Original Easy Rider Captain America bike on display at the National Motorcycle Museum
Fifty years after its release, the film Easy Rider continues to resonate, marking a significant milestone in cinematic and cultural history. Released on July 14th, Easy Rider, directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Hopper and Peter Fonda, captured the zeitgeist of a generation undergoing profound transformation. This motion picture not only reflected the societal shifts of the 1960s but also immortalized the Captain America Bike, a symbol of freedom and rebellion that continues to fascinate motorcycle enthusiasts and film buffs alike. The film emerged as a powerful voice for the baby boomer generation, who came of age questioning the values of their parents, embracing new forms of expression through fashion, music, and lifestyle choices. As America grappled with the Vietnam War and evolving social norms, Easy Rider tapped into the burgeoning motorcycle culture, confirming America’s love affair with bikes and the sense of liberation they represented.
While Easy Rider didn’t invent the chopper motorcycle, it undeniably cemented its iconic status. The chopper style, characterized by extended forks, raked steering heads, and sissy bars, had been evolving for about a decade prior to the film’s release. Cliff “Soney” Vaughs, a filmmaker and chopper enthusiast since 1961, played a crucial role in the movie’s creation. Hired by Fonda and Hopper as an Associate Producer for their project initially titled ‘The Loners’, Vaughs contributed the evocative title ‘Easy Rider’ and drew upon his own experiences of riding choppers through the South in 1963. His real-life encounters, including a harrowing incident of being shot at in Alabama, mirrored the themes of freedom and danger explored in the film. Vaughs collaborated with Ben Hardy, a seasoned builder of outlaw street dragsters and stretched choppers, to bring the Captain America bike and the “Billy Bike” to life. Dennis Hopper himself acknowledged the influence of African-American motorcycle culture on the chopper style, stating, “like with Rock n’ Roll, the African-Americans were way ahead of us [on choppers].” The distinctive, “far out” aesthetic of the chopper became a visual representation of the Bohemian lifestyle and counter-cultural ideals that Hopper and Fonda sought to convey in Easy Rider.
Captain America and Billy chopper replicas from Easy Rider exhibited at the National Motorcycle Museum
The National Motorcycle Museum proudly displays replicas of both the Captain America bike and the Billy bike, offering visitors a tangible connection to this cinematic legend. Previously, a documented original Captain America bike from Easy Rider was part of the museum’s collection. However, the bikes currently exhibited are meticulously crafted replicas of the two matching “prop” bikes created for the 1969 film. During the filming of the movie’s dramatic climax, one of the two Captain America bikes was indeed crashed, a scene where Fonda’s character meets his tragic end. This crashed Captain America bike is the only known surviving original and is now part of the collection of the late Paul Allen. The other matching Captain America bike, along with the two “Billy bikes” ridden by Dennis Hopper, were sadly stolen near the end of filming and have never been recovered. For many, the Captain America motorcycle remains the most famous and recognizable motorcycle globally. Beyond the bikes themselves, the museum also showcases Easy Rider movie posters, including rare international editions, providing a comprehensive look into the film’s cultural impact.
The museum highlighted the Captain America bike replica in a 2016 feature, inviting enthusiasts to delve deeper into its story. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Easy Rider, a restored 4K version of the film was screened across America on Sunday, July 14th, allowing audiences to experience the movie’s visual impact anew. For those seeking a more in-depth understanding of the Easy Rider bikes and the broader history of choppers, “THE CHOPPER, The Real Story” from the Museum Store, authored by Paul d’Orleans, offers a wealth of meticulously researched information, separating fact from fiction surrounding this iconic motorcycle style.
