Top 10 Motorcycle Moies

Mrs Zip and the kids are gone this weekend, so I’ve busted out all my Bike movies to watch this weekend while I work.

Here’s my top 10 biker movies of all time.

1. 1. Easy Rider (1969) – Hands down the most influential movie in how I ride and what I like about riding. It needs no introduction or explanation. I must love it enough, much of this blog is dedicated to the movie. A must own.

1. 1. World’s Fastest Indian (2005) – I’ll never get sick of this movie. 67 year old Burt Munro was the real deal, and the movie was made by the person who documented him when he was alive 40 years earlier. My attitude about biking is reflected in the line of the movie where the doctor tells Burt “unfortunately your motorcycling days are over” and he responds “like hell they are…”

1. 1. Sons of Anarchy (series 2008 – present) – Not technically a movie, but a great TV series. Love the story lines, love the characters, and love the bikes. Can’t wait for season 2

1. 1. Then Came Bronson (movie and series – 1969 – 1970) – there’s some days, I wished I was Jim Bronson. Travelling from town to town, living off my wits and riding wherever the wind blew me. Worth watching over and over.

1. 1. Electra Glide in Blue (1973) – Story of a good cop in a world of bad ones.   Great movie.   Robert Blake and the photography is great, and the scenery is stuff I ride all the time.    Stands on its own as a good movie, but add in motorcycles and its even better.   The one negative I can say is that prick-cop named “zip”.    He’s no Zip.

1. 1. Hells angels on wheels (1967) – Actually, really a pretty decent low budget movie for its time. Sonny Barger is in some of the opening scenes, and Jack Nicholson starts to show his intensity as an actor. A pretty watered down glimpse of the Hells Angels, but I’m sure shocking for it’s time.   Movies like this fueled the image of Motorcyclists that harley moco makes so much money on now. I actually quite like this movie.

1. 1. Viva Knevel (1977) – When I was a kid, my principle told the school to be happy who they were. That they did not want to be anyone else. I raised my hand obnoxiously and told him that I in fact wanted to be Evel Knevel. I wasn’t lying.   Not a great movie to be honest, and Evel was a terrible actor, but he was an American Original and was another big influence on me when I was young.

1. 1. The motorcycle diaries (2004) – True story of Ernesto Che’ Guevara and his motorcycle trip with a friend across south America. I’m no fan of Che’ Guevara, but it’s an interesting movie of touring on an old motorcycle.

1. 1. Wild Angels (1966) – Peter Fonda plays the leader of the hells angels in venice CA, and Bruce Dern plays his good buddy “loser”. the cheese stands on its own, but the music accelerates it. It’s good because its a 60’s period piece, has Peter Fonda and really cool bikes. Worth watching a couple of times. Just trip out on the bikes, the clothes and the roads.

1. 1. Rebel Rousers (1970) – Watch it once, then you don’t need to watch it ever again. It’s good because it was Jack Nicholsons follow up movie to Easy Rider. Really corny, but the bikes in it are pretty bitchen. It’s the kind of movie you used to watch at 3AM on saturday morning before we invented late night infomercials.

Now I realize the historical significance of the Wild One, but I can’t stomach the movie. It’s overly corny and Inaccurate in what really happened at Hollister.   Once they hit the town and stop riding, I quit watching. I left it off the list, because quite honestly I don’t like it. The only thing I can say good about it is I love those post war-era bobbers.    I’ve never made it more than 3/4 of the way through that show.

Also, Wild hogs made me throw up in my mouth.  Couldn’t even muster a smile.