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Bandit9’s ‘Jedi’-inspired concept motorcycle speeds to collectors and museums

Bucking vintage V-twin themes employed by most custom motorcycle builders, Bandit9 Motors pushes forward, imagining two-wheel designs for future riders. The inspiration for the latest limited edition from the Hanoi-based studio was a sci-fi personal hoverbike for a young Jedi-in-training named Luke Skywalker.

The Bandit9 L-Concept’s handlebars may remind you the speeders Skywalker rode in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The resemblance is not an accident.

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

Referring to the L-Concept as a “sci-fi masterpiece,” Bandit9 founder and chief  designer Daryl Villanueva told Digital Trends via email the name came “from all the angular shapes.”

We pointed out the many sci-fi references on the L-Concept’s website page. The reference to the maneuvering controls “making you feel like you’re in a speeder rather than riding a motorcycle” is also a telling clue. Villaneuva conceded, “‘L’ for Luke would’ve been a much cooler idea. Let’s go with that.”

Bandit9 Motors company name refers to the numbers of each limited-edition design the company builds. Most of its motorcycles are purchased by collectors and museums rather than riding on the street.

All Bandit9 bikes are ridable, however, Villaneuva claims. When we asked about the L-Concept’s dual flat-fork suspension, he said, “This thing rides pretty nice actually … I’ve traveled pretty far with these things and my butt’s in one piece.”

The L-Concept runs on a 125c air-cooled single cylinder engine paired with a four-speed transmission and chain drive. Design elements abound, from the stainless-steel unibody tank and front cowl, crystal-white LED front headlight cluster, and a red LED grid-brake light. Almost everything visible is custom-made from the front forks, aluminum grips and levers, swingarm, and gas cap to the Italian calf leather saddle.

Pricing for the L-Concept seems low, at $10,950 including door-to-door shipping worldwide. At the time of publication of this article, only three of the nine limited edition L-Concepts were available. While no one will likely use this bike as a daily driver, Villanueva suggests that riding the L-Concept to the next Comic-Con would be the perfect road trip.

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
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