James Bond Never Rode a Bike

Friday November 9^th marked the release of the 23^rd movie in the James Bond franchise.  Skyfall is the latest epic spy thriller starring the world’s foremost secret agent.  The film arrived 50 years and 35 days since the debut of the first movie in the series, Dr. No in 1962.  Mr. Bond was the idea of Ian Fleming, son of a distinguished hero of the First World War and part of wealthy, upper-class family.  Some background on Ian Fleming…

Educated at Eton, Fleming first worked as a journalist for Reuters and earned a bit of notoriety covering a spy case in Russia during the 1930s.  He later achieved a good deal of wealth as a banker but soon tired of the droll everyday life of office work.  He returned to the typewriter as a reporter for The Times in London.  Fleming’s first assignment was as a correspondent covering Soviet news and politics from an office in Moscow.  Some Fleming biographers believe the post was a cover for spy activities.   At the beginning of World War II in 1939, Fleming resigned from The Times and joined Naval Intelligence.  He quickly rose to the rank of commander and reported solely to Admiral John Godfrey who soon became England’s master spy overseeing of a network of agents throughout the kingdom.  

Fleming was placed in charge of a group of commandos and under his direction carried out a number of clandestine operations.  Following the war, Fleming settled in Jamaica and bought a home he would call Goldeneye.  Jamaica was the tonic Fleming needed following the war, and it was on the island that James Bond was born out of the pages of a Royal typewriter that Fleming later had gold-plated.  Fleming picked up a book during his travels of the island entitled Birds of the West Indies written by ornithologist James Bond.  Fleming borrowed the author’s name for his super spy who bore a striking resemblance to himself.  Bond, like Fleming, loved fine alcohols, good food, beautiful women and adventure.  Bond holds the rank of commander in the Royal Navy and works under the direction of an admiral, just like Fleming.  The first book in the series was Casino Royale, published in 1953.

During the 1950s Fleming’s books enjoyed modest success in world-wide sales and eventually developed a following of loyal readers.  In the early 1960s President John F. Kennedy was asked to name his favorite book and his response was Fleming’s From Russia with Love.   At that moment Fleming and Bond burst into superstardom.  Soon after, Hollywood producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Salzman bought the rights to Dr. No and other books.  Mr. Bond soon hit the silver screen.  The first movie was immediately slammed by the Kremlin in Moscow as being the personification of evil capitalism.  The Vatican said the movie was too sexual and that Bond was cruel.  All of this of course helped to create a commercial success and the series was off and running.  

Fleming loved cars, speed and a thrilling chase.  Bond drove fast, flew fast, and hurtled himself headlong into danger—and never on a bicycle.  In Dr. No Bond drove a Sunbeam Alpine, a small British two-seater.  Goldfinger brought the first appearance of the fabled Aston Martin DB5, complete with passenger ejector seat and other gadgets.  In You Only Live Twice Bond first drove a Japanese car, the Toyota 2000 GT.   Bond even drove forgettable automotive nightmares like the AMC Hornet (The Man with the Golden Gun), the Citroen 2 CV (For Your Eyes Only), and a Renault Taxi (A View to a Kill).   

Bond has piloted mini-jets, speed boats, helicopters and more.  He has never ridden a bike.  The closest 007 has ever come to pedal power was the “Wet Bike,” a first-generation jet ski in The Spy Who Loved Me.  When the contraption first appeared on screen in 1977 audiences weren’t sure what they were seeing.  Today the Wet Bike has evolved into the Wave Runner delighting honeymooners and weekend drunks for decades now.   

Ian Fleming would write 12 James Bond novels with the last being The Man with the Golden Gun in 1965 (months after his death).  Fleming would only live to see two of the Bond movies on screen.  He died in 1964.  Fleming lived a life of adventure mixed with copious amounts of alcohol and cigarettes which spoke of his motto for living: “I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them, I shall use my time.”  Ian Fleming was 56 years old.  

The SBT crew asks, what would be the bike for James Bond?  Send us your thoughts and why.
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