So, I’ve been digging into this whole “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man” motorcycle thing, and let me tell you, it’s been a ride. I’m not a mechanic or anything, but I’ve always been a fan of cool bikes, and this one is iconic.
First, I started by just watching the movie again. It’s a classic, right? Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson, cruising around on these awesome bikes. I paid extra attention to the scenes with the motorcycles, trying to get a good look at them. Rourke’s bike, the one everyone talks about, is a 1989 Harley-Davidson FXR. But it’s not just any FXR, oh no, it’s heavily customized.
Then, I hit the internet. I searched for everything I could find about the bike. Turns out, it wasn’t even an original Harley engine in there. They used an S&S 80 cubic inch engine for the stunt bike. Apparently, Rourke owned the original bike, and they built a replica just for the movie stunts.
What I Found Out
- The Look: This bike is all black, tough, and mean-looking. It screams “rebel.”
- The Engine: As I said, the stunt bike had a different engine. Makes sense, I guess. You wouldn’t want to wreck a perfectly good Harley, right?
- The Customization: It’s got a lot of custom parts. It’s not your everyday Harley.
- The Inspiration: Someone actually built a replica of the bike. Some guy from Full Throttle Cycles made one for a customer. It’s not something you see everyday.
After that, I spent some time looking at pictures of the bike, comparing them to regular FXR models. The differences are pretty obvious once you know what to look for. It’s lower, sleeker, and just overall more badass.
I even tried to find out if anyone else had built their own version of the bike. There are some discussions on forums and stuff, but it seems like it’s a pretty rare thing. Probably because it’s so unique and getting all those custom parts would be a pain.
So, yeah, that’s been my little adventure into the world of the “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man” motorcycle. It’s a cool piece of movie history, and an even cooler piece of motorcycle history. It just goes to show you, sometimes the coolest things are the ones that are a little bit different, a little bit custom, and a whole lot of awesome. It is not difficult to handle the motorcycle, although it seems heavy.
I’m not planning on building one myself, but it sure is fun to dream. Maybe one day, right?
