5 Best Sci-Fi Movie Motorcycles, Ranked

You know what's cooler than something on four wheels? When it's on two. At a push, maybe on one, but we're not running a circus around here. Nevertheless, some of the best stories in science fiction have been fueled by incredible sci-fi movie vehicles that have driven through the genre over the years. At the same time, there have been insanely slick motorcycles or variations of them that have slipped through the lanes, moving dangerously fast and looking jaw-droppingly cool while doing so. 

Everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Batman, and even the Biker Mice from Mars, have made hogs the popular vehicles they've become, leaving us green with envy that we don't have one of our own. On the time-twisting, electrically-charged road that is sci-fi, though, there are only a handful of extra special motorcycles that have moved ahead of the rest and remain firm fan favorites. The kind that turn our heads whenever they appear on the screen and have left such a mark that they're often imitated by the greatest directors and storytellers. 

Now, after careful consideration, we've spent some time in the BGR garage and rolled out a classic collection of sci-fi movie motorcycles with only one leading the way. So put your helmet on (safety first), rev up the engine, and let's ride in a very orderly fashion.

There's nothing particularly sci-fi about the 1991 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy in James Cameron's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." In fact, it's just a normal bike that Arnie's T-800 acquires before heading out to track down John Connor (Edward Furlong). Unlike the Terminator's choice of ride from the first film, the Fat Boy demands more of a screen presence and, in doing so, becomes an extension of the futuristic protector. 

The color scheme matches the rider perfectly, with the bike's black and chrome matching the hero in a leather jacket that's 100% metal underneath. It's a simple choice in transport, but one that would be forever bound to Arnold's hero just like the Aston Martin would be to James Bond. Unlike the various 007 adventures that gave way for the super spy's whip, the T-800's bike would have only a small amount of screen time, but it was used in one of the best action movie stunts in history.

Watching Arnie burst onto the scene, spinning his shotgun round in one hand and snatching John Connor from his dirt bike, right before Robert Patrick's T-1000 flattens it, remains a pulse-pounding sequence that still lands today. It's a shame it never really made a comeback in the sequels. Ah, well. At least we'll always have "Judgment Day" and Arnie looking bad to the bone on his very loud bike.

When photos first appeared of Christian Bale's Batman on a brand-new set of wheels, speculation was rife about how the Batpod would be integrated into "The Dark Knight." Where had it come from? What happened to the Batmobile (or, in this iteration of the character, the Tumbler)? The answer to both questions would be revealed in one of the most creative and brilliantly handled action sequences of the early 2000s. 

After the Tumbler ends up a busted wreck and Batman finds himself falling behind in search of Heath Ledger's Joker, a few buttons get pressed, and one of its front wheels starts to frantically spin. From there, it's riding up walls and steering sideways onto roads, like a dream Batman ride, revealing another wonderful toy literally springing to life in Nolan's iteration of the Caped Crusader. What follows would be a set piece that proved more than ever that Nolan was a director worth looking out for, even if it was centered around a vehicle that was a motorcyclist's nightmare. 

First, it ran on the Tumbler's 20-inch Hoosier racing tires, with the rider forced to lie on their stomach while operating the vehicle. Steering was also problematic, with the bike demanding the rider use their shoulders to steer, rather than simple handlebars. Either way, it made for a wild ride that would return in "The Dark Knight Rises" and become one of the many beloved vehicles associated with Gotham's legendary hero.

Unlike the rest of the bikes on this list, the Speeder Bike from "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" doesn't have any wheels. That doesn't stop it from being one of the coolest-looking and sounding bits of transport in George Lucas' wild universe. Built like a mechanized ostrich with its head permanently down and in front, the Speeder Bike tore through the forests of Endor in a great chase sequence from the 1983 threequel. Stolen from a group of inattentive Stormtroopers by Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher), the roar of these things added yet another collection of iconic, ear-prickling sound effects to the franchise. 

They also moved at such incredible speed that it was a wonder anyone other than a Jedi-in-training could operate them. As zippy as they appeared to be, though, there's something that seems awfully fragile about the Speeder Bike, considering a small bump could send its rider flying. That's possibly because of the lengthy front attachment that takes up half the vehicle and, as shown in "Jedi," can send the bike into a tailspin if it's damaged or, say, cut off by a lightsaber. Ultimately, the Speeder Bike is a cool ride, but it also feels incredibly dangerous.

For a franchise that includes a huge sci-fi box office flop with Jared Leto, perhaps the best thing to come out of "Tron" is the Light Cycle. Okay, maybe the Daft Punk soundtrack too. The Light Cycle is not just a vehicle; it's a machine built for destruction and death for anyone who fails to outmaneuver it. Introduced in the 1982 film starring Jeff Bridges, the Light Cycle was a bike-like vehicle that would materialize from a stick wielded by the Program. When activated, it wrapped around the rider, who was quite literally off to the races, or imminent destruction, thanks to the trail of energy behind the bike that could cut through another rider or become a barrier for them to steam into. 

Presented in a more simplistic design in the first film, the Light Cycles got a huge upgrade in Joseph Kosinski's 2010 "Tron: Legacy." That model offered a more transparent design, making the rider visible, and almost shared traits with the Batpod from "The Dark Knight." Even with all these advanced bells and whistles, though, the Light Cycle's feature of leaving an energy trail makes it perhaps the most dangerous and self-destructive sci-fi movie motorcycle on this list.

When it comes to picking the best motorcycle in all of science fiction, the only logical option is the bike imitated all across popular culture. The cinematic skid of Kaneda's bike in "Akira" has been replicated by everyone from Jordan Peele in "Nope" to Robin in "Batman: The Animated Series." Debuting in 1988, not only one of the greatest cyberpunk movies ever made, but also one of the greatest animations ever put on film, Katsuhiro Otomo's epic tale uses the bike to encapsulate everything that makes his tech-noir masterpiece so compelling. 

The brilliance of this motorcycle is that it's teetering somewhere between fact and fiction, the present and the not-too-distant future. With massive tires and a seat that makes the rider look like they're sitting in something more akin to a gun turret than a motorcycle, it almost feels real. Thanks to Barcelona art studio, Bel&Bel, it finally did become a reality in 2024. 

Thinking of the bike brings to mind two memorable images: Kaneda skidding down the highway and walking toward it on the poster. It's when the bike is in motion though, snaking through the streets of Neo-Tokyo, that it looks just as awesome, with its taillights trailing behind. Now, after almost 40 years, that's really all the competition can see too, for a bike that is still light years ahead.