7 Most Iconic Motorcycles On The Big Screen

The 7 most memorable and iconic motorbikes of all time and the films that they've featured in. The full, interactive version is available to view on the Gazeboshop website.

1. Triumph Thunderbird in The Wild One

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The 1950 6T Triumph Thunderbird used by Marlon Brando was his own bike. Brando the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club ride Triumphs while Lee Marvin and his gang ride Harley-Davidsons. The filmmakers decided to hire real motorcycle gangs and base Lee Marvin’s character, Chino, on real biking legend, Willie Forkner.

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2. The Captain America from Easy Rider

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The main character, Wyatt, played by Peter Fonda, rode the Harley-Davidson 1951 Panhead Chopper around Los Angeles a week prior to shooting so he could get accustomed to it. The American flag on the gas tank of the bike caused Peter Fonda to be pulled over several times by the police.

3. The Jimmy from Quadrophenia

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The 1967 Lambretta, ridden by the main character Jimmy (Phil Daniels), sold for a staggering £36,000 at an auction in Knightsbridge in 2008. In 1997, the bike was used at The Who’s Quadrophenia concert in Hyde Park and Brighton.

4. The King William from Knightriders

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The Honda CBX, featured in the film Knightriders as Billy’s “horse”, is the first Honda motorcycle that used an inline six-cylinder engine. The CBX model was produced in 1978 for a further four years to help regain its position as the forefront of motorcycle innovation. The star from the movie, Ed Harris, had previously learned how to ride a motorbike from appearing in the television series CHiPs.

5. The T-800 from Terminator 2

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During the famous Harley-Davidson Fat Boy jump, the bike had to be supported by 3cm cables due to the excessive weight of the bike and the rider. These were digitally erased at a later stage. The Honda XR, ridden by John Connor (Edward Furlong) in the film, was dubbed with a 2-stroke sound to create a strong contrast with the Terminator’s Harley-Davidson.

6. The Burt Munro from The Worlds Fastest Indian

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William Lucking, who plays Rolly Free in the film, was a racer of Indian Motorcycles in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He reached the speed of 150.313 m.p.h on a Vincent HRD, setting an American motorcycle speed record in 1948. The Scout was designed by Charles B. Franklin and was introduced in October 1919 as a 1920 model.

7. The Rockatansky from Mad Max: Fury Road

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To convert Rockatansky’s Yamaha R1, Mad Max’s production designer, Colin Gibson, stripped down the frames and bolted household items and spare vehicle parts onto the bike. He removed the paint to reveal the raw steel on the bike and added plenty of desert patina for added effect. Australian MX champion Stephan Gall was hired to coordinate the riding action for the film.