In 2017, the sequel to the 1995 movie Jumanji came out, starring The Rock, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. In the film, four teenagers discover an old video game console and are transported into the jungle world of the game, where they play as their chosen characters:
- Smolder Bravestone (The Rock): Archaeologist and explorer.
- “Shelly” Oberon (Jack Black): Cartographer and cryptographer.
- “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart): Zoologist and weapons specialist.
- Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan): Commando and martial artist.
- “Seaplane” McDonough (Nick Jonas): Aircraft pilot.
The movie is full of dual-sport / scrambler motorcycles like the one you see below. This one has been outfitted with rocket launchers, an engine cage, custom-stitched seat, custom fender, and more. Below, we get the full story on the bikes in the 2017 Jumanji film.
Motorcycles used in Jumanji (2017)
In the film, motorcycles play a starring role. The evil army of Dragoons use them for their main mode of transportation, and The Rock spends a good deal of time on one, wielding flamethrowers and riding up the spines of statues. The bikes used in Jumanji are Suzuki DR-Z400 models for the single riders, and Suzuki DR650 models for the sidecar builds.
Suzuki DR-Z400
Suzuki introduced this single-cylinder, liquid-cooled four-stroke dual-sport in 2000. In the last two decades, the DR-Z has earned a reputation as a workhorse, a middleweight thumper with legendary reliability, capable of both on- and off-road use. The bike offers 39 horsepower and weighs 319 pounds wet. The DR-Z400S is the street-legal version, and in 2005 Suzuki introduced the supermoto version, the DR-Z400SM, with 17-inch wheels, oversize brakes, RMZ swing-arm, and inverted forks.
Suzuki DR650
Suzuki introduced the air/oil-cooled DR650 in 1990, and it’s become the longest-running model in the company’s entire lineup. The big single cylinder motor makes 46 horsepower and the steel-frame construction ensures the 324-lb thumper can be beat-to-hell and keep on cooking. The current model is the DR650SE.
Glory Motor Works and the Jumanji Bikes
The Jumanji crew tasked Glory Motor Works of Glendale, California, to build eight of the scrambler-like bikes for the film. Founded in 1999, the shop began as a vintage motorcycle business and later opened a motion pictures division. Founder Justin Knell and his team of mechanics, fabricators, and designers work hand-in-hand with some of the most talented Hollywood stunt coordinators and directors to design and build motorcycles for film.
The Jumanji motorcycles were designed by the art directors to fit the Dragoons, and both the DR-Z400 and DR650 bikes required extensive suspension upgrades to survive the jumps, stunts, and general punishment of the filming in Oahu, Hawaii. The DR650 sidecar mods were a particular challenge: Says Glory Motor Works:
“The sidecars presented a fairly difficult problem for us because of the rough riding and jumping required. Because we lacked the time to custom make “moncoque” (one piece frame/sidecar), we modified a road sidecar. After a few test jumps, we were able to fine tune the construction and make it through 8 grueling weeks of filming in the Hawaiian jungle.”
The bikes were also outfitted with various weaponry, including Dragoon motorcycle rocket launchers that you could have purchased at auction if you were quick enough! The full catalog of motorcycle-related film props is listed here.
The Rock’s Motorcycle
If you’re wondering what motorcycle The Rock rides in Jumanji, it’s one of the modified DR-Z400 bikes with a dual headlight setup, custom leather seat, custom fenders, and reinforced suspension. Most of his time on the bike was in front of a green screen, while a professional motocross rider performed the actual stunts.
