Easy Rider bike to auction Oct. 18

[23JDCA 808]

The auction house Profiles in History told The Associated Press that it estimates the Harley-Davidson will bring $1 million to $1.2 million at its Oct. 18 sale being held online and at its galleries in Calabasas, California.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/09...ike-going.html

[exeric]

Interesting post Bill. Just curious what other think of that sale estimate. Personally, I wouldn't give you more that $15K for it regardless of who rode it. I always thought it was an ugly chopper, and I didn't care for any aspect of it's design. The bike Dennis Hopper rode was much better looking.

[Chris Haynes]

Restored by Dan haggerty who built and sold three of them. Peter only had two for the movie. I had the frame from one of the originals.

[harleytoprock]

Eric, I agree. The Fonda bike had too much handlebar on too much fork and rake. Not to mention the tasteless chrome frame. The Hopper bike had much better geometry and looks.

[wideglide38]

I agree....the Billy bike had a better look & style. I saw a couple of replicas at the '09 Easyriders' Rodeo in Wilson, NC. I converted one photo I liked to B&W in Photoshop.

Regards,
William

[jellywrestler]

Eric, I agree. The Fonda bike had too much handlebar on too much fork and rake. Not to mention the tasteless chrome frame. The Hopper bike had much better geometry and looks.

both bikes look like 'the north end of a south bound cow' if you don't like choppers....
now here's a cool chopper

[Ross]

Help me understand this sale. The bike in John Parham's collection in Anamosa is supposidly the only remaining bike of two used in the movie. One was wrecked or disappeared and the other was the Haggerty one that The National Museum has. Fonda himself said it to be the only original and signed the tank and an authenticity certificate as the only true easy rider bike.Is the bike for sale one made up by Haggerty after the movie??? I am confused.

[sirhrmechanic]

Help me understand this sale. The bike in John Parham's collection in Anamosa is supposidly the only remaining bike of two used in the movie. One was wrecked or disappeared and the other was the Haggerty one that The National Museum has. Fonda himself said it to be the only original and signed the tank and an authenticity certificate as the only true easy rider bike.Is the bike for sale one made up by Haggerty after the movie??? I am confused.

^^^ THIS!

I don't understand the provenance here. This is supposed to be the bike that 'flew, flaming through the air?' in the last scene? Last seen burning roadside in a receding helicopter shot? Is this the bike being auctioned? And it was then resurrected from... a burnt puddle of chopper?

Chris, what frame did you have? There has to be an interesting story there.

Maybe my memory is off... but I thought that the two 'main' bikes were stolen at the end of the movie and never seen again. Can anyone fill in the full story of the two bikes...

I could totally see a bike from Easyriders going into 7 figures. Not as a motorcycle collectible, but as a piece of movie memorabilia. It does crazy things to prices. But I'd have to have an iron-tight provenance.

Can someone give us the full story?

Cheers,

Sirhr

[Steve Swan]

I'd read 10-15 or so years ago, none of the original bikes existed. And that duplicates were built later. Without provenance connecting it as having actually been in the movie, this thing reeks of b.s.

[wideglide38]

I screen-captured a comment off the facebook - Classic Panhead page of a JD McGeary and his comment regarding the history of the MC in question. I'm just the messenger here . . . . I cannot confirm nor deny it's authenticity; however, found it an interesting read!

William

[MJW]

Sounds like another BS story...

[Ross]

Wideglide your thumbnail is what I have always been told. It was my understanding that the John Parham bike was the Haggerty bike that was damaged and then restored and the other stolen. The big question in my mind is, if the real bike is in Anamosa, what is being auctioned off and what proof of originality accompanies it? John Parham could add a lot to this discussion. There was a sign beside the display with the story at the national museum. JP you out there or someone from the National museum to clear this up?

[Rubone]

A little side story...
In the early '70s Dennis bought several pieces of property in Taos, New Mexico, where some scenes had been filmed. One was a famous old mansion ( the Mabel Dodge Lujan house) and the guesthouse attached to it. Dennis lived part time in the guest house and rented the main house to a bunch of hippie artist/jewelers. One of whom was my sister (we were born and raised in Taos). Visiting from Albuquerque where I was working for the H-D dealer at the time some of the guys living there wanted me to check out the old shed out back. Tossed in a pile were two replica ER bikes. One was pretty complete and a formerly running bike, the other a dummy movie prop with no internals. They languished there for several years until Dennis traded them to the hippies for jewelry and dope. One ended up in the hands of a machinist/welder friend who got it running and eventually sold it with some provenance. The dummy was acquired by a guy called "Rodent" who was a "Supercycle" among other rags photographer. By that time I was living back in my home town and was acquainted with him. He got some big fish on the line and came to me to flesh out the dummy and get it running. which I did, around 1985-86. The money guy supposedly made his fortune in Tee-shirts and such. I got paid mostly in parts. I could order what I needed for the bike and whatever I wanted for myself. A fun sort of side job at the time. I thought the bike pretty much sucked but it was fun. Dennis also signed letters of authenticity (it was used in theater lobbies for premiers) for that one, which went on to its new home.
So there are at least two more out there claiming authenticity.

About a year or so before his death Dennis was here at my house and we got a big laugh out of the whole thing. He said he hated those bikes because they never ran right and the movie was held up all the time due to them.
He was quite the character and was well liked and is missed in this town.

[Chris Haynes]

When we were filming "The History Of Harley-Davidson" at Cadillac Jacks diner I spent hours talking to Peter Fonda. We had a Captain America replica we were using in the show. I got the whole story on how the bikes came to be and what happened to them. Peter said he bought four surplus LAPD motorcycles as the basis for the two Captain America and the two Billie bikes. He bought and borrowed parts to build the rigid frame bikes used in the movie. When principal photography was completed the bikes were broken back into parts so borrowed parts could be returned to their owners. While in pieces a lot of the parts were stolen. Some parts were recovered but most were not. Bare in mind all the engines ETC. used in these bikes were 1960's, not 1948 as the bike was claimed to be in the movie. The bike being sold now is a 1953.
In early 1970 a guy came to my shop in Santa Monica, CA selling some used parts. One of these parts was a raked, chromed Panhead frame. I sincerely believe it was a Captain America frame.
A few years ago Dan Haggerty was selling restored Captain America bikes with certificates of authenticity. As I recall over time he built and sold three Captain America bikes. A good trick as only two originals were built.
When the movie was being released Columbia Pictures had AEE Choppers build several replica bikes to be used as publicity at movie openings around the country. I have no idea what happened to these bikes.

[Ross]

Robbie that is totally cool. Great photos. Perhaps one of those two bikes is the auction bike? Still like to know the acquisition story of the Anamosa bike.