Captain America, the Harley-Davidson chopper ridden by Peter Fonda in 1969’s Easy Rider, will be auctioned off by Dan Kruse Classics in early June. Although it’s as controversial as the movie that made it famous, the bike could still fetch half a million dollars when it goes under the hammer.
What kind of bikes were used in Easy Rider?
In total, two dirt bikes, and four former police bikes were used in the film. The 1949, 1950 and 1952 Harley-Davidson FL Hydra-Glide bikes were purchased at an auction for $500, equivalent to about $3900 in 2022.
What was Dennis Hopper’s bike in Easy Rider?
The 1962 1200 cc Harleys driven by the main characters in the film were purchased from the Los Angeles Police department.
What was Billy’s bike in Easy Rider?
1962 Harley Davidson ‘Billy Bike’ Recreation 1993
Where Peter Fonda’s iconic chopper was all stretched out and gangly-looking, the “Billy Bike” was tighter drawn, with a conservative 6-inch fork extension compared to the Captain’s 12-inch-over setup.
Where is the bike from Easy Rider?
Though in years past a documented Easy Rider Captain America bike was on display at the National Motorcycle Museum, (shown in the gallery photos) the Captain America bike and Billy bike now on display are replicas of the two matching bike “props” made for the 1969 cult classic motion picture.
Who owns the original Easy Rider bikes?
It personifies the ’60s, all of the good and the bad that decade brought,” said Profiles boss Joe Maddalena in a statement announcing the sale. The bike is currently owned by businessman Michael Eisenberg, who once co-owned a motorcycle-themed restaurant with Fonda and his Easy Rider director and co-star Dennis Hopper.
Were real drugs used in Easy Rider?
The Actors Used Real Drugs in Some of the Scenes
Fonda said that the actors use “real pot” in a lot of the scenes that depicted marijuana use, but stuff involving the harder drugs like LSD and cocaine were faked: “We did not take LSD, no matter what the rumors say,” Fonda said.
What happened to the Billy bike?
The bike currently for sale was partially destroyed in the film’s finale, the auction house says, and then rebuilt by actor Dan Haggerty. (The three other bikes used in the production were stolen prior to the film’s release.)
Who built Easy Rider choppers?
The Captain America bike, made from a then 20-year-old, heavily customized Harley-Davidson panhead is considered one of the most iconic motorcycles ever built, one which captured the zeitgeist of a generation and became an anti-establishment symbol.
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Ben Hardy (motorcycle builder)
| Ben Hardy | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Captain America and Billy choppers for Easy Rider |
What is Wolverine motorcycle?
The Bike from the Movie “Wolverine”
In the movie about this character, actor Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine, rode a Ducati Diavel Cromo superbike. Now, a superbike is usually a high-speed, aerodynamic racer that can easily be identified by both its sleek build and shuddering pace.
What bike did Dennis Hopper?
Both the Captain America bike and the Billy Bike featured in the film were designed and built by a bike builder named Ben Hardy. The 1962 1200cc Harleys were actually purchased from the Los Angeles Police department, because Harley-Davidson refused to provide free bikes for the film.
What was the orange bike in Easy Rider?
After the film, Peter Fonda struck a deal with then California Motorcycles, soon to be Indian Motorcycles. The deal was to produce 750 of both the Captain America Chopper, with it’s red white and blue stars and stripes tank, and the Billy Bike, with its very distinctive orange flamed tank.
Is actor Peter Fonda dead?
He was 74. The cause was complications from metastasized prostate cancer, according to a statement issued by Alex Hitz, a family friend. Mr. Hopper, who said he stopped drinking and using drugs in the mid-1980s, followed that change with a tireless phase of his career in which he claimed to have turned down no parts.