Hollywood has always had a very strange relationship with the cars and motorcycles it uses in its movies. How's that? Consider this: even when cars and motorcycles are central to the plot, you almost never know exactly what kind of vehicle is being used.
The reason for that is simple: the ones making the movie don't always get things right, and having you know what car is used in what scene might give people ideas about, say, some other make and model being more appropriate for this or that character. So they never tell that.
When it comes to cars not knowing exactly what model is in a scene is not necessarily a problem, as many of us can easily recognize a four-wheeled vehicle as soon as we see it. Not the same can be said about motorcycles, which are generally a lot harder to recognize, even for the most passionate of us.
If you go online right now you'll find tons of details about what bikes were used in what movies. This is not one of those stories. Instead, we'll try to tell you if the bikes chosen were the right ones for a certain character.
To do that, we'll look at the movie itself, the characters who use the bikes, and, naturally, the purpose they use them for. If we feel that for one reason or another the choice was not great, we'll even suggest alternatives.
Burt Munro's Indian Scout - The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
If you look at the movies coming our way from Hollywood, you'll notice a respectable amount of such works of art dedicated to the lives of prominent figures and events in the auto industry. Only over the past few years we've had Ford vs Ferrari, Ferrari, Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend, and many others. During that same time, we've had zero movies about anything really related to motorcycles.
That wasn't the case back in 2005, though, when The World's Fastest Indian was released. It was one of the few instances when a motorcycle, but also the man who rode it, were Hollywood's main focus.
The flick tells the tale of how New Zealand motorcycle racer Burt Munro set the land speed record for under 1,000cc bikes at Bonneville. It happened back in 1967, and the bike he used for the task was an Indian Scout.
Munro, who at the time was 68 years old, rode not a brand-new Scout, but one that had been originally built in 1920. It was modified, of course, enough to allow for the record-setting run to clock exactly 184.087 mph (296.259 kph). That's the official number, as unofficially the man went even faster, clocking 205.67 mph (330.993 kph). Both values remain unbeaten to this day.
The movie meant to celebrate the achievement starred Anthony Hopkins as Munro, and a number of four motorcycles to depict the bike: two of them were replicas of the real thing, and the other two, well, Ducatis. That despite the real two-wheeler still being around: it is displayed in Invercargill, New Zealand, at a hardware store that doubles as a motorcycle museum.
Trinity's Ducati Scrambler - The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Matrix is a movie that needs little introduction. Even now, 25 years after the first movie in the initial trilogy was released, the flick is considered a cornerstone of science fiction, and the starting point of philosophical schools that deal with humanity's place on this Earth and this Universe.
As you all know, the Matrix world is a virtual construct of the machines that at one point in time, doesn't matter when, have taken over the world. Humans are still around, possibly millions of them, but they are kept in a vegetative state.
While their minds wonder about the Earth-like construct known as the Matrix, content to live out their daily lives, their bodies are being grown to supply electricity for the needs of the machines.
The original Matrix trilogy will probably forever be included in movie history books, but the fourth film, The Matrix Resurrections, not so much. Sure, it brought back many of the original characters, including the ones played by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, but clearly not with the same effect.
Ever since the second installment of the series, 2003's The Matrix Reloaded, Italian bike maker Ducati has been a constant presence in the simulated world depicted on the screen. Keeping true to that commitment, Ducati came back in Resurrections with the Scrambler model.
Just like in the previous flicks, the one doing all the riding is Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity. Even so, the return of the Italian brand to Matrix, and the Scrambler used in it both, went by pretty much unnoticed. That's because, simply put, Matrix is not about vehicles in any way.
Was the Ducati Scrambler a good choice by Hollywood for this film? I doubt anyone cares.
John Wick's Yamaha MT-09 – John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
Just like he did in Matrix, Keanu Reeves needs few things other than his bare hands to take on scores of enemies. Yet, the John Wick franchise is not one to shy away from its characters using the most high-profile of all vehicles out there.
Ever since the first installment of John Wick, Reeves' namesake character established himself as a lover of fine cars and unlucky dogs. Who can forget the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 he drove for his fateful encounter that would turn his quiet life upside down?
From that point on, having stepped on a path to revenge, Wick is unstoppable. He will never be tied to a certain vehicle again, but that doesn't stop him from using the ones used by his foes to defeat them.
Like in 2019’s Parabellum. As the man is riding peacefully on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on the back of his Yamaha MT-09, he is attacked by a gang of sword-armed dudes riding their own bikes. What follows is something not often seen on film: Wick disposes of them all as if he were a knight in a horse battle, taking on one Yamaha rider after another and even turning the bikes themselves into weapons of war.
Now, the MT-09 is an impressive bike for civilian use. The Japanese hyper-naked has been on the market for a long enough time to establish a pretty solid name for itself, and it is considered by its maker an extension of Japan's dark side.
It kind of fits with the vibe of John Wick, and we have no problem with the bad guys using it. Yet for Wick himself the ride seems a bit understated.
You see, both the character and the man who plays him are special. There's something about them that makes them unique and unforgiving, quiet and effective. And, from time to time, breathtaking. And all of that is, if you will, the definition of the Arch KRGT-1.
Boasting one of the largest engines on any production bike, the two-wheeler also has one other thing going for it that would make it a perfect choice for John Wick: it is produced by a company partially owned by Keanu Reeves himself.
Arcee Ducati 916 - Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
For car and robot enthusiasts, the Transformers series of films was a godsend. Especially taking into account the fact they arrived at the right time for those who grew up with the characters to properly enjoy them in a live-action fashion.
Controversial as they may be, the movies (there are seven of them already) managed, in my opinion, to properly convey on-screen characters that initially started out as toys. If there is one thing it could have used more of, that's motorcycle-based transformers.
Both the Autobots and the Decepticons come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and they can be either vehicles or aircraft. But there is only one motorcycle-based Transformer that matters (although, overall, there are more), because it starred in one of the movies.
The character's name is Arcee, a female Autobot (the most famous of this kind) who probably didn't get as much time as she would have deserved. The character first appeared in 2009, in Revenge of the Fallen (2009), and was last seen in Rise of the Beasts (2023). In this latter incarnation, although nobody says that out loud, the character's alternate mode is a Ducati 916.
Standalone, the choice seems right, but less so if you consider what Arcee was at first intended to be. Back in 2007, when the first movie came out, she was supposed to be based on a Buell Firebolt, and later on an Aprilia RSV 1000 R.
Given how Arcee and the bike it turns into are characters by themselves, it's impossible for me to say if Ducati was the right choice for the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Somehow, it seems like the association worked, so I'll let this one slide.
Sam Flynn's Light Cycle – Tron: Legacy (2010)
Tron is one of those movies that would have probably deserved a lot more attention and time under the spotlight. After all, it tells the tale of the ghosts living inside our computers and the people they, at times, trick into joining them.
The first Tron movie made its debut in 1982, and despite it being a must-see for anyone, it is probably ignored entirely by the younger generation. Luckily, a sequel to the original flick brought back, ever so briefly, the characters, the story, and the mighty Light Cycles.
What are those, you ask? More or less motorcycles fighting with walls of light, to be used in the miniature physical world of computer programs and deadly virtual games.
Among those who were old enough to appreciate Tron in the 1980s, the Light Cycles became a symbol of popular culture. And that's something, considering they were not inspired by an existing motorcycle.
What was so special about them? Well, they could materialize from thin air, and had neon lights all around - a fitting choice for the era they were born in, but also for the world they were supposed to be part of.
These bikes could turn at right angles, and in their wake, trails of color formed in the same hue as the motorcycle's neons. Just watch the video above, with the main character Sam Flynn (but also the bad guys) riding them to witness the magic.
Such a concept is so insane it only would have worked in a movie like Tron. So were the Light Cycles the right choice for this movie? Imagine any existing bike trying to pull such things off, and the question will be answered.
T-800's Harley-Davidson Fat Boy - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
In the world of badass characters you can hardly get more so than the Terminator T-800. Beautifully (for a robot) portrayed on film by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the killer-robot-turned-John-Connor-bodyguard stopped at nothing to fulfill its mission.
Terminator is, just like Matrix, about machines taking over the world. Unlike Matrix, it's more about brute force and real reality than subtleties and virtual reality: Skynet and its minions start an all-out war against humanity using anything from nukes to time travel devices to make sure the win is theirs.
But as the Resistance captures one of the enemy T-800s, they reprogram it and send it back in time to protect the child that would grow to be a man and form said Resistance in the first place.
Back in time in this film means Arnold landed in 1995, a year when nukes and time travel machines were not readily available. But motorcycles and bikers were, and the T-800 makes short work of them both.
The bike Hollywood saw fit to sit between the legs of the man who would later become the Governor of California was the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. Just one year old when the movie was shot, the model was already regarded as one of the pillars of American motorcycle making, and that's even more obvious now, more than three decades after the fact.
Was the Fat Boy a suitable choice for the Terminator? Hell yes. Back when the movie was shot, and also today, you can't find a more suitable two-wheeler for a rider that speaks few words, cuts no corners, and takes no BS.
Rich folks with a soft spot for movie props seem to think so too. The Fat Boy used in Terminator 2 sold for $480,000, far more than it was estimated, during an auction held back in 2018. Its current whereabouts are not known.
As far as badass bad guys go, Brixton Lore is a newcomer. Yet the skills he used to oppose Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw have probably secured a place for him in the ultimate history book of Hollywood badassery.
You see, Lore is no normal human. A collection of nasty talents placed in the service of wrongdoing, the guy is literally bulletproof, and very tech-savvy, too.
Among the character's many gadgets there is a modified Triumph Speed Triple RS. Modified not only visually, but also in such a way it can transform itself (not quite like Arcee, though) to help Lore's head avoid a nasty collision with a semi.
No other vehicle in the Fast and Furious universe, no matter the number of wheels, has this ability, which makes the Triumph one mean ride. Is it a suitable choice for the badass character? Seems so, yes.
Eddie Brock's Ducati Scrambler – Venom (2018)
If you ask me Venom is a badass character times two. First, because it's a sentient alien symbiote that can take over anybody's… body and can bite people's heads off. Then because in the namesake 2018 movie it decided to take over the body of Tom Hardy's character Eddie Brock.
The incredible combo of badassery is responsible for all sorts of nasty things in the film, and because of the nature of their association, they need nothing but their bare hands to wreak havoc. There is a moment early on, however, when Brock still hasn't gotten the hang of working with Venom, when a motorcycle does get involved.
The bike in question is a Ducati Scrambler, just like in the Matrix we discussed earlier. No one can argue that Scrambler is in some way a forgettable bike. In its most recent incarnation it is described by its maker as the "essence of motorcycling and a world filled with freedom, joy and self-expression."
And that, in Venom speak, is Italian for "bleah!" Sure, the bike is a capable one, and nobody questions its capabilities, but for a pair of characters like Venom and Brock it seems understated. A lot. I mean, Venom bites people's heads off, with or without permission, remember?
So, did Hollywood get this one wrong? Sure it did. Hardy should have ridden something a lot more aggressive because he, his character, and Venom are all incarnations of badassery. A custom ride perhaps or, without fear of stretching things, perhaps even a Combat Motors Wraith. I mean, just imagine Venom's blackness riding on the back of such an all-black ride, 132ci engine screaming through the exhaust…
Bruce Wayne's Drifter - The Batman (2022)
There is probably no other movie motorcycle in this world more famous than Batman's Batcycle. Just like the Batmobile and a host of other Dark Knight-specific tech, it has risen to cult status, and it's a tool that's never overlooked in new movies.
The thing with this two-wheeler is that, just like with the character it serves, it constantly changes, as per the vision of the movie's director. Ever since its first appearance in the 1966 TV series, it evolved, morphed, and transformed to such a degree that the only thing a critic can do is decide whether a certain incarnation of it fits a certain incarnation of Batman.
The most recent time the Dark Knight appeared on screen (The Flash notwithstanding) was in 2022, in The Batman. The character belonged for the first time to Robert Pattinson, and also for the first time his Batmobile looked like something average Joes could get in the real world. The Batcycle, on the other hand, was not that obvious.
But that doesn't mean there weren't bikes in the film. The most obvious was a contraption that is known as the Drifter, one ridden by Bruce Wayne when not wearing the black cape.
The bike is a custom, built specifically to fit in this interpretation of Batman. It was inspired by the Suzuki Hayabusa, it has Ducati influences all around, and a trace of Honda. It was put together by the same guy responsible for the Batmobile, Ash Thorp.
Was the design the right choice for the flick? I truly believe so, as it not only fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the movie, but it also works wonders when paired with Pattinson and the Batmobile he used.
Ghost Rider's Hell Cycle - Ghost Rider (2007)
If you want to be a successful bounty hunter of the damned you naturally need to have the proper tools for the task. They include metal whips, flames, knives, and Hellfire-shooting shotguns. A motorcycle to get from place to place is also heavily advised.
Ghost Rider is the perfect illustration of a movie that could have been a lot more than what it actually was. After all, it's the story of a bounty hunter from Hell out for demon and bad guy blood, all while riding a kick-ass motorcycle.
For some reason, the Nicholas Cage movie failed to impress in terms of story, acting, and pretty much everything else, but it will remain in public memory as the one that brought forth one of the most badass motorcycles Hollywood ever imagined: the Hell Cycle.
Because of the special requirements of the script, whenever Cage turned into a demon the makers of Ghost Rider could not use a stock motorcycle, and not even a custom based on one. So they had a bike built from scratch to use in these instances (when in human form, the bike was also a custom chopper, made to be reminiscent of the Captain America from Easy Rider).
The motorcycle is technically a hard-tail chopper and it was put together over in Australia. It's a two-wheeler like no other, with no front and rear suspension whatsoever (a demon doesn't need it), fiberglass bodywork that looks like vertebrae, and a demon skull up front. For all its meanness, the bike is powered by a rather flimsy KTM 525 single-cylinder engine.
So, did I like the movie and its main character? No. Do I love the motorcycle? You bet. So this is the only entry in our list where the motorcycle is more badass than the character it serves.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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