Over the years, motorcycles have been featured in many movies. Some were just used as a period-correct form of transport (The Great Escape), while others were the star of the show (Silver Dream Racer). But as any self-respecting classic enthusiast will confirm, the bikes made an average movie great!

If you asked a classic motorcycle enthusiast which movie featuring a motorcycles came to mind first, he or she would probably say On Any Sunday.

Although not a movie per se, this classic biking documentary was backed by longtime motorcycle enthusiast Steve McQueen and is still shown around the world in motorcycle clubs today.

Without a doubt, movies and documentaries have played a major part in spreading the word about the fun, and sometime danger, of motorcycling and motorcycle racing.

On Any Sunday

This documentary was made to show the different forms of motorcycling to a wide audience and became a classic in its own right.

Directed and edited by Bruce Brown, and supported by Steve McQueen's Solar Production company, the documentary was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Feature in 1972. For the time, the filming included many innovative ideas, including using a camera mounted on the rider's helmet.

Many well-known motorcycles of the day were featured in the filming, including BSA, Bultaco, Harley Davidson, Hodaka, Honda, Husqvarna, Suzuki, Triumph, and Yamaha.

No Limit, 1936

Many movies follow the underdog in motorcycle competitions, typically following their exploits.

One of the earliest motorcycle related movies stared English actor and comedian George Formby. Set at the 1935 TT in the IOM, Formby (George Shuttleworth in the movie) is a Northern English chimney sweep who hopes to win the TT on his old motorcycle. Needless to say, Formby is very much the underdog in the movie which follows his various mishaps as he tries to win.

The bike Formby used in the race (using the fictitious name Shuttleworth Snap) was an early AJS 350 side valve.

No Limit was directed by Monty Banks who directed some 26 movies including Great Guns, starring Laurel and Hardy.

The World's Fastest Indian

For true grit and determination, few riders can compete with New Zealander Burt Monroe. The movie follows the true story of Monroe as he fulfills a lifetime ambition of setting a land speed record on his 1924 Indian motorcycle.

Monroe is played in the movie by Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs) and follows the incredible challenge Monroe faced in not only building a land speed record-setting motorcycle but also in transporting it from New Zealand to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US!

In one memorable scene from the movie, Monroe replaces a lost trailer wheel with a tree branch and continues on his way across Australia!

In a tribute to Monroe and his achievement, the AMA froze the class, therefore the land speed record for Monroe's class (under 1000-cc streamlined motorcycles) stands at 183 mph. (Note: During a qualifying run, Monroe set a one way speed of 190 mph, the fastest ever recorded on an Indian motorcycle).

The World's Fastest Indian was directed by Roger Donaldson.

Silver Dream Racer

Actor and singer David Essex starred in this 1980 movie about another underdog who has dreams of breaking into the big time of Grand Prix racing. After inheriting his late brother's motorcycle collection, Essex (Nick Freeman in the movie) comes across a bike designed by his brother that has the right specification. After building the bike and testing it at Brands Hatch, Essex is delighted to find it is fast enough to win.

The film, directed by David Wickes, uses a Barton Phoenix motorcycle for most of the live track work which was a machine produced by two English engineers, Barry Hart and Tony Ryan. The two had produced various updates for the GT380 Suzuki street bike for racing use before turning their attention to an RG 500 type racer. Initially they had designed and produced a three-cylinder 500 2-stroke racer, then a square four 750, before downsizing the 750 to a 500 for Grand Prix use.