A Nearly Perfect Replica of the Easy Rider Bike
Motorcycles & ATVs
Motorcycles
This jaw-dropping replica of the original Captain America chopper from the film Easy Rider, recently offered for sale on eBay, is a faithful tribute to an iconic Harley-Davidson.
Burning Passion
Boomer Ulman of Boomer’s Bike Shop in Clarkston, Mich., is a man with a burning passion for Harley-Davidson. Ulman said:
I’m an Evolution Harley specialist—Shovelheads, Panheads. I've run my own business now for 28 years.
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He also owns the Shark Club - opens in new window or tab. in Waterford, Mich., where it holds meetings all year round and even give away a Harley-Davidson at the end of the season.
Ulman acquired this machine from the builder in West Virginia. He said:
This is absolutely as close to the original Captain America bike from the movie as possible, right down to the chromed 1960 frame and the correct rake angle.
Timeless Classic
The movie in question is Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper’s timeless 1969 American classic Easy Rider. The counterculture tale followed two hippie bikers traveling the American Southwest to New Orleans and Mardi Gras in style on two contrasting custom Harleys. If you haven't seen it yet, this machine is a replica of the Captain America chopper ridden by Peter Fonda’s character, Wyatt—no more spoilers.
What’s it like to ride? Ulman said:
It runs and rides great and really plays a cultured tune through those Fishtail pipes. But with the ape hanger bars set so high, it’ll help if the next owner is on the taller side.
99 Percent Accurate
The builder’s dedication to accuracy with this bike is impressive. The upswept Fishtail exhaust, chromed frame and correct rake angle, the “King and Queen” leather saddle and sky-high sissy bar are faithful to the original, as is the Captain America chopper's gorgeous (but tiny) fuel tank, ’60 Panhead motor, six-volt electrics, and the lack of front brakes.
Even the cute mirror looks like the original. Pushed as to what might not quite be 100-percent correct, Ulman said:
There are just one or two new parts, like the clutch lever, but that’s about it.
Controversy
It’s been 55 years since the making of Easy Rider. The story about who made the original Captain America choppers is predictably hazy and hard to nail down. It doesn’t help that the movie’s leading men have offered differing accounts. Fonda went on record in 2007. He said:
I built the motorcycles that I rode and Dennis rode. I bought four of them from the Los Angeles Police Department.
However, in 2009, Dennis Hopper said in an audio commentary that the bikes were built by famous Los Angeles chopper builders Clifford A. “Soney” Vaughs and Ben Hardy.
Iconic Bargain?
Having earned iconic status upon its release, the legend of Easy Rider is only going to grow as new generations discover this classic. As such, an authentic replica of the Captain America chopper might be a reasonable investment, especially when you consider that the original item sold for a reported $1.6 million.
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