Let's be honest: some movies are only remembered because of the motorcycle in them. The plot? Forgettable. The dialogue? Whatever. But that bike? Chef's kiss.
Here are five motorcycles that showed up on screen and basically said, "I'm the main character now."
1. Harley-Davidson Fat Boy — Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The bike that made a killer robot look even cooler.
When Arnold Schwarzenegger needed a ride to protect young John Connor from a liquid metal assassin (as one does), the filmmakers handed him a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. And honestly? Perfect casting.
The Fat Boy is big, chunky, and intimidating—basically the motorcycle version of Arnold himself. The most famous scene has the Terminator jumping the bike off a freeway into a Los Angeles storm drain. Spoiler alert: they actually had to lower the bike with cables because dropping 700+ pounds of Harley from 30 feet would've turned both the bike and the stuntman into very flat pancakes. Hollywood magic, folks.
Fun fact: The actual motorcycle used in the film sold at auction for $520,000. That's a lot of money for a bike that a robot rode, but hey, we don't make the rules.
2. Kawasaki GPZ900R — Top Gun (1986)
The bike that made fighter pilots look even cooler (if that's possible).
Tom Cruise wasn't just flying jets in Top Gun—he was also tearing down runways on a Kawasaki GPZ900R Ninja, racing against F-14 Tomcats at sunset while looking unreasonably handsome. The GPZ900R was the first production bike to crack 150 mph, which made it the perfect match for a movie about going fast and looking cool doing it.
Here's the wild part: Kawasaki almost didn't lend the bikes for the movie. Their marketing guy was skeptical about some unknown actor named "Tom Cruise." Yeah, that aged well.
The bike became so popular after the movie that Kawasaki couldn't keep them on the shelves. Turns out, everyone wanted to feel like Maverick—minus the volleyball scene.
3. Kawasaki Ninja H2 — Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The sequel bike for the sequel movie.
Thirty-six years later, Tom Cruise came back for Top Gun: Maverick, and so did Kawasaki—this time with the supercharged Ninja H2. Because if you're going to make a sequel, you might as well upgrade the motorcycle too.
The H2 is basically a fighter jet on two wheels. It's got a supercharged engine that produces over 200 horsepower, which is absolutely insane for something you're allowed to ride on public roads. The movie recreates several iconic shots from the original, but now with a bike that could probably outrun the jets.
Side note: Tom Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts. The man is 60-something years old and still ripping around on superbikes. Either he's immortal or he has the world's best chiropractor.
4. Triumph Thunderbird 6T — The Wild One (1953)
The original bad-boy bike.
Before leather jackets and motorcycles were cool, Marlon Brando made them cool. In The Wild One, he plays the leader of a motorcycle gang rolling into a small California town and causing all kinds of trouble. His ride? A black 1950 Triumph Thunderbird 6T.
This is kind of funny because the movie is set in America, where you'd expect the tough biker guy to ride a Harley-Davidson. But nope—Brando rode a British bike. Triumph was actually worried about being associated with "troublemaker" imagery, but the movie ended up making them hugely popular in the United States. Oops?
The film was so controversial it got banned in the UK for 14 years. All because of a guy on a Triumph asking, "What are you rebelling against?" and answering, "Whaddya got?"
Legacy: This movie basically invented the "cool rebel on a motorcycle" trope that every action movie has copied since.
5. Harley-Davidson "Captain America" Chopper — Easy Rider (1969)
The most American motorcycle ever built.
If there's one motorcycle that screams "freedom," it's the Captain America chopper from Easy Rider. Stars-and-stripes paint job, ridiculously long front forks, and absolutely zero practicality—this bike wasn't built to be ridden comfortably. It was built to be a symbol.
Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper rode custom Harley choppers across America in what became one of the most important motorcycle movies ever made. The film was about searching for the American Dream (spoiler: they don't find it), but what people really remember is the bikes.
Four choppers were built for filming. One was destroyed during the movie's ending (no spoilers, but bring tissues). The other three were stolen right after filming wrapped, probably by someone who didn't realize they'd just committed a future million-dollar crime.
Auction alert: A restored Captain America chopper sold for $1.35 million. That's a lot of money for a bike with no front fender and a seat that would destroy your back after 20 miles.
Honorable Mentions
- Ducati 996 — The Matrix Reloaded (2003): Trinity's highway chase scene made everyone want a Ducati, even if they had no idea how to ride one.
- Triumph Scrambler 1200 — No Time to Die (2021): James Bond doing impossible stunts on cobblestone streets. As one does.
- Batpod — The Dark Knight (2008): Not technically a real motorcycle you can buy, but we're including it because Batman.
The Bottom Line
Motorcycles in movies aren't just transportation—they're characters. They tell you something about the person riding them before a single word is spoken. A Harley says "tough guy." A Kawasaki Ninja says "speed demon." A custom chopper says "I don't care about your rules, man."
And sometimes, long after you've forgotten the plot of the movie, you'll still remember that one perfect shot of the bike.
Because motorcycles are just cooler than cars. Sorry, not sorry.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.