This Speederbike aMTB is the coolest
A special project puts a Bowhead Reach on Tattooine
Photo by:
Bowhead
Any mountain biker that is also even the slightest Star Wars fan has, at one point or another, imagined what it would be like to rip through the woods on a Speederbike. Some get closer to that dream than others. Jacob’s incredible custom “R3-J Swoop” aMTB wheelchair project gets closer than most.
Jacob, born with spina bifida, was wheelchair-bound from the age of two onwards. He’s also a huge Star Wars fan. Thanks to the collaboration of Calgary’s Bowhead Corp., Magic Wheelchair, Solidworks, Kirby Downey and JJ Industries’ Luke Daley, Jacob gets to experience part of that fantasy world in a very real way.
The R3-J Swoop is built around one of Bowhead’s Reach aMTB bikes. It’s been heavily customized by Daley with the help of Solidworks to resemble a Speederbike from The Mandalorian. Daley specializes in props and pop culture replicas. He created a backstory for the truly unique bike to bring it into the Mandalorian universe.
“The R3-J Swoop is long lost prototype created around the time of the original Czerka Corp sand crawlers on Tatooine as a way to traverse rocky terrain predating Repulsorlift Technology”
The R3-J Swoop extends the front of a Bowhead Reach
And gets deeply customized from there.
Even standard parts are detailed to fit the bike's story
A very cool looking seat for the R3-J
Bowhead's front suspension design, "aged" from years of riding on Tattooine
Wheelcovers (and prop parts) help give the R3J a cohesive look
So much detail!
Straight from the sands of Tattooine
Hoses and cables, real and aesthetic, add to the look.
Control pannels, too
The full leather pannier and cockpit setup.
The result, a fully functioning Speederbike, is stunning. Daley’s level of detail is astounding and, with Bowhead’s independently articulating front wheels, would actually look a bit like it’s floating as it carved a hard corner.
The R3-J Swoop was shown at 3D Experience World in Nashville, Tenn. in 2020. Since then, it’s been roaming through galaxies near and far.
