The First Batcycle

When the Batman TV series premiered in 1966, Batman and Robin were fighting crime from a 1965 Electra-Glide with attached sidecar.  It was basically a stock machine with customized windscreens added to give it the “right look”.  1965 was the last year of the Panhead engine and the first year that electric starters came stock on all Big Twins (Servi-Cars got electric start in 1964).  It’s interesting to note that this was a hand shift/foot clutch model, which was an option in 1965, but was no longer a popular set up.  This Panhead chased villains throughout the first season of the show, but then was replaced by a 250cc Yamaha Catilina that was made for the first Batman movie.  What happened to the Panhead you might ask?  Turns out it got a new red and black paint job and came back as the Black Widow’s motorcycle.