One of the six Batpods built for The Dark Knight in 2008 is scheduled to go to auction on 4 December 2026. Propstore is offering the machine with an estimate of £450,000 to £900,000, while bidding will start at £225,000. The famous film vehicle may look like an extreme custom motorcycle, but this example will not be leaving the auction under its own power: it is being sold in non-functional, rolling-only condition.

Beneath the fibreglass bodywork is a Honda 750 engine installed in a custom chassis. The mechanical package includes an integrated exhaust system, a radiator and hydraulic components positioned behind the saddle. The forward-mounted cannons and laser-targeting equipment are film props rather than working hardware. The familiar Honda powerplant is therefore only one part of a machine designed around the demands of a film set, not conventional road use.

Built to move in front of the camera

Christopher Nolan and production designer Nathan Crowley developed the concept, while special-effects supervisor Chris Corbould and his team turned it into a vehicle that could operate during filming. Nolan chose to avoid relying on CGI tricks and green-screen work for the Batpod's action sequences, so the unusual design had to function in front of the camera. Corbould has described it as so different from a normal motorcycle that the team did not really regard it as one, with several riders initially struggling to stay aboard.

The construction combines a custom-built chassis with enormous 31-inch Hoosier racing tyres and a riding position unlike that of a conventional motorcycle. The rider lies prone across the machine and changes direction with the arms and shoulders instead of using normal handlebars. Braking is divided between controls on the left-hand grip and the right foot pedal, adding another layer to an already unfamiliar arrangement.

French stunt rider Jean-Pierre Goy became the solution to the handling problem. To master the Batpod, he had to put aside the habits learned on conventional motorcycles and focus on its distinct steering and control responses. Goy concentrated exclusively on the machine and avoided riding another motorcycle until filming was complete. That approach helped make the Batpod workable for the chase sequences, including the prominent pursuit involving the Joker in The Dark Knight.

A film prop with a traceable screen history

The auction example was used during the Joker chase in The Dark Knight and later appeared in The Dark Knight Rises. It also took part in promotional events for both films. Propstore says the machine can be matched to footage from the chase through distinctive marks and scratches on its right-hand side, giving this particular Batpod a documented connection to one of the trilogy's best-known motorcycle scenes.

Its present condition makes the machine a collector's display rather than an unusual road-going purchase. The fluids have been drained, and the battery, fuel tank and throttle controls have been removed. The Honda 750 remains central to the Batpod's construction and film identity, but the auction example is intended to be displayed or rolled, not ridden away after the sale. For a vehicle created to deliver a real camera action sequence, that is a notable end state: its cinematic role survives, while its operating hardware has been deliberately taken out of service.