Get your motor running, head out on the highway, and get yourself to Midland, Texas on June 5 for a chance to ride home on one of the Captain America Harley-Davidson choppers from the 1969 film Easy Rider. This movie motorcycle will be crossing the block at the Dan Kruse Classics Auction and is expected to fetch somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000. The machine in question is known as the "crash bike" since it exploded and was set on fire at the end of the film. It was one of two Captain America choppers designed by Cliff Vaughn and built by Ben Hardy for the film, and it was restored years after the theatrical release. One would expect that a bike with this kind of history could rake in higher bids but the checkered history of the other Captain America chopper has overshadowed this upcoming auction.

The Story Behind These Cinematic Motorcycles

Capturing the American counterculture of the late 1960s, Easy Rider stands as one of the most important road movies of all time. Starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson, the film follows two bikers as they travel across the country from the West Coast headed east. Hopper and Fonda play the two bikers, Billy and Wyatt, and during their journey they see and experience America of 1969. They ride a pair of Harley-Davidson panhead choppers and due to their rough appearance and independent spirit, they are treated as outcasts and loners. The men, along with the motorcycles they ride, became symbols of the 1960s. As such, these bikes have long been sought after by collectors.

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The problem arises in authentication. Fonda and Hopper claimed that three of the four choppers built for the film were stolen toward the end of the production. Both of the Billy bikes and one of the Captain America choppers were thought to be lost. The only remaining example is the "crash bike" that was gifted to actor Dan Haggerty after he appeared in the film. Haggerty kept the bike and eventually rebuilt it with renown car collector Gary Graham. Having financed the build and a subsequent tour, Graham took ownership of the chopper. In 1996, Graham sold the bike at the Dan Kruse Classics Auction where it was acquired by Gordon Granger. It is Granger who is selling the bike at this time.

Current Captain America Chopper Haunted By The Past

The Captain America chopper sold at auction in 2014.
Via: News Atlas

In 2014, a similar Captain America chopper surfaced that also claimed to be one of the motorcycles from the film. Haggerty authenticated that example as well, but Fonda would later voiced concerns about its ties to the production. When it crossed the block the chopper sold for a staggering $1.35 million. It has since been proven to be a replica and it is that history that is lingering over the upcoming auction in Texas. Prospective buyers clearly seem concerned about the current bike's authenticity but the motor is being presented with supporting documents including a letter from Gary Graham. Motorcyclist and movie fanatics will be anxiously watching as this legendary bike heads out on what promises to be another memorable ride.

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