Captain America (motorcycle)
With Captain America (including Harley-Davidson Easy Rider chopper ) is the legendary motorcycle in the movie Easy Rider (1969) Wyatt ( Peter Fonda called). The motorcycle became an icon of the American way of life , and is the most expensive motorcycle in the world with a sales value of over one million euros.
History and technology
In the preparation phase for the film Easy Rider , Peter Fonda bought used Harley-Davidson motorcycles from the Los Angeles Police Department. According to the director Dennis Hopper , Harley-Davidson was not enthusiastic about the film project and therefore did not provide film motorcycles. The auctioned motorcycles were (supposedly for 500 dollars per share) decommissioned 1962 FL panhead 1207 cc displacement (bore 87.3 mm stroke 100.8 mm) and a power of 60 PS at 5000 min -1 . Peter Fonda had the motorcycles modified by Benjamin F. Hardy through the intermediary Cliff Vaughs according to his ideas. Hardy used conventional Harley-Davidson rigid frames , in which the steering head was detached and repositioned. With a telescopic fork extended by 30 cm , with a steering head angle of 45 degrees, a narrow 21-inch front wheel without brakes and 16-inch tires at the rear, the Captain America became the "mother of all choppers ". She was with a 13-inch ape-hanger handlebars, sissy bar equipped and fishtail exhaust system. Above all, however, the engine was extensively chrome-plated and the tank was painted in the colors and with the pattern of the American national flag .
Two originals and many copies
Two copies of the Captain America were made for filming, one for driving and one for close-ups. According to the script, one copy was destroyed during the filming - the final sequence was driven by stuntman Tex Hall. The second copy was kept by Fonda and stolen from the garage before filming was finished; this motorcycle was never found. The police and Fonda suspect that the motorcycle was dismantled and sold in individual parts. The remains of the badly damaged first copy were given to actor Dan Haggerty , who played a supporting role on the set , who restored the machine and sold it to Gordon Granger in 1996 for $ 63,500 with a certificate of authenticity. Haggerty confirmed the authenticity again in 2005 - but revoked it again in 2014.
Haggerty made another copy and sold this Captain America to John Parham in 2002, also with his certificate of authenticity (and Peter Fonda's autograph on the tank). This motorcycle was exhibited at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa and in 2014 became the property of Michael Eisenberg, who initiated the auction at Profiles in History auction house , which specializes in Hollywood props. On October 18, 2014, this motorcycle was auctioned as “the one and only authentic Captain America” for 1.35 million US dollars (over 1 million euros) to an unknown bidder. This was the highest sum that has ever been achieved for a motorcycle.
In 1993, Glenn Bator and Jerry Sewell reproduced Captain America for Otis Chandler using photos, film sequences and interviews. Peter Fonda declared this copy to be authentic. This Otis Chandler copy was auctioned in May 2011 at Bonhams for 42,000 euros. It is unknown how many other copies of Captain America were made.
Small series and kits
From 1998 to 1999, the California Motorcycle Company in Gilroy (California) produced the "Easy Rider Captain America Chopper" model in a limited small series on behalf of Peter Fonda and Fonda-White Productions . Originally 750 copies were to be built, estimates assume far fewer motorcycles sold. The CMC chopper was powered by an S&S V2 engine with a displacement of 1,442 cm³ and an output of 75 hp. For road approval, the vehicle - in contrast and thus far removed from the original - was equipped with a speedometer, front fender, front and rear disc brakes (instead of drum brakes ) and toothed belt drive (instead of chain ). Each motorcycle was delivered with a certificate of authenticity, an engraved production number and a helmet signed by Peter Fonda.
The Panzer Motorcycle Works from Cañon City also launched a small series (50 copies) in the 2000s by Captain America. An S&S V2 engine was also used to drive the replica. As a kit or complete version, the Captain America is still offered by various manufacturers.
aftermath
The film Easy Rider increased worldwide sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the sales of which had hit an all-time low in 1968. In 1971 the new image of the company was heralded with the FX model, a cruiser with raised handlebars. The advertisement was changed so that Harley-Davidson was now selling "Great American Freedom Machines" .
" Easy Rider hit twelve, with him the biker subculture finally left the borders of California."
literature
- Thomas Krens (Ed.): The Art Of The Motorcycle. , Guggenheim Museum New York , 2001, ISBN 0-8109-6912-2 .
Web links
Remarks
- ↑ vary the information, so among other things, 50 PS at 4,800 min -1 indicated.
- ↑ On normal motorcycles, the steering head angle is between 62 and 67 degrees.
- ↑ The second film motorcycle was Dennis Hopper's "Billy Bike". Two copies of it were also made and both stolen together with the Captain America.
- ↑ Peter Fonda said on the "two-motorcycle problem": I am not an expert and I cannot say which is the real one. I know there are two motorcycles that have been certified by Haggerty. Fonda said: “There's a big rat stinking someplace in this.” ( Freely translated: there is something lazy about this). A replica for Gordon Granger was sold at the auction. See latimes.com
- ↑ For example in the USA: AMA ( Motorcycle Hall of Fame ), Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Allen Museum Collection (Boston) and in Germany: German Two-Wheeler and NSU Museum and House of History with Mathias -Korte-Replica [1] .
- ↑ The California Motorcycle Company became Gilroy-Indian in 1999 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g Thomas Krens (Ed.): The Art Of The Motorcycle. P. 296.
- ↑ youtube interview
- ↑ Jerry Hatfield: Standard Catalog of American Motorcycles 1898-1981. Krause Publications, 2006, ISBN 0-89689-949-7 , p. 203
- ↑ a b faz.de "Captain America": The mother of all choppers (accessed on November 10, 2014)
- ↑ thevintagent.blogspot.de Ben Hardy - Builder of Captain America (accessed November 11, 2014)
- ↑ youtube Easy Rider 1969 End (from 3:15)
- ↑ a b latimes.com Uneasy riders: Which 'Captain America' chopper is the real film relic? (accessed on November 11, 2014)
- ↑ hemmings.com Captain America sells for record (accessed November 9, 2014)
- ↑ profilesinhistory.com “CAPTAIN AMERICA” (accessed November 9, 2014)
- ↑ bonhams.com Lot 107 (accessed November 9, 2014)
- ↑ powersportsnetwork.com CMC builds "Millennium Motorcycle" for Fonda / White Productions (accessed November 13, 2014)
- ↑ CMC-Captain America ( Memento of November 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ production number
- ↑ bonhams.com Lot 474 (accessed November 13, 2014)
- ↑ Tejas Thump Cycle Kit ( Memento of the original from November 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on November 13, 2014)
- ↑ Paughco Kit (accessed November 13, 2014)
- ^ Wolfgang Wiesner: American motorcycles. Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 2nd edition 1992. ISBN 3-613-01362-2 , p. 276.
- ↑ FX 1200 (73 model)
- ↑ Wolfgang Wiesner: Harley Davidson. The myth of chrome and steel. Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 2nd edition 1986, ISBN 3-613-01097-6 , p. 148.
