I’d imagine this is the sort of thing the Dark Knight would use as a last resort. If the Batmobile, Batwing and even Batpod were all out of commission, he’d still be able to run down baddies at 20 MPH using this gas-powered motorboard.
The 58-pound device is powered by a 2HP, two-stroke engine with enough power to tackle 15 degree hills and support a 200-pound rider. The front footwell moves side-to-side, which steers the board, and a tethered hand-throttle/brake handles the acceleration. Its 1/4-gallon tank holds enough fuel to hunt down fugitives in a 20-mile range. It retails for $US500 at Hammacher-Schlemmer.
As cool as it looks, I would not be able to keep a straight face if I saw Batman bearing down on me riding this. It’d be too much like getting chased by Segway-mounted mall security. [HS]