Nothing gets our hearts pumping during a movie like a good ol' motorcycle scene—well maybe a looming figure of a guy with a chainsaw, but that is not why we are here.
Seeing someone escape, chase, explore, or rescue, all while on a motorcycle, is just more exciting. We all know and love the feeling of being on a bike. Watching a scene from motorcycle movies with a bike revving, especially in surround sound, makes us all want to run out of the theater, jump on our bikes, and create our own adventures.
We have compiled a list of some of our favorite heroic, intense, funny, and awesome movie scenes that feature motorcycles. These aren't necessarily from "motorcycle movies" (though The Great Escape is certainly on our list) but rather scenes that feature motorcycles in pivotal moments.
Check back for our upcoming lists of our favorite "Motorcycle Movies," and read our favorite motorcycle documentaries.
For now, sit back and enjoy these motorcycle movie scenes—some serious, some silly.
1. Wet Hot American Summer
If you went to overnight camp in the 80s, you might be able to relate to this hilarious flick about a group of counselors going off the rails on the last day of summer camp. They spent the summer with some pent-up, unresolved "feelings" and the knowledge that they are all headed home in the morning creates an unpredictable scenario. Of course, the all-camp talent show brings almost too much pressure to handle.
In this scene triumphant music paired with an unlikely hero/novice rider aboard a Yamaha XS 1100 creates a fun moto chase (motorcycle vs. human) that makes us laugh—that's abruptly brought to an end by, well, a hay bale.
2. Mission Impossible 2
In this second installment of Mission Impossible, Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, leads a mission to capture a deadly German virus before it is released. Making his mission impossible, a gang of international terrorists (among others) are also on the hunt for the virus. Spoiler alert: The terrorists have also stolen the cure.
This chase scene ups the ante with a Triumph Speed Triple being chased by a car literally on fire—aided by a helicopter, of course—and sees Tom ride across a burning bridge (a stunt we're sure he did himself). He shoots and rides and pops backwards wheelies for our enjoyment, proving once again that a motorcycle (and Tom Cruise) is more agile than a car.
3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Following clues in his father's notebook, Indiana Jones is on a mission to rescue his father, who vanished while searching for the Holy Grail. Indy and a beautiful academic that joins him, soon realize they are not the only ones who are on this hunt. Things get out of hand when some sinister old enemies show up to foil their plans.
So they hop in a 1988 Dnepr MT-11 (not a BMW R75 like we originally thought!). Sean Connery in a sidecar—need we say more? We especially love the inventive use of a flagpole as a battering ram (while Connery calming winds his pocket watch and never loses his bucket hat, natch).
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
Drifter Mad Max believes the best way to survive his dark past is to wander alone. He becomes swept up in a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a woman rebelling against a tyrannical ruler, a group of female prisoners, and a psychotic worshiper.
A group of badass mountain motorcyclists form the ultimate villainous tribe here, literally jumping a tank to drop bombs from overhead. They meet an untimely end but not before making us shake our heads at the creative moto stunt.
5. Deadpool
Disfigured, scarred, trigger-happy, chatty mercenary, Deadpool, aka Wade Winston Wilson, has the superhuman ability of regeneration, as well as physical prowess. His tendency to talk and joke constantly, includes breaking the fourth wall for humorous effect. Deadpool originally started off as a supervillain but eventually became an antihero who fought alongside Wolverine, the X-Men and even several Avengers (apparently while maintaining a healthy diet of chimichangas).
Is a hero even "anti" if he doesn't ride a motorcycle (and a Ducati Panigale at that)? No. The answer is no. Here, Deadpool battles cars from his motorcycle then goes after a moto on foot, using his sword as a makeshift "spike strip" to puncture its tire.
6. Kill Bill Vol. 1
A former assassin known as the "The Bride"—and played by Uma Thurman—wakes from a four year coma caused by her jealous ex-lover Bill when he attempted to murder her on her wedding day. After creating a hit list containing every person who wronged her, The Bride sets off on her quest, enduring unspeakable injury and unscrupulous enemies and fueled by an insatiable desire for revenge.
"One ticket to Tokyo, please" becomes ominous words in Quentin Tarantino's movie. And Uma then hops on a Kawasaki ZZR 250. We can't help but fangirl over both The Bride's chance at redemption as well as her slick, moto-matching yellow and black attire.
7. The Great Escape
A group of allied soldiers are intent on breaking out of a German POW camp during World War II. The exciting adventure recounts the epic planning, execution, and aftermath of a daring true-life escape. American Captain Virgil Hilts, played by Steve McQueen, is among those trying to dig their way to freedom. They outwit their captors by digging a tunnel out of the prison. However, the soldiers find the stakes much higher when escape becomes a reality.
A jazzy soundtrack accompanies McQueen's infamous motorcycle fence jump (on a Triumph TR6), which it turns out was written into the script to give moto racer McQueen a thrill since he had to give up racing for his acting career (read more here).
8. The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Things go terribly wrong for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) when he tries to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program. The mess forces Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and the rest of the Avengers to gather once again. Hanging in the balance? Um, just the entire planet Earth. The team is pushed to the limits as they battle Ultron, an evil being hell-bent on all humans being annihilated. To make matters worse, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers along the way.
Scarlett Johansson can be counted on to get pulses racing no matter what scene she's in, but we especially love her here as Black Widow racing up steps and using her speeding Harley-Davidson LiveWire as a step-stool into the villain's truck.
9. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
With a 40-year-old unsolved murder to solve, disgraced financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist (played by Daniel Craig) finds a chance to redeem his honor.
Swedish industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) hired Blomkvist to find out who killed his niece. To complicate the case, he has suspicions that she was killed by a member of his own family. Blomkvist teams up with Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an odd and ingenious investigator, to help get to the bottom of this unsolved mystery.
In this scene, our favorite avenging angel initiates a nighttime chase scene against a hulking vehicle. She uses her riding prowess (and her Honda CB350 cafe racer) to run the car off the road in a moment of vengeful glory.
10. The Place Beyond the Pines
Faced with how to support his lover and unborn child, motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks to make ends meet. This decision puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.
We were torn between two moto scenes for this movie: the opening scene that features the main character entering a cage ball with other bikers and another where he robs a bank and then gets away via a modified Suzuki DR-Z 400 dual sport with a super-clever disappearing act. We couldn't choose, so here are both. You're welcome.
HONORABLE MENTION: Dumb & Dumber
Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) finds a suitcase full of money left behind by Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly) after he drives her to the airport in his limo. Lloyd and his BFF Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) decide to go to Aspen to return the money to Mary—whom Lloyd has become smitten with—but are clueless about the money's link to a kidnapping (let's face it, they are pretty much clueless about everything). The trip across the country quickly goes awry as hired killers and police are on their heels.
Ok, ok, so this is not the type of two-wheeling, head-turning, heart-pumping motorcycle we all love to see (and be seen on), but you have to admit, it is pretty damn funny. This comedic scene has stood the test of time. Check out the team over at Revzilla, recreating the famous scene here.
