The first movie “Deadpool” was released in the year 2016 and was based on a character from Marvel Comics with the same name. Starring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, the film became a massive success because of his comic ability and the action sequences in the movie. But the gearheads definitely noticed the motorcycles that were used in the movies.
The movie also had some chase sequences in them with many cars and bikes involved in it. Some bikes showcased in the Deadpool franchise are in this discussion.
Vespa Primavera
One of the most iconic and noteworthy two-wheelers used in the movie franchise was Deadpool’s ride the Vespa Primavera. They show the 150cc moped as the vehicle used by Deadpool for transport in many scenes of the movie. Deadpool can be seen riding the moped, suited up for a brawl, most of the scenes ended up in fights. Talking about the vehicle itself, it is a moped manufactured by Vespa. It is a vehicle that puts the retro fashion of the 21st century.
The all-steel body is accentuated with the retro design to make it look like riding a piece of a modern twist of the moped history book. The sleek design of the Vespa makes it easy to weave through traffic and tight spots. Also, the entire metal body gives the rider even more confidence to ride it. It comes with a 150 cc 4 stroke petrol engine producing 10.7 BHP. It gives a mileage of 104 mpg. All of this combined with the lightweight body of the Vespa gives the moped an array of riding fun from city traffic to long highway stretches.
Ducati Panigale 1299 S
In one scene of the movie, we see Deadpool chasing a bunch of Ajax’s henchmen. Deadpool jumps from car to car, trying his “best” to get to the baddies who are riding blacked-out sports bikes. The bikes used in this sequence are the Ducati Panigale 1299 S. The 1299 S is a 1285 cc Desmo V-Twin powered Superbike is putting out 197 HP and 101 lb-ft of torque. The banks of the V twin are at 90° to each other and are liquid-cooled. It meshes the engine with a 6-speed gearbox mounted to an aluminum monocoque-type chassis.
Ducati equips the bike with all kinds of electronic aids from ABS to anti-wheelie. It also comes equipped with switchable ride modes and a traction control system. The bike also has a semi-active Ohlins Smart active EC suspension, which changes with changes done to the riding modes.
The whole scene ends with Deadpool killing most of the henchmen in the car and the riders riding alongside it. And then he ends it with a Deadpool style sarcastic and yet very fascinating statement while some bad guys were flung from the car and others were having their heads severed by the flying chain from their bikes.
Related: 10 Best Ducati Bikes Ever Made, Ranked
Ducati Hyperstrada 939 S
One bike that could not make it to the actual movie was the Ducati Hyperstrada 939 S. This is because the stunt rider named SJ Harris who was playing the stunt double for Zazzie Beetz playing the role of Domino, The Guardian crashed the bike into a nearby building. This accident caused the sad demise of the stunt rider, and the entire scene was deleted from the plot of the movie. But later on, to pay homage to Harris, the production company dedicated the movie to her.
The bike in the story here was the Ducati Hyperstrada 939 S. It is a 937 cc liquid-cooled V-Twin producing 113 HP and 72 lb-ft of torque. It comes with a 6-speed gearbox. The hyperstrada is also equipped with an Ohlins fully adjustable fork-type shock absorber in the front and Ohlins mono-shock in the rear. The bike gives an average mileage of 42.3 mpg. But tragically, these things were not enough for the stunt to go well, which had been practiced several times before the actual shoot. Eyewitnesses state the bike flying off of a ramp and then the rider losing control over the bike and crashing it into a nearby glass door and later on into a wall. Paramedics and the crew tried their best, but the rider did not survive her journey to the nearest hospital. Luckily nobody on the set other than the deceased stunt rider was hurt in the accident.
Zero S ZF9
There was one more bike working silently (physically and metaphorically) on the sets of Deadpool, and that was Zero Motors ZF9. This all-electric motorbike was modified extensively to the camera holding bike for the chase scenes. The bike was modified to accommodate the camera mounting jigs and fixtures and was aptly selected for the purpose. The bike is electric served many purposes. The main one of them is that because of smooth and silent running electric motors, the vibrations and noise of an ordinary bike were eliminated. Also, with the electric motor and the batteries placed quite lower on the frame of the vehicle, it had a lower center of gravity making it easier for the camera guiding the stunt driver to maneuver. Thus, with skillful driving and an easy-to-handle bike, the smooth and systematic chase scenes could be filmed.