Summary

Re-creation from the third and last season of the "Batman" TV series. Built for Dr. Stewart Berkowitz. Based on a show-quality 180cc 1967 Yamaha YCS1 sourced by Dr. Berkowitz from the U.K. From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection.

Details

This is a re-creation of the "Batgirl Cycle" as seen in the "Batman" television series that aired from 1966 to 1968, and the 1966 film "Batman: The Movie." It is a modified 1967 Yamaha YCS1 motorcycle. While DC Comics experimented with a broader set of Batman characters, in addition to the Caped Crusader and his sidekick Robin during the 1950s and early 1960s, the 1964 appointment of Julius Schwartz as Batman editor soon brought additional characters to the franchise when production of the ABC-TV "Batman" series commenced in late 1965. Executive producer William Dozier suggested that the new character would be the daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon and that she would adopt the identity of Batgirl. Encouraged by rough concept artwork by Carmine Infantino at DC Comics, TV producer William Dozier and studio executive Howie Horowitz optioned the character in a successful bid to help sell a third (1967-68) season of Batman to the ABC television network. Introduced in Detective Comics #359, "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl," published in 1967, Barbara Gordon and her alter-ego Batgirl joined the Batman franchise by foiling an attempted kidnapping of Bruce Wayne by supervillain Killer Moth, attracting Batman's attention and establishing her crimefighting career in addition to serving as the head of the Gotham City Public Library by day. Joining the Batman series in 1967 for the third and final season, Batgirl became so popular that she nearly landed her own TV show, according to Mr. Infantino. Portraying Batgirl on TV was established actress, dancer and motorcycle enthusiast Yvonne Craig, who performed her own stunts and rode a heavily customized Yamaha motorcycle, replete with a looking-glass-style windscreen, a bat-inspired skirted front fender, a flowing bat-inspired purple front fairing and plenty of lace trimmings. Committed Batman enthusiasts have reported that Richard Korkes of Kustomotive was directly provided the base YCS1 motorcycle in 1966 directly from Yamaha for modification into the "Batgirl Cycle." As of January 24, 1967, 20th Century Fox, Greenway Productions and Kustomotive entered an agreement acknowledging a $500 payment to Kustomotive, plus an additional $800 to Kustomotive if the Batgirl character and the cycle appeared in the television series. Fox and Greenway also agreed to pay $50 per week in rent, up to a combined maximum payment to Kustomotive of $1,800 in connection with the television show. On May 25, 1967, Yamaha sold Greenway a red YCS1, Engine No. 4436, for a total of $431.60. Yamaha also offered to buy back the motorcycle at any time in the following 18 months. Seeking to create a Batgirl Cycle for his growing collection of 20th-century movie and pop-culture icons, Dr. Berkowitz located and purchased an actual 1967 Yamaha YCS1 180cc motorcycle from the U.K., which was previously titled in Pennsylvania. Acquired in high-quality restored condition, the Yamaha was then modified with the front and rear fairing produced by Code One Enterprises of Bridgewater, NJ. Bat Mechanic LLC was also involved in the construction of this re-creation. From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection.