’t accurately reflect the feature’s purpose”.
Waymo’s AI-models “are not designed to use this data to identify individual people, and there are no plans to use this data for targeted ads,” spokesperson Julia Ilina said.
Waymo’s robotaxis, which are operating on the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin, do contain onboard cameras that monitor riders. But Ilina says these are mainly used to train AI models for safety, finding lost items, check that in-car rules are followed, and to improve the service.
The new feature is still under development and offers riders an opportunity to opt out of data collection, Ilina says.
But as we all get used to ads targeting based on everything that’s somehow connected to the web, it seems a once-distant vision of the future may be just around the corner.

Cars

Waymo’s driverless cars are about to begin an overseas adventure

Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous cars are about to appear on streets outside of the U.S. for the first time.

The company on Wednesday announced on social media that its autonomous cars will be driving onto the streets of Tokyo, Japan, “soon,” with some reports suggesting the rollout will begin as early as next week.

Cars

Buy Now, Upgrade Later: Slate’s $25K Truck Flips the Script on EVs

many hybrids rank as most reliable of all vehicles evs progress consumer reports cr tout cars 0224

A new electric vehicle startup—quietly backed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos—is building something bold in Michigan. Not just a car, but a whole new idea of what an EV company can be. Slate Auto is a stealthy new automaker with one mission: ditch the luxury-first EV playbook and start from the affordable —which most drivers actually seek.
The start-up has been operating out of public sight since 2022, until TechCrunch found out about its existence. Of course, creating a little mystery about a potentially game-changing concept is a well-tested marketing approach.
But Slate truly seems to approach EVs in a very different way than most: It isn’t debuting with a six-figure spaceship-on-wheels. Instead, it's targeting the holy grail of EV dreams: a two-seat electric pickup truck for just $25,000. Yep, twenty-five grand. That’s less than a tricked-out golf cart in some neighborhoods. Slate is flipping the Tesla model on its head. Tesla, but also the likes of Lucid, BMW, and to a certain degree, Rivian, all started with high-end vehicles to build brand and bankroll future affordable car. But Slate wants to start with the people’s pickup—and letting it grow with you.
This isn’t just a cheap car. It’s a modular, upgradeable EV that’s meant to be personalized over time. Buy the basic model now, then add performance, tech, or lifestyle upgrades later—kind of like building your own dream ride one paycheck at a time. It’s a DIY car for a generation raised on customization and subscriptions. The company even trademarked the phrase: “We built it. You make it.”
Backing up this idea is an equally bold strategy: selling accessories, apparel, and utility add-ons à la Harley-Davidson and Jeep’s MoPar division. You’re not just buying a vehicle; you’re buying into a lifestyle. Think affordable EV meets open-source car culture.
Slate's approach isn't just novel—it's almost rebellious. At a time when other startups risk folding under the weight of their own lofty ambitions, Slate is keeping things lean, scalable, and customer focused. The company reportedly plans to source major components like battery packs and motors from outside suppliers, keeping manufacturing costs low while focusing energy on design, experience, and upgrade paths.
Sure, it’s all been kept under wraps—until now. With plans to begin production near Indianapolis by next year, the wraps are about to come off this EV underdog.
While, at least in spirit, the U.S. market has been dominated by high-end EVs, Slate’s “start small, scale with you” philosophy might be just the jolt the industry needs.