Gallery: The 25 Most Iconic Movie Harleys

Image via Complex Original

Many Harley-Davidsons have roared their way onto the silver screen over the years. Several have been part of iconic films, while others have livened up some otherwise lackluster movies. Enjoy this list of the best Harleys in movie history.

25. Ghost Rider

Rider: Nicholas Cage
Bike Name: Panhead-based Chopper
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Complex Says: This is the point when we offer the caveat that it's the bike that's cool in some movies--not the movie itself. We know Ghost Rider isn't the best film ever. But the chopper that Ghost Rider (Cage) rides is cool, and the movie has Eva Mendes and Sam Elliott in it. So it can't be all bad...can it? We're not above going along for the ride when there are cool vehicles involved. And possibly lots of alcohol, so we can shut off the parts of our brains that cry when witnessing bad CGI. That way, we can just enjoy the bikes. Or cars. Wait...what were we saying?

24. Live and Let Die

Rider: San Monique Policemen
Bike Name: 1973 Aermacchi Harley-Davidson 350 SS
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Complex Says: Lots of police forces, both in real life and in films, ride Harleys. Before you say, “Oh, but the Aermacchi bikes weren't real Harleys,” we hope you'll watch the clip. What's cool about these particular Aermacchi Harleys is that they're nimble and maneuverable, which suits their environment perfectly. We like how situationally appropriate they are--well, until they go down in three distinct rider-related accidents. But honestly, it's a James Bond film--did anyone chasing Bond ever have a chance, even if Bond was stuck driving some beat-up old double-decker bus? We didn't think so.

23. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Rider: Paul Reubens
Bike Name: 1974 Super Glide
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Complex Says: The plot of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure revolved around everyone's favorite '80s child-man, Pee-Wee Herman (Reubens), and the search for his missing bicycle. Of course, wacky hijinks ensued along the way. One of the most famous scenes in American film history occurred when he made his way to a biker bar, then knocked over a row of bikes owned by the Satan's Helpers biker gang. The bike Pee-Wee bumped was a 1974 Super Glide, and the rest went over like dominoes. Understandably, the bikers weren't happy about their bikes, and it looked like they were going to kill poor Pee-Wee before he had the chance to find his bike. But Pee-Wee danced like a monkey for their amusement, proving once and for all that most bikers just want to have a good time. At the end of the scene, they even gave him a vest and let him take off on a Yamaha XS 650 Special--and then watched him crash through a billboard. Oops. At least it wasn't a Harley.

22. Every Which Way But Loose

Rider: Black Widows Biker Gang
Bike Name: Sportster-based Chopper with Sidecar
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Complex Says: There are quite a few Harleys in this film, including Sportsters, a Panhead, and an Electra Glide. And eventually, Philo Beddoe (Clint Eastwood) foiled all their attempts to exact revenge against him. But the Sportster with the sidecar gets our vote for the coolest one in the film. Why? The Black Widows were the biker gang in the flick, and the thematic paint job on the sidecar was great. Plus, it managed to get away from Ma (Ruth Gordon) and her shotgun. Sure, the members of the Black Widows weren't the brightest guys. But no one said they couldn't ride a cool bike or two.

21. Wild Hogs

Rider: John Travolta
Bike Name: FLSTFSE Fat Boy
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Complex Says: Another example of a not particularly great movie having some cool Harleys. Woody's (Travolta) is our favorite--mainly because, unlike Dudley (William H. Macy), Woody seemed to be able to ride his bike competently. In this clip, he even managed to keep riding when a big crow flew into his face. The film also starred Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and Marisa Tomei.

20. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Rider: Meat Loaf
Bike Name: WLA
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Complex Says: We know you're probably saying, “What the what?!” right now. But Eddie (Meat Loaf), the ex-delivery boy, rode an awesome WLA out of a deep freeze in Dr. Frank-N-Furter's (Tim Curry's) lair. Then he broke into song about the glories of rock n' roll, and how he loved girls. Frank-N-Furter clearly had no choice but to kill him after that show of contempt for his authority. The film version of Rocky Horror is still the longest-running film in theatrical release, as of this writing. It also starred a very young Susan Sarandon.

19. In the Line of Fire

Rider: The President's Police Escort Detail
Bike Name: FLHTP Electra Glide
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Complex Says: There's something about two lines of motorcycle cops riding in careful formation that's incredibly stately. It's similar to military arms presentation, except without gunfire. If you were president, would you want anything less escorting you? We didn't think so--especially in a thriller as intense as this one, which starred Clint Eastwood, Rene Russo and a truly psychopathic John Malkovich. There are lots of films with lots of motorcycle cops on lots of Harleys. These represent the real-life ones, who go out and do it every day.

18. Robocop 2

Rider: Peter Weller
Bike Name: FXSTC Softail Custom
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Complex Says: What's cooler than Robocop (Weller) battling bad guys? Robocop picking up a discarded Harley from the road, then chasing bad guy Cain (Tom Noonan) with it. There's a catch: Cain's driving a big box truck. Does that stop Robocop from facing him down, even though all Robocop has is a motorcycle? Of course not.

17. Rocky III

Rider: Sylvester Stallone
Bike Name: 1978 FLH Electra Glide
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Complex Says: Also known as The Rocky With Mr. T, Rocky III centered on Rocky's repeated attempts to beat younger, fiercer contender James “Clubber” Lang (Mr. T). Up until this point, Rocky had been coached by his blunt, brash mentor, Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith). Rocky rode his Harley throughout the movie, but the most emotionally wrenching scene occurred shortly after Mickey died of a heart attack. Rocky went for a ride on his bike and stopped at the statue of himself that his hometown had erected. A momentary wave of disgust and despair overcame him, and he angrily whipped his helmet at the statue. What's fame, fortune, and an amazing boxing career good for when your mentor has just died? We're not sure, but this scene summed up Rocky's heartfelt anger nicely--in addition to serving as the turning point in the film.

16. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Rider: James Marshall
Bike Name: Electra Glide
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Complex Says: The question of who killed Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) was the central story element of the Twin Peaks TV series--even if co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost didn't mean for that to happen. Town bad boy James Hurley (Marshall) was Laura Palmer's secret boyfriend, and the followup film Fire Walk With Me delved into the events leading up to Laura Palmer's murder in great detail. James spent a lot of time pouting and channeling James Dean and Marlon Brando whenever he pulled up on his Electra Glide. A pivotal moment in the film occurred when James showed up on his bike to meet Laura for the very last time. By this point, Laura knew she was headed for a bad end, and she wanted to save James from some of the pain. So instead, she broke his heart. It was an interesting subversion of the biker stereotype that Laura's knight in shining armor was the one riding the Harley, rather than any of the villains in the Twin Peaks universe. Unfortunately, even he couldn't save her.

15. Heathers

Rider: Christian Slater
Bike Name: 1987 FXRS-SP Low Rider Sport Edition
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Complex Says: High school life was becoming increasingly obnoxious for Veronica (Winona Ryder), as she noticed her friends--Heathers one and all (including Shannen Doherty)--were complete bitches. Then JD (Slater) rolled into town on his Harley, and things started to change. This scene is the first time you had a good look at JD, as he did a slow ride-by while some obnoxious jocks were busy tormenting a geeky kid who had ended up on their bad side. That moment was when you knew something was going to happen in this film. Sure enough, later on, JD made those jerks pay. While we wish the bike was in the film a bit more, it's indisputably a part of what made JD cool. Want proof? Do a search for “Heathers JD” on YouTube. You'll see lots of fan-made videos and loving tributes--most of which include clips of him on his bike.

14. The Green Hornet

Rider: Jay Chou
Bike Name: V-Rod custom
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Complex Says: We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Kato (Chou) was easily the best thing about this film. His V-Rod is part of the reason why. We wish it was in the film longer, but it definitely left a big impression on us. We'll remember it long after we've forgotten the rest of the film.

13. Animal House

Rider: Bruce McGill
Bike Name: Sportster
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Complex Says: One of the most standout scenes in this classic comedy involved D-Day (McGill) tearing up a flight of stairs on his Sportster, then playing a tune on his throat. Yes, you read that correctly. Watch the clip if you haven't seen it or don't remember it. You know, with the late, great John Belushi?

12. The Cannonball Run

Rider: Peter Fonda
Bike Name: Sportster
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Complex Says: Besides starring Burt Reynolds, The Cannonball Run starred just about everybody who was anybody at the time. Farrah Fawcett, Dom Deluise, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Jackie Chan, and Sammy Davis, Jr. all made appearances. The premise is simple: it's a screwball comedy about a bunch of amateur racers participating in the Cannonball Run, from California to New York. What's great about Peter Fonda is that his character, simply called “Chief Biker” in the credits, is a parody of the iconic Harley-riding biker image for which he was justly known since Easy Rider. We don't know about you, but we love actors who can take a joke--and who can make jokes at their own expense. We also love it when they do awesome wheelies.

11. The Expendables

Rider: Mickey Rourke and Sylvester Stallone
Bike Name: Harley-based Chopper
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Complex Says: Tool (Rourke) was a tattoo artist. At one point in the film, he gave Barney Ross (Stallone) a tattoo, using his chopper as his artist's chair. It's a nice touch. Not every biker has ink, but bikes and tattoos do go hand in hand, so it's the next logical step. Also, this movie had almost every action star of the past few decades in it. Besides Stallone and Rourke, it starred Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Steve Austin. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis made cameo appearances. A sequel is due out in August 2012. We hope it has some cool bikes, too.

10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Rider: Shia LaBeouf and Harrison Ford
Bike Name: Springer Softail Classic modified to look older
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Complex Says: When Mutt Williams (LaBeouf) rescued Indiana Jones (Ford, as if we had to tell you), he did it on his Springer Softail Classic. Then a crazy chase scene across the Marshall College campus ensued, ending in something you definitely wouldn't do in real life: a bike ride through a college library. Well, we wouldn't do that, anyway. College librarians have a nasty bite.

9. Captain America: The First Avenger

Rider: Chris Evans
Bike Name: Softail Cross Bones (made to look like a WLA)
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Complex Says: Captain America came of age in the World War II era, so producers of the film wanted to put him on a WLA--the bike Harley was producing for the U.S. Army during that time period. To be more practical, they instead made over a modern Softail Cross Bones to look like a WLA--and then made a promotional video about it. We just like it because it's such a part of Captain America's identity, and it was cool to see it portrayed this way.

8. Machete

Rider: Danny Trejo
Bike Name: Softail
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Complex Says: When you click the link, you'll see that the video is a mere 18 seconds long. You may be forgiven for wondering how a great video could possibly be so short. Once you watch it, you'll understand. Machete started life as a fake trailer that showed before the Robert Rodriguez film Planet Terror. Reaction to the fake trailer was so positive that Rodriguez went on to write and direct an actual film, starring indisputable badass Danny Trejo as Machete. How do you make your Softail as badass as you are? If you're Machete, you mount a minigun on the handlebars.

7. Escape From L.A.

Rider: Kurt Russell
Bike Name: Sportster
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Complex Says: If Snake Plissken (Russell) isn't one of the biggest badasses in the history of film, we don't know who is. While Escape From New York was a much better film, Escape From L.A. featured an epic fight sequence involving Snake on his Sportster. It was so epic, in fact, that some fans put together an awesome video involving footage from that scene. And zombies. Because if zombie-killing was a class, Snake Plissken would ace it, hands down. It's also obvious that Hideo Kojima's Solid Snake character from the Metal Gear video game series drew inspiration from Snake Plissken. So if Snake says a bike is cool, we believe him.

6. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man

Rider: Mickey Rourke
Bike Name: 1989 FXR
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Complex Says: Before Sin City and The Wrestler brought Mickey Rourke back to the forefront of the moviegoing public's imagination, he was Harley Davidson back in 1991. Set in the not-so-distant future of 1996, the film featured Harley Davidson riding his custom FXR with his friend, the Marlboro Man (Don Johnson) on a 1989 Honda PC 800. (Oh, and there was some plot about a botched robbery attempt, where the money Harley and his buddy stole turned out to be drugs. But no one really paid attention when there were bikes onscreen--and early '90s Tia Carrere.) Neither critics nor the moviegoing public seemed to like the film much--but it gained cult status in home video release. The opening credits are nothing but sheer bike porn--as much of a paean to Harleys as you'll ever see on the silver screen.

5. Pulp Fiction

Rider: Bruce Willis
Bike Name: 1986 FXR Super Glide (customized)
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Complex Says: After Butch (Willis) and Marsellus (Ving Rhames) survived a harrowing visit to Zed's pawn shop, Butch realized the key he'd stolen from Zed belonged to a chopper called Grace. It was a much cooler ride than the dilapidated white Honda Civic he'd been driving earlier--a fact not lost on his girlfriend, Fabienne (Maria de Medieros). It only showed up for a single scene, but that scene gave a whole new meaning to the phrase “get to the chopper.”

4. On Any Sunday

Rider: Mert Lawwill
Bike Name: XR 750
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Complex Says: This may be considered cheating by some, since it's a motorcycling documentary. But no matter what bike you ride, any true motorcyclist will tell you that On Any Sunday is a classic motorcycling film. Two of the most epic Harleys of all time figure in this film. One is the venerable XR 750 flat track racer that's owned the flat-track world since its 1970 introduction. The other is the XRTT 750 road bike. You can see both bikes in this trailer--albeit briefly. Oh, and Steve McQueen shows up in this film, too--although he's not on a Harley.

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Rider: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Bike Name: 1990 Fat Boy
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Complex Says: The bike vs. semi chase scene from T2 is one of the most iconic scenes in movie history to feature a Harley. It's possibly one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time, but we're not here to debate that. Instead, we'll simply say that while John Connor's (Edward Furlong's) little Honda XR-100 dirtbike was great at speed and maneuverability, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) driving the semi would most definitely have caught him if the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) hadn't scooped him up onto his Fat Boy. This scene also gets points as the most badass gun reload sequence ever--shotgun or otherwise.

2. The Wild One

Rider: Lee Marvin
Bike Name: Hydra Glide
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Complex Says: Admittedly, a lot more attention is usually paid to Marlon Brando's Triumph Thunderbird with regard to The Wild One. In the film, Johnny Strabler's (Brando's) gang, the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club, fought with a rival biker gang. Chino (Marvin) was the leader of the rival gang, called the Beetles. Legend has it that the Beatles (yes, as in John Lennon and Paul McCartney) took their name from that of Chino's gang, simply changing the second “e” to an “a.” Sure, the hero's bike was a Triumph. But you can't have an age-old story of rebellion without the hero overcoming something formidable. In this case, it was Lee Marvin and his Hydra Glide.

1. Easy Rider

Rider: Peter Fonda
Bike Name: 1951 Panhead chopper
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Complex Says: Easy Rider is the quintessential Harley movie. Period. Hands down. And Wyatt's (Fonda) “Captain America” chopper is the quintessential movie Harley--probably the most iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle of all time. It's unlikely that this will change any time soon, despite Harley's prevalence in a great many movies since this 1969 classic was made. Two “Captain America” Harley choppers were built for filming, but only one survived the rigors of the shoot. In December 2010, the remaining “Captain America” bike was unfortunately destroyed in a fire at collector Gordon Granger's warehouse in Austin, Texas. Several builders have created replicas of this bike, and the Harley-Davidson Museum itself has a nice replica of this bike in its collection.