Easy Rider Replica Bike
Not the fictional character who appears in comic books, but I’m talking about the classic motorcycle movie Easy Rider which marks the 40 year anniversary this week.
About two bikers (Fonda and Hopper) who travel the America landscape to experience freedom of the open road from the seat of their motorcycles. Fonda played “Captain America” and his bike is one of the most recognizable motorcycles in history. Stories vary, but according to the H-D Museum there were two choppers used in the film. There is some irony in that both were created from H-D FLH police motorcycles. One was destroyed in the making of the film and the other mysteriously disappeared from the movie set. By some accounts there were a total of 4 motorcycles used which 3 were stolen.
Jack Nicholson played an alcoholic ACLU lawyer, George Hanson. One of his more memorable comments after observing that Americans talk a lot about the value of freedom, but are actually afraid of anyone who truly exhibit it was:
“This used to be a hell of a good country. I can’t understand what’s gone wrong with it.”
Ten years ago for the 30th anniversary celebration Fonda and H-D collaborated to build an exact replica of the California chopper which is now featured in the H-D Museum. In 1998, the movie was added to the U.S. National Film Registry have been deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
I posted previously about producer William Hayward, his role in the movie and his unfortunate death.
Photo taken at H-D Museum during 105th Anniversary Celebration.
When Easy Rider (1969) debuted at a movie theatre in San Francisco drawing huge crowds, the owner or manager of that place told a newspaper reporter that he believed it would be playing until the turn of the century.
When I first saw it, was already a motorcyclist, and noticed that Captain America had a banana tank while the Billy Bike used a peanut tank. Care to guess how often they’d have run out of gas on that road trip in the real world? ;^)
Incidently, I recall riding my ’67 Triumph 650 chopper with a ‘glass coffin tank along with my pal on a ’59 Triumph 650 swingarm custom with rigid forks on raked neck with banana tank from Santa Cruz to Atascadero for the night.
Next day, over to Morro Bay, and back to Santa Cruz along the coast. We stopped for a smoke break at the Carmel Highlands gas station, and a couple of guys there were astonished that we actually rode those bikes all that way.
Too many folks *assumed* that choppers/customs in those days had to stay within the city limits otherwise they’d breakdown. Those were the good old days. Heh.