Flame Runner

Not to be confused with Flame Flyer or Flame Rider.

Flame Runner Bowser Bike
Bowser on the Flame Runner
Size Class	Large
Strong stats	Speed, Weight, Drift, Mini-Turbo
Weak stats	Acceleration, Handling, Off-Road
Appearances	Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (trophy cameo)

The Flame Runner (known as the Bowser Bike in the British English version) is a large-sized bike which appears in the game Mario Kart Wii. As the British English name suggests, the bike resembles Bowser; the coloring of the bike even mirrors Bowser himself. Its general shape also resembles a naked bike. The emblem is located on the sides of the bike. No other vehicles in Mario Kart Wii bear physical resemblances to its playable characters. The Japanese name of the bike, Super Bowser, uses Bowser's English name instead of using his Japanese name of Koopa. This was later used with the DLC Bone Rattler from Mario Kart 8.

The kart counterpart for this bike is the Flame Flyer. Its rough medium and small counterparts are the Mach Bike and Bullet Bike respectively.

History

Mario Kart Wii

The Flame Runner has great speed with good weight, drifting and mini-turbo. It is the second lightest large bike in the game. Its speed is tied with the Blue Falcon, and it is the third fastest bike in the game, behind the Sneakster and the Spear. It is moderately heavy, having its weight tied with the Standard Bike L. However, the bike suffers from the worst acceleration among all bikes in the game, and its handling and off-road (tied with the Sprinter) are also rather low.

The Flame Runner is one of seven vehicles in Mario Kart Wii to go through a design change other than a palette-swap; the others being the Booster Seat, Bit Bike, Wario Bike, Shooting Star, Spear, and Phantom. In this case, Bowser's and Dry Bowser's Flame Runner have their exhaust pipes positioned lower than the other bikes. Also, Rosalina's and Female Mii’s Flame Runner feature shorter handlebars than the other Flame Runners.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Bowser's Flame Runner makes a cameo appearance as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Profiles and statistics

Mario Kart Wii

Speed: 60/80 Weight: 54/80 Acceleration: 18/80 Handling: 24/80 Drift: 51/80 Off-road: 21/80 Mini-turbo: 51/80

Vehicle type: Hang-on

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy

Name	Image	Appears In	American English Description	British English Description
Bowser + Flame Runner Bowser + Bowser Bike		Wii Mario Kart Wii (04/2008)	Now THIS is a monster of a bike! It was obviously designed with Bowser in mind, since they both weigh a ton and both have trouble accelerating. Once you get up to top speed, though, these two really come into their own! Incidentally, Bowser is known as Koopa in Japan, but the Japanese name for this bike is Super Bowser. How rare.	Now THIS is a monster of a bike! It was clearly designed with Bowser in mind, but since they both weigh a ton, they might have trouble accelerating. Once they get to top speed, though, they're a practically unstoppable team! Incidentally, although Bowser is known as Koopa in Japan, this bike still uses his English name there.

Color schemes

Dry Bowser using his Flame Runner on GBA Bowser Castle 3

On the Flame Runner, the color changes on the front wheel well and back wheel, the bike's body, and the exhaust pipe.

Character	Color scheme	Image
Wario	Purple well, yellow body, gold exhaust pipe
Waluigi	Dark blue well and body, silver exhaust pipe
Donkey Kong	Maroon well and body, gold exhaust pipe
Bowser	Red well, yellow body, gold exhaust pipe
King Boo	Black well and body, silver exhaust pipe
Rosalina	Blue well, gray body, silver exhaust pipe
Funky Kong	Maroon well, light tan body, gold exhaust pipe
Dry Bowser	Brown well, gray body, silver exhaust pipe
Male Mii	Golden well, light tan body, silver exhaust pipe
Female Mii	Pink well, a pinkish light tan body, gold exhaust pipe

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スーパーバウザー Sūpā Bauzā	Super Bowser
French (NOA)	Moto Flammes	Flame Bike
French (NOE)	Bécane Bowser	Bowser Bike
German	Bowser-Bike
Italian	Moto Bowser	Bowser Bike
Korean	쿠파라이더 Kupa Raideou	Bowser Rider
Spanish	Moto de Bowser	Bowser Bike