Harley-Davidson is not just a motorcycle manufacturer. It is part of popular culture there, just like burgers or trucks. Nearly 109,190 units of Harley-Davidsons were sold only in 2022 in the US market. A big part of America’s world-renowned motorcycle culture is constituted by Harley’s symbolizing a free-living lifestyle.
Movies are often regarded as the mirror of culture, and the craze for Harleys can be, at least in part, understood by the frequent appearance of Harley machines in Hollywood movies. From the classics of the 1980s to modern hi-tech science fiction, Harley motorcycles have registered their presence in almost every genre of movie. These magnificent machines have shared screens with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, ranging from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Chris Evans.
Harley-Davidson seems to always a favorite choice of movie directors, especially in action movies, because of its robustness and powerful presence, and, obviously, no other bike can connect with the American audience more than a Harley. In this article, we will learn about a number of Harley machines that starred on the big screen.
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The motorcycles are arranged in this list as per the releasing year of the movies, from the earliest to the most recent.
10 Shovelhead Electra Glide
Rocky III (1982)
The Rocky franchise is the cult classic of the sports movie genre, starring Sylvester Stalone. This movie series became a benchmark for all sports-related movies that came after it. It defined an era, much like some classic American motorcycles. In the third installation of the series, released in 1982, the Shovelhead Electra Glide made an appearance.
The Shovelhead name actually specifies a particular type of engine that Harley produced from 1966 to 1984, and it replaced the earlier Panhead. The rocker covers of this engine looked like an upside-down shovel, which gave birth to the nickname. In the movie, the bike appeared in one of the most important scenes, when an emotional Rocky was riding through the city after losing his beloved mentor. A special yellow and black paint scheme was given to the bike to match the Rocky colors.
9 Heritage Softail Classic
Days of Thunder (1990)
Tom Cruise is regarded as one of the badass actors when it comes to stunt riding, driving, or flying. He has ridden several bikes in his movies, including BMW, Triumph, Ducati, and the most famous Kawasaki GPZ900R in Top Gun. He laid his hands on a H-D Softail Classic in the 1990 movie Days of Thunder, in which he played the role of an aspiring NASCAR driver.
Though the movie was about car racing, Cruise managed to include a bike-riding scene, which is like a compulsory part of every movie he has worked on till now. Remember the mind-blowing scene of Cruise’s entry onto a racing track while riding the Harley? The triple headlights and very appealing mannerism of Cruise come through the smoke. This set the tone of the movie.
8 Fat Boy
Terminator 2 (1991)
Fat Boy could not have had better marketing than appearing in the Terminator movie. The iconic H-D Fat Boy ridden by the T-800 in Terminator 2 made its big-screen debut just a year after Harley began producing the Fat Boy model. Needless to say, the T-800 was our favorite ‘Arnie’ Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the movie, the Fat Boy is stolen to the tune of George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone” during an unforgettable bar scene.
The Fat Boy shown in the movie was clad in black with red pinstripes, chrome accents, and a shotgun holster. Later, the T-800 uses the Fat Boy to help John Connor flee the formidable T-1000 in an epic chase through Los Angeles’ concrete-lined river. Between Arnie looking tougher than nails and the Fat Boy growling beneath him, many consider this among cinema’s most badass motorcycle scenes.
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7 Super Glide
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Released in 1994, Pulp Fiction is one of the greatest movies written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. This highly entertaining crime film was literally star-studded, featuring some big names in Hollywood, such as John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and Bruce Willis. Oops! Another star was there—the Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide.
To meet the needs of the story, the Super Glide was modified to look more like a chopper. These modifications include extended forks, an ape-hanger handlebar, saddlebags, chrome trim, and a Fat Bob fuel tank. Originally, the Super Glide first appeared in Harley’s stable in 1971 and featured a design amalgamation of Harley’s large touring models and smaller Sportsters. Harley retired this awesome stallion in 2014, but along with Pulp Fiction, the Super Glide became immortal in the hearts of Harley lovers.
6 Custom Panhead-Based Chopper
Ghost Rider (2007 and 2011)
Probably the most extreme and fiercely beautiful Harley appearing in the movie was the custom Panhead-based Chopper used in Ghost Rider installments. Other than the signature extended forks and buckhorn handlebars, the motorcycle is hardly recognizable as a Harley because of the design detailing given to the bike.
The bike was the ride of the spirit of vengeance played by Nicolas Cage, and to match his character, designers added skulls, bones, and spikes to give this bike a fierce appearance. And who can forget the awesome scene of flames coming out of its wheels? After adding all the design elements, the bike stood 11 feet long and had 500 pounds of weight. Sadly, this bike is not street legal, and the fire on wheels was crafted with CGI.
5 Softail Springer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Every movie in the Indiana Jones series is a roller-coaster ride of sheer excitement and adrenaline rush. The lead character, an archaeologist played by Harrison Ford, and his spine-chilling adventures with twists and turns of mystery have amused the audience in every installment. Following the proven recipe of every Indiana Jones movie, the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull also had a thrilling chasing scene featuring Harrison Ford, Shia LeBoeuf, and H-D Softail Springer.
Launched in 1988, the Springer proudly boasted its presence on the market until 2003. Which means when the movie was released in 2008, the model was already out of production. You may find a little difficulty in identifying the motorcycle shown in the chase scene as the Springer because the motorcycle was given a retro look to fit with the 1957 plot of the movie.
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4 Shovelhead Chopper
Hell Ride (2008)
Hell Ride was an American neo-outlaw biker film directed by Larry Bishop, and it showcased many bikes in the film. But gleaming with vintage style, the Shovelhead Chopper motorcycle stole the spotlight amidst Hell Ride’s array of badass bikes. Nicknamed “The Gent,” this retro-inspired ride elicited stares with its old-school white frame accented by devilish red and black detailing.
Its wicked paintwork instantly evoked Easy Rider’s rebel soul, hinting at antihero tales of the open road. Yet the Gent surprised onlookers, not roaring with machismo but purring down the street with show-stopping, graceful aggression. As evident from the name, this bike featured a Shovelhead engine, which Harley offered from 1966 to 1984.
3 V-Rod Muscle
Green Hornet (2011)
Superheroes also love Harleys. Well, in this case, it’s his sidekick who is riding the bike. The silver screen adaptation of the Marvel comic Green Hornet was released in 2011, and in the movie, the hero’s sidekick Kato was seen riding a V-Rod Muscle in quest of fighting crimes.
The role of Kato was played by Asian music superstar Jay Chou. The V-Rod was one of the most handsome motorcycles produced by Harley, and with special modifications for the movie, it looked even dapper. With ‘Destroyer’ wheels and rear-set foot controls, the bike wore special matte black paint with plenty of chrome. The one-off LED headlights and chopped rear fender enhanced the aggressive character of the bike. The production model V-Rod remained on Harley’s menu until 2018.
2 WLA “Liberator”
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The storyline of Captain America: The First Avenger was based on the premises of WW2, and what could be the best H-D to feature in this movie other than the iconic Liberator? However, the bike shown in the movie was not actually a Liberator because, sadly enough, the only few existing Liberators are purely museum pieces and are not in the shape to feature in a movie in running condition. When the moviemakers encountered this problem, Harley came to their rescue.
The manufacturer reverse engineered the cross bones of a Softail and added actual WLA parts along with some custom fittings. Four such bikes were crafted by the restoration experts to be used in the movie. Two of them are on display at Harley’s Museum. Harley produced around 88,000 WLA’s for WW2 employment, and these rough-and-tough machines proved their worth in extreme situations of war. Its performance made it the most sought-after motorcycle during the post-war period.
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1 Street 750
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
It is certain that the Captain has a deep love for Harley machines because he was seen riding Harley models in the Avengers and Captain America movie installments. For example, Street 750. If you are a Marvel fan, then you must remember the scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier when Captain was fleeing from Shield headquarters while dodging spiked barriers and an aircraft brushing bullets on him.
The bike he was riding was the H-D Street 750. At that time, the Street 750 was the newest model in Harley’s stable. Perhaps the 750 was the most user-friendly cruiser Harley has ever produced for city riding. It had a powerful yet predictable engine and a lightweight design to easily navigate through city traffic. The 750 was also the first Harley model to receive the Revolution X engine.
