Some of us feel like a superhero on our motorcycles—after all, compared to the suckers stuck in their cars in traffic jams or circling the block looking for elusive parking spots, we really do have superpowers—and our brightly colored gear can make us look like superheroes as well. But Canadian company Universal Designs, Ltd. lets you go a step beyond by offering real motorcycle gear patterned after your favorite movie and comic book superheroes and villains.
At prices about what you’d pay for high-end off-the-rack motorcycle apparel, customers can select from a wide range of officially licensed costumes. Fans can dress up like Ironman, Dare Devil, Rinzler from the movie Tron, two kinds of Batmen, an Imperial Storm Trooper, Darth Maul, Wolverine from the X-Men, and others. They’re made from form-molded (or what used to be called “boiled”—it’s the same technique roman Legionaries used to make their armor) leather that looks pretty real, as well as providing protection from real hazards. CE-approved armor is also included at high-impact areas, and the costumes are complete down to gloves and boots, although the Stormtrooper helmet isn’t DOT-approved.
Frankly, showing up at my local riding hangout in Imperial Stormtrooper regalia may be a good way to be mercilessly ridiculed. But Universal Designs has some more subtle products, like the black-and-red biker jacket worn by Christian Bale when he portrayed Bruce Wayne in The Dark Night, or a plain black jacket inspired by Batman Begins with the bat logo embossed on the chest. Items start at around $300 Canadian—check out Universal Design’s website for more information. It looks like some serious fun for the hardcore nerd that dwells in all of us.
Just remember—those actually are the droids you’re looking for.

you guys are so insecure, it’s almost…cute. i would rock that s##t.
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That’s one way to get beat up…
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If that does not get you beat up, nothing will…
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…Because cruiser riders dressed up like pirates just wasn’t enough.
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If you had money to blow on useless things, this would get me a ton of laughs at my local biker hangout. You hangout with the wrong bikers!
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Okay, I actually looked at all the suits/jackets on the website. The understated jackets look the best. The only suit I like is the Daredevil suit, without the belt. But I’d have to have a whole lot more money than I have now to even consider buying it, and they stopped taking orders for it a couple of days ago anyway. The Batman Begins jacket is around $300, which is not unreasonable for a decent leather motorcycle jacket. But that one hasn’t been available since November. I wonder how many items people have actually ordered from this company. And I’m surprised there’s no Superman type jacket. I’d think that big S would be pretty popular.
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Silly looking, over-styled bikes deserve silly looking, over-styled gear…
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That looks like it’d be fun. I don’t have that much disposable income though. If it’s squidly looking enough, it’d describe my riding abilities. If all these bikers don’t lighten up I’ll go back to riding my bicycle with people that don’t take themselves so seriously.
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This is just stupid
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How is he gonna work the throttle with no right hand?
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If I see a stormtrooper any day other than halloween I’m gonna kick em in the nuts.
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Dont you mean kick em in the DROIDS Jason?
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I hope you don’t eat turkey any other time than Thanksgiving, do good deeds other than Christmas, get drunk other than New Years Eve. There could be other nut kickers besides you that finds holidays sacred!
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Careful…they’re armored…
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Nay, but if they made a “jack in the Box” helmet? Now your talking.
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