Like many motorcyclists grounded by COVID-19, I find myself with the opportunity for guilt-free escapism by hosting our own front-room, biker-movie festival. I started making a list of worthy films to rent or buy over the weeks of lockdown ahead. Which motorcycling oriented feature films are currently available, given that all the shops are shut, and which are worth watching? After several weeks of lockdown, the list had grown to over 400 movies.
Summary
The following table shows the top-rated motorcycle movie in each genre according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) (April 2020). Continue reading to discover the full list of over 400 films.Genre | Title | Year | Weighted Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Action | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | 8.5 |
Adult | Bad, Bad, Gang! | 1972 | 5.5 |
Adventure | The Great Escape | 1963 | 8.2 |
Animation | Akira | 1988 | 8.0 |
Biography | The World's Fastest Indian | 2005 | 7.8 |
Biography | The Motorcycle Diaries | 2004 | 7.8 |
Comedy | Sherlock Jr. | 1924 | 8.2 |
Crime | Pulp Fiction | 1994 | 8.9 |
Documentary | Hitting the Apex | 2015 | 8.2 |
Drama | Pulp Fiction | 1994 | 8.9 |
Family | Why We Ride | 2013 | 7.2 |
Fantasy | These Are The Damned | 1962 | 6.5 |
History | The Great Escape | 1963 | 8.2 |
Horror | Dawn of the Dead | 1978 | 7.9 |
Music | Quadrophenia | 1979 | 7.3 |
Musical | Purple Rain | 1984 | 6.6 |
Mystery | Electra Glide in Blue | 1973 | 7.1 |
Romance | Sherlock Jr. | 1924 | 8.2 |
Sci-Fi | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | 8.5 |
Short | Scorpio Rising | 1963 | 6.8 |
Short | They Caught the Ferry | 1948 | 6.8 |
Sport | Hitting the Apex | 2015 | 8.2 |
Thriller | Dawn of the Dead | 1978 | 7.9 |
War | Nam Angels | 1989 | 5.4 |
Western | The Best Bar In America | 2009 | 6.2 |
Western | The Best Bar in America | 2009 | 6.2 |
What qualifies a film to be included in a list of biker movies? Is it enough that the main protagonist is lured to a biker bar, like the vampire feeding haunt ‘La Tetilla del Diablo’ in ‘From Dusk till Dawn’ (1996)? What if the only riding to be seen in the movie is a short, 250cc-charged chase; the opening sequence for ‘Skyfall’ (2012) or the fight scene in ‘Gemini Man’ (2019)?
Even avoiding TV episodes, focusing on the big screen, the list of festival contenders had soon grown to over 400 titles.
The following is based on a ‘snapshot’ taken in April 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom.
Ranking motorcycle movies
Movie ratings
Is it possible (or desirable) to produce a prioritised viewing and shopping list based on movie ratings that can be found on sites like the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) , Rotten Tomatoes or Amazon ? Perhaps IMDb and Amazon ratings together would give consensus about which films are worth watching. However, for the 400 plus biker movies identified, there are very significant differences in the distributions of average ratings.
- Amazon voters tend to give a significantly higher rating than would be expected if the same group of people were voting on both sites.
- Average ratings on Amazon are centered around a high score of 4.5. The same films show a much greater spread in popularity according to IMDb.
It seems as though there are two distinct populations of film enthusiasts voting on the different platforms. We can only speculate why that might be the case. Perhaps voters on Amazon had recently bought the films themselves and are therefore pre-disposed towards giving their latest purchases higher votes compared to someone who may be recalling an earlier screening.
![Comparison of IMDb and Amazon ratings, April 2020](../../posts/motorcycle-movies/images/motorcycle_movies_IMDB_vs_Amazon_ratings.png)
There is some agreement amongst the mainstream titles, which receive the highest number of votes on both platforms, and ‘Motocross Zombies from Hell’ is the lowest rated film on both IMDb and Amazon.
There are many discrepancies, however, with high-scoring films on one site receiving a low rating on the other. The two motorcycle films with the highest average rating, according to IMDb, are ‘Girl Gone Bad’ (2000) and ‘Redline America’ (2008). Both films scored 9 out of 10, out-gunning ‘The Great Escape’ (1963), ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015) and ‘Akira’ (1988). Is this justified?
Number of votes
When comparing ratings, it is important to consider the absolute number of votes a film receives. Motorcycle films which receive the highest number of votes according to IMDb are dominated by mainstream, action movies. A notable exception is the 1988 benchmark Manga animation ‘Akira’ set in post-world war III Neo-Tokyo. If over 150 thousand people have, on average, given ‘Akira’ a rating of 8.5/10 then we can be pretty certain that this is a ‘good’ movie. (Of course, that isn’t to say that specific GS or Harley riders have the same values and would therefore agree with rating given by the population of IMDb users. After having watched it, I still struggle to explain what it is about.)
By comparison, the highly rated ‘Girl Gone Bad’ (2000) and ‘Redline America’ (2008) received only 21 and 9 votes respectively. Can we be sure that they would retain such high average ratings if these films were reviewed another five or ten thousand bikers (or IMDb site users)?
Title | Year | Votes |
---|---|---|
Pulp Fiction | 1994 | 1,741,603 |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | 956,830 |
Mad Max: Fury Road | 2015 | 831,009 |
Skyfall | 2012 | 612,205 |
The Place Beyond The Pines | 2012 | 236,079 |
Ghost Rider | 2007 | 216,624 |
The Great Escape | 1963 | 214,542 |
Mad Max | 1979 | 183,839 |
Tomorrow Never Dies | 1997 | 174,989 |
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior | 1981 | 160,472 |
Akira | 1988 | 153,847 |
The Kids Are All Right | 2010 | 122,988 |
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome | 1985 | 122,504 |
Wild Hogs | 2007 | 111,798 |
National Lampoon's Animal House | 1978 | 108,263 |
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance | 2011 | 107,394 |
Dawn of the Dead | 1978 | 107,346 |
Easy Rider | 1969 | 95,166 |
The Motorcycle Diaries | 2004 | 93,918 |
Hot Rod | 2007 | 73,589 |
Weighted average
Intuitively, we should be cautious trusting ratings, good or bad, for films which have received few votes. Each new vote has the potential to move the average rating significantly upwards or downwards. The rating for a given movie may well fluctuate wildly until such time that it has received a ’large enough’ number of votes for it to settle and approach its ’true value’. Until then it is probably more reliable to consider that a movie is ‘average’ until enough votes have been gathered to prove otherwise. Average in this case would mean the average of all ratings for all motorcycle movies on our list. As more votes are added, we can give more weight to a films individual rating and allow it to move away from the safe, group average towards its own average score.
This is the idea behind the Bayesian weighted average which is often used to rank movies, beers and other items based on on-line ratings. To calculate the weighted average, we define a threshold number of votes (m) that would start to give us confidence that the rating is believable. As the number of votes increases beyond m, more weight is given to the films individual rating.
The charts below show the average weights vs. number of votes for m = 0 and m = 200. At m = 0 (i.e. no threshold is applied and even small numbers of votes are allowed to influence rank), there is a cluster of films including ‘The Proud Rider’ (1971) which have a higher than average score. The IMDb average rating for our list of motorcycle movies is 5.65.
Let us suppose that, for our ranking purposes, every member of NAM would need to have voted for the score to have been considered significant and set m = 200. When the number of votes is below 200, the weighted average score collapses to the group mean. As the number of votes pass 200, the weighted averages spread out as we start to trust each film’s average score.
Now we have been able to prioritise movies, we need to know which are available for lockdown viewing.
![Relationship between IMDB average rating and votes, April 2020](../../posts/motorcycle-movies/images/motorcycle_movies_IMDB_ratings_by_votes.png)
![Relationship between IMDB average rating and votes, April 2020](../../posts/motorcycle-movies/images/motorcycle_movies_IMDB_weighted_ratings_by_votes.png)
Availability of motorcycle movies
Streaming services
At the time of writing, 150 motorcycle movies are available to buy or rent instantly on Amazon Prime, Apple TV or YouTube (Google Play) or watch with a subscription to Netflix and NowTV. There is a big difference in the number of biker movies found on each platform, however. If lockdown lasts many months, Amazon Prime and AppleTV are best placed to keep us served with a new biker movie every week. Netflix and NowTV each have only six of our titles available.
![Availability of motorcycle movies on different streaming platforms, April 2020](../../posts/motorcycle-movies/images/motorcycle_movies_availability_by_streaming_service.png)
When it comes to buying or renting, median prices are competitive across all streaming services whether downloading in standard- or high-definition. There are a few exceptions (as indicated by the black circles in the boxplot below). Expect to pay a little more for a recent title or a blockbuster.
![Comparison of streaming prices April 2020](../../posts/motorcycle-movies/images/motorcycle_movies_streaming_prices.png)
DVDs
As of April 2020, 152 titles were listed as available to buy new on Amazon UK and the range of prices found shown below. The two most expensive films listed, ‘Call the Mesquiteers’ (1938) and ‘Killer Biker Chicks’ (2009), are priced at over £100!
Title | Year | Price (£) |
---|---|---|
Call the Mesquiteers | 1938 | 150.98 |
Killer Biker Chicks | 2009 | 100.90 |
Devil's Angels | 1967 | 74.78 |
Dawn of the Dead | 1978 | 58.99 |
Hells Angels Forever | 1983 | 58.19 |
Tattoo, a love story | 2002 | 49.51 |
Hell's Angels '69 | 1969 | 39.95 |
Point Doom | 2000 | 37.85 |
Biker Zombies from Detroit | 2001 | 36.99 |
L'agression | 1975 | 33.93 |
Motorcycle movies - the list
The following table lists all of the motorcycle movies identified. In some cases, films may only feature riding or bikes for a few minutes. Weighted ratings, derived from IMDb scores, are provided for guidance and interest only. They do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of any individual motorcyclist or Northumbria Advanced Motorcyclists.
We have tried to present as comprehensive a list of biker movies as possible, without censorship. Some films reflect outdated attitudes and do not represent the values and diversity of Northumbria Advanced Motorcyclists.
Title | Year | Weighted Rating | Genre | Streaming |
---|---|---|---|---|
Code Two | 1953 | 6.1 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Motorcycle Gang | 1957 | 5.7 | Drama | |
The Wild Angels | 1966 | 5.7 | Action, Drama, Thriller | |
I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle | 1990 | 5.6 | Comedy, Horror | Amazon Prime |
Hitting the Apex | 2015 | 8.2 | Documentary, Sport | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Mondo Enduro | ||||
Satan's Sadists | 1969 | 4.8 | Action, Drama, Horror | |
Unchained: The Untold Story of Freestyle Motocross | 2016 | 6.8 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Great Escape | 1963 | 8.2 | Adventure, Drama, History | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube, Netflix |
Wild Hogs | 2007 | 5.8 | Action, Adventure, Comedy | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Handy Manny's Motorcycle Adventure | 2009 | AppleTV | ||
Akira | 1988 | 8.0 | Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Maniacs On Wheels | 1949 | 6.1 | Drama, Romance, Sport | |
Motovudu - Dark Art Of Performance | ||||
Electra Glide in Blue | 1973 | 7.1 | Crime, Drama, Mystery | |
Nitro Circus: The Movie | 2012 | 6.7 | Action, Comedy, Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Ghost Rider | 2007 | 5.2 | Action, Fantasy, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Ghost Rider 5 | ||||
Easy Rider | 1969 | 7.3 | Adventure, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Rumble Fish | 1983 | 7.2 | Crime, Drama, Romance | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Road To Paloma | 2014 | 6.1 | Drama, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man | 1991 | 6.2 | Action, Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Mondo Sahara | 2013 | Amazon Prime | ||
The Wild One | 1953 | 6.8 | Crime, Drama, Romance | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
MotoGP: Racing Together 1949-2016 | 2017 | AppleTV | ||
Out Of Nothing | 2014 | 6.3 | Biography, Documentary, Family | |
The Doctor, the Tornado and the Kentucky Kid | 2006 | 7.0 | Documentary | |
The Purple Helmets - Total Sh*Te | ||||
The Girl on a Motorcycle | 1968 | 5.3 | Drama, Romance | Amazon Prime |
Knightriders | 1981 | 6.3 | Action, Drama | |
Inferno | 1999 | 5.2 | Action, Comedy, Drama | |
Inferno | 1999 | 5.9 | Action, Comedy, Drama | |
Inferno | 1999 | 5.2 | Action, Crime, Thriller | |
Inferno | 1999 | 5.9 | Action, Crime, Thriller | |
CHIPS | 2017 | 6.0 | Action, Comedy, Crime | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube, Netflix |
Missionary Man | 2007 | 5.1 | Action, Drama, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Torque | 2004 | 4.1 | Action, Comedy, Crime | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
I Superbiker | 2011 | 5.8 | Action, Documentary, Sport | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
The Losers | 1970 | 5.5 | Action, Drama, Thriller | |
Warrior of the Lost World | 1983 | 2.7 | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | |
Dust to Glory | 2005 | 7.2 | Action, Adventure, Documentary | |
Hells Angels On Wheels | 1967 | 5.2 | Crime, Drama, Thriller | |
Werewolves on Wheels | 1971 | 4.5 | Horror | |
Biker Mice From Mars: A Mouse And His Motorcycle | 1993 | |||
Bit By The Dragon | ||||
Neil Morrissey: Motorbike Mania | ||||
Me and Will | 1999 | 5.3 | Drama | |
Gory Gory Hallelujah | 2003 | 4.9 | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror | Amazon Prime |
Dhoom | 2004 | 6.7 | Action, Thriller | AppleTV, YouTube |
The Brown Bunny | 2003 | 5.0 | Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Nightmare Beach | 1989 | 5.3 | Horror | Amazon Prime |
Outlaws | 2017 | 5.5 | Crime, Drama, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube, NowTV |
Rebellious | 1995 | 5.7 | Drama | |
White Knuckle: The Story of The Motorcycle Cannonball | 2012 | 5.8 | Documentary | Amazon Prime |
Full Throttle | 1995 | 6.0 | Biography, Sport | |
Street Anarchy | ||||
Michael Michael Motorcycle | ||||
Bolt | 1995 | 5.2 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
The Courier | 2019 | 5.0 | Action, Crime, Drama | AppleTV, YouTube |
Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann | 1982 | 5.4 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | |
She-Devils on Wheels | 1968 | 4.9 | Action, Crime, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Last Riders | 1992 | 5.3 | Action, Drama | Amazon Prime |
Motocross Zombies from Hell | 2007 | 3.2 | Horror | |
Burn Out | 2017 | 6.1 | Action, Thriller | Netflix |
Speed Is My Need | 2019 | 5.6 | Documentary, Sport | Amazon Prime, Netflix |
Easy Rider 2: The Ride Home | 2012 | 3.9 | Adventure, Drama | AppleTV, YouTube |
Easy Wheels | 1989 | 4.9 | Action, Comedy | |
the Purple Helmets: On Any Sh*te Sunday | ||||
I, Superbiker: Day of Reckoning | 2013 | Documentary, Sport | Amazon Prime | |
I, Superbiker: The War for Four | 2014 | 5.4 | Documentary, Sport | Amazon Prime |
I, Superbiker 5: Split Second | 2015 | 5.6 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
I Superbiker 2 - The Showdown | 2012 | Sport | Amazon Prime, AppleTV | |
I, Superbiker: Clash Of Nations | 2016 | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube | ||
Top Grier | 2016 | 5.6 | Reality-TV | Netflix |
Road | 2014 | 7.6 | Documentary, Sport | Amazon Prime |
Darktown Strutters | 1975 | 5.1 | Action, Comedy, Musical | Amazon Prime |
Point Doom | 2000 | 4.4 | Action, Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime |
Free to Wander | 2013 | Amazon Prime | ||
Ride On The Movie | 2019 | Amazon Prime | ||
The World's Fastest Indian | 2005 | 7.8 | Biography, Drama, Sport | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Oil In The Blood | 2019 | 5.7 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Place Beyond The Pines | 2012 | 7.3 | Crime, Drama, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Man on a Motorcycle | 2009 | 6.1 | Drama, Short | |
The Savage Seven | 1968 | 5.6 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
The Motorcycle Diaries | 2004 | 7.8 | Adventure, Biography, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Devil's Angels | 1967 | 5.2 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Evel Knievel | 1971 | 5.2 | Action, Biography, Drama | |
Viva Knievel! | 1977 | 3.7 | Action, Adventure, Biography | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Last of the Gladiators | 1988 | 5.9 | Documentary | |
C.C. & Company | 1970 | 5.0 | Action, Comedy, Drama | |
I Am Evel Knievel | 2014 | 6.3 | Documentary | |
Being Evel | 2015 | 6.8 | Action, Biography, Documentary | |
Hot Rod | 2007 | 6.7 | Comedy, Sport | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube, Netflix, NowTV |
Run, Angel, Run! | 1969 | 5.5 | Action, Drama | |
Megaforce | 1982 | 3.9 | Action, Sci-Fi | |
Streets of Fire | 1984 | 6.7 | Action, Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Stone Cold | 1991 | 6.0 | Action, Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime |
Biker Boyz | 2003 | 4.6 | Action, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Born Losers | 1967 | 6.0 | Action, Drama, Thriller | |
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance | 2011 | 4.3 | Action, Fantasy, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Black Rain | 1989 | 6.7 | Action, Crime, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Rokon Nation: The Other American Motorcycle Legend | 2018 | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube | ||
Motorbike Cops | 2018 | Reality-TV | ||
Into The Dust | 2017 | Documentary | ||
The Black Rider | 1954 | 5.5 | Crime, Thriller | |
On Any Sunday | 1971 | 7.5 | Documentary, Sport | |
On Any Sunday II | 1981 | 6.1 | Documentary | |
On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter | 2014 | 6.6 | Action, Adventure, Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Motorcycle Girl | 2018 | 6.5 | Biography | Amazon Prime |
Why We Ride | 2013 | 7.2 | Documentary, Family, History | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Rebel Rousers | 1970 | 4.4 | Crime, Drama | |
Angel Unchained | 1970 | 5.3 | Action, Drama, Thriller | |
Angels Hard as They Come | 1971 | 5.0 | Action, Drama, Thriller | |
Born to Ride | 1991 | 5.3 | Action | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Savages from Hell | 1968 | 5.5 | Action, Drama | |
Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider | 1979 | 5.7 | Comedy | |
Hell Ride | 2008 | 5.1 | Action, Drama, Thriller | |
The Leather Boys | 1964 | 6.7 | Drama, Romance | Amazon Prime |
Dragstrip Riot | 1958 | 5.6 | Action, Drama | |
The Death Wheelers | 1973 | 5.8 | Adventure, Horror | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Dear God No! | 2011 | 4.5 | Comedy, Horror | Amazon Prime |
On Any Sunday Revisited | 2004 | |||
The Cycle Savages | 1969 | 5.2 | Action, Drama | |
Evel Knievel: The Last American Daredevil | 2014 | YouTube | ||
No Limit | 1935 | 6.1 | Comedy, Musical, Sport | |
Attack the Gas Station! 2 | 2010 | 6.0 | Action, Comedy | |
Buyusenki Battle Chronicles | 2008 | 5.6 | Action, Adventure, Crime | |
The Kids Are All Right | 2010 | 7.0 | Comedy, Drama, Romance | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
TT3D: Closer to the Edge | 2011 | 7.9 | Documentary, Sport | |
The Violent Kind | 2010 | 4.8 | Horror | Amazon Prime |
Under and Alone | 2010 | |||
Mammuth | 2010 | 6.1 | Comedy, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Machine Gun Preacher | 2011 | 6.8 | Action, Biography, Crime | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Quick | 2011 | 5.8 | Action, Comedy, Crime | |
Fastest | 2011 | 7.6 | Action, Documentary, Sport | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Travellers | 2011 | 4.7 | Action, Drama, Thriller | AppleTV |
The Baytown Outlaws | 2012 | 6.4 | Action, Comedy, Crime | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Best Bar In America | 2009 | 6.2 | Adventure, Western | Amazon Prime |
Girl Meets Bike | 2013 | Drama | ||
Blue Skies, Green Waters, Red Earth | 2013 | 7.6 | Adventure, Drama | YouTube |
Sit Stay Ride: The Story of America's Sidecar Dogs | 2014 | 5.7 | Adventure, Documentary | Amazon Prime |
Penton: The John Penton Story | 2014 | 5.7 | Adventure, Biography, Documentary | |
Irumbu Kuthirai | 2014 | 5.0 | Action, Drama | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Dhoom 3 | 2013 | 5.4 | Action, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Mad Max: Fury Road | 2015 | 8.1 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Biker's Adda | 2015 | 5.8 | Action | |
Frankenstein Created Bikers | 2016 | 6.1 | Action, Crime, Horror | Amazon Prime |
American Dresser | 2018 | 5.3 | Comedy, Romance, Thriller | |
Hochelaga | 2000 | 6.6 | Crime, Drama | |
The Road | 2000 | 5.6 | Action, Drama, Romance | |
Girl Gone Bad | 2000 | 6.0 | Documentary | |
Motocrossed | 2001 | 6.6 | Action, Adventure, Family | |
Lone Hero | 2002 | 5.6 | Action, Adventure, Drama | |
Leather and Iron | 2002 | 2.5 | Action, Adventure, Crime | |
Motorcycle Women | 2002 | Documentary | ||
Tattoo, a love story | 2002 | 6.4 | Comedy, Drama, Romance | |
Road Kings | 2003 | 5.8 | Action, Drama | |
Danny Deckchair | 2003 | 6.7 | Comedy, Romance | |
One Man's Island | 2003 | 5.9 | Documentary | |
Faster | 2003 | 7.5 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Motocross Kids | 2004 | 4.5 | Action, Adventure, Family | |
Silver Hawk | 2004 | 5.1 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | |
Choppertown: the Sinners | 2005 | 6.2 | Action, Adventure, Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
The Rain Makers | 2005 | 5.0 | Action, Drama | |
Supercross | 2005 | 4.4 | Action, Drama, Romance | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Seeker | 2005 | 5.4 | Documentary | |
Glory Road: The Legacy of the African-American Motorcyclist | 2005 | \N | Amazon Prime | |
Hessians MC | 2005 | 5.8 | Documentary | Amazon Prime |
Greed | 2006 | 4.2 | Action, Horror, Thriller | Amazon Prime |
Dhoom 2 | 2006 | 6.5 | Action, Thriller | AppleTV, YouTube |
Riding Solo to the Top of the World | 2006 | 6.7 | Documentary | |
Choppertown: From the Vault | 2006 | 5.6 | Adventure, Crime, Documentary | Amazon Prime |
Vampire Biker Babes | 2007 | 5.5 | Horror | |
The Indian | 2007 | 6.7 | Drama, Family, Romance | |
One Million Motorcycles | 2007 | Documentary | ||
Brittown | 2008 | 5.9 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
Freebird | 2008 | 5.5 | Comedy | |
Free Style | 2008 | 4.4 | Drama | AppleTV |
Exit Speed | 2008 | 5.2 | Thriller | AppleTV |
Heroes | 2008 | 5.6 | Action, Adventure, Comedy | |
One Week | 2008 | 7.0 | Adventure, Drama | |
Redline America | 2008 | 5.8 | Documentary | |
The Harbortown Bobber | 2009 | Action, Adventure, Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV | |
Chrome Angels | 2009 | 4.3 | Action, Sci-Fi | |
The Best Bar in America | 2009 | 6.2 | Adventure, Western | Amazon Prime |
One Crazy Ride | 2009 | 6.0 | Documentary | |
Finding B.C. the Biker Chick | 2009 | Action, Adventure, Comedy | ||
Killer Biker Chicks | 2009 | 4.6 | Action, Comedy, Horror | |
Poker Run | 2009 | 4.4 | Thriller | |
Danger Zone III: Steel Horse War | 1990 | 5.3 | Action | Amazon Prime |
Cry-Baby | 1990 | 6.5 | Comedy, Musical | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Boyfriend School | 1990 | 6.0 | Comedy, Romance | |
The Final Alliance | 1990 | 4.9 | Action, Drama | |
Masters of Menace | 1990 | 5.5 | Comedy | |
A Moment of Romance | 1990 | 7.1 | Action, Crime, Romance | |
Blood Ties | 1991 | 5.4 | Horror, Thriller | |
Dark Rider | 1991 | 5.6 | Action, Adventure, Crime | |
Harley | 1991 | 5.4 | Drama | |
Cool as Ice | 1991 | 3.0 | Comedy, Drama, Music | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Beyond the Law | 1993 | 6.6 | Crime, Drama, Thriller | AppleTV |
Motor Psycho | 1992 | 5.5 | Action, Horror, Thriller | |
The Silencer | 1992 | 4.6 | Action, Crime, Thriller | |
Sweet Justice | 1992 | 4.8 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Samurai Vampire Bikers from Hell | 1992 | 6.0 | Action | |
Chrome Soldiers | 1992 | 5.0 | Action, Drama | |
Roadside Prophets | 1992 | 6.4 | Adventure, Comedy, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
A Moment of Romance II | 1993 | 5.9 | Action, Crime, Romance | |
Running Cool | 1993 | 6.1 | Action | |
Dear Diary | 1993 | 7.3 | Biography, Comedy, Drama | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
The Last Border | 1993 | 4.9 | Action, Adventure, Comedy | |
Iron Horsemen | 1994 | 5.2 | Action, Comedy | |
Ride with the Wind | 1994 | 6.0 | Adventure, Drama | |
The Lazy Man's Zen | 1994 | Documentary | ||
She Lives to Ride | 1995 | Documentary | ||
Death Riders | 1994 | 5.4 | Action | AppleTV |
The Stranger | 1995 | 4.6 | Action | |
The Demolitionist | 1995 | 4.6 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi | |
Rumble in the Bronx | 1995 | 6.8 | Action, Comedy, Crime | AppleTV, YouTube |
Barb Wire | 1996 | 3.3 | Action, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube, NowTV |
Violetta, the Motorcycle Queen | 1997 | 5.7 | \N | |
Ground Rules | 1997 | 5.1 | Action | |
Flat Out | 1999 | 5.8 | Drama | Amazon Prime |
Biker Dreams | 1998 | 5.9 | Documentary | |
Zombie Cult Massacre | 1998 | 4.9 | Action, Horror, Thriller | |
CHiPs '99 | 1998 | 5.5 | Crime, Drama | |
The Legend of Speed | 1999 | 6.0 | Action, Thriller | |
Steal Wheels | Action | |||
Murdercycle | 1999 | 4.1 | Action, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime |
The Privateer | 2009 | 5.7 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
The Wild Ride of Outlaw Bikers | 1999 | Documentary | ||
La Bande du Rex | 1980 | 5.6 | Drama | |
The Great Skycopter Rescue | 1980 | 5.6 | Action, Adventure | |
Pick-up Summer | 1980 | 4.9 | Comedy | |
Spetters | 1980 | 6.6 | Drama, Romance, Sport | |
Hog Wild | 1980 | 5.4 | Comedy | |
Survival Run | 1980 | 5.7 | Biography, Documentary, Short | |
Intrépidos punks | 1988 | 5.9 | Action, Crime | |
Any Which Way You Can | 1980 | 6.2 | Action, Comedy | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Crazy Thunder Road | 1980 | 6.3 | Action | |
Take It to the Limit | 1979 | 5.9 | Documentary, Sport | |
Mad Foxes | 1981 | 5.4 | Action, Thriller | |
Nomad Riders | 1984 | 5.4 | Action | |
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior | 1981 | 7.6 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Return of the Rebels | 1981 | 5.5 | Drama | |
Silver Dream Racer | 1980 | 5.5 | Action, Drama, Sport | |
1990: The Bronx Warriors | 1982 | 5.3 | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Amazon Prime |
The Aftermath | 1982 | 4.6 | Sci-Fi, Thriller | AppleTV |
Grease 2 | 1982 | 4.4 | Comedy, Drama, Musical | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
The Loveless | 1981 | 6.0 | Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
2019: After the Fall of New York | 1983 | 5.6 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi | |
Escape from the Bronx | 1983 | 4.7 | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Amazon Prime |
Hells Angels Forever | 1983 | 5.9 | Documentary, Drama, Music | |
Çöl | 1983 | 5.5 | Action, Crime, Thriller | |
Survival Zone | 1983 | 5.0 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi | |
Young Warriors | 1983 | 5.0 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Hell Riders | 1984 | 4.8 | Action, Drama | |
Space Riders | 1984 | 5.6 | Drama, Sport | |
Purple Rain | 1984 | 6.6 | Drama, Music, Musical | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Reckless | 1984 | 6.3 | Comedy, Drama, Romance | |
I guerrieri dell'anno 2072 | 1984 | 5.0 | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | |
City Limits | 1984 | 2.9 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | |
The Dirt Bike Kid | 1985 | 5.6 | Comedy, Family, Fantasy | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome | 1985 | 6.3 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, NowTV |
Mask | 1985 | 7.2 | Biography, Drama | |
Savage Dawn | 1985 | 5.2 | Action, Drama | |
Street Hawk | 1985 | 6.7 | Action, Crime, Mystery | |
Restless Natives | 1985 | 6.9 | Comedy, Crime | |
Eat The Peach | 1986 | 6.0 | Comedy | |
Eye of the Tiger | 1986 | 5.7 | Action, Drama | |
Vamp | 1986 | 5.9 | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Land of Doom | 1986 | 4.2 | Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller | |
Cyclone | 1987 | 4.8 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi | |
Winners Take All | 1987 | 6.1 | Action, Adventure, Romance | |
Cobra nero | 1987 | 4.8 | Action | |
The Danger Zone | 1987 | 5.5 | Action | |
Warlords From Hell | 1987 | 5.6 | Action, Adventure | |
The Dark Side Of The Sun | 1988 | 5.5 | Drama, Romance | AppleTV |
Shame | 1988 | 6.6 | Drama | YouTube |
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown | 1989 | 4.2 | Comedy, Horror | |
Eversmile New Jersey | 1989 | 5.5 | Comedy, Drama, Romance | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Crossing the Line | 1990 | 5.7 | Action, Drama | |
Race for Glory | 1989 | 5.9 | Action | AppleTV |
Nam Angels | 1989 | 5.4 | Action, Adventure, War | Amazon Prime |
All About Ah-Long | 1989 | 7.1 | Drama | |
Danger Zone II: Reaper's Revenge | 1989 | 5.7 | Action | |
Bolidi sull'asfalto a tutta birra! | 1970 | 5.6 | \N | |
Angels Die Hard | 1970 | 5.6 | Action, Drama | |
Black Angels | 1970 | 5.4 | Action, Drama | |
Devil Rider! | 1970 | 5.3 | Action, Drama | |
Hell's Bloody Devils | 1970 | 4.5 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Little Fauss and Big Halsy | 1970 | 5.9 | Drama | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Weekend with the Babysitter | 1970 | 4.3 | Drama | |
No Blade of Grass | 1970 | 6.0 | Drama, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Bigfoot | 1970 | 3.3 | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Amazon Prime, YouTube |
Stray Cat Rock: Wild Jumbo | 1970 | 6.0 | Action, Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter | 1970 | 6.2 | Crime, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal | 1970 | 6.0 | Action, Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Stray Cat Rock: Beat '71 | 1971 | 5.8 | Action, Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Chrome and Hot Leather | 1971 | 5.5 | Action, Drama | |
Zubeko banchô: Hamagure kazoe uta | 1971 | 5.7 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Queen Bee Strikes Again | 1971 | 5.8 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
The Hard Ride | 1971 | 5.5 | Action, Drama | |
The Jesus Trip | 1971 | 5.8 | Action, Drama | |
Outlaw Riders | 1971 | 5.7 | Action, Drama | |
The Peace Killers | 1971 | 5.6 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Pink Angels | 1971 | 5.2 | Comedy | |
The Proud Rider | 1971 | 5.7 | Action, Drama | |
The Tormentors | 1971 | 4.8 | Crime, Drama | |
Vanishing Point | 1971 | 7.2 | Action, Crime, Thriller | |
Wild Riders | 1971 | 5.1 | Crime, Thriller | |
The Windsplitter | 1971 | 5.6 | Adventure, Drama | |
Continental Circus | 1972 | 5.9 | Documentary | |
Angels' Wild Women | 1972 | 4.2 | Action | |
Bury Me an Angel | 1971 | 5.6 | Action, Drama | |
The Dirt Gang | 1972 | 3.7 | Action, Drama | |
Bad, Bad, Gang! | 1972 | 5.5 | Adult, Crime | |
Sukeban gerira | 1972 | 6.3 | Action | |
J.C. | 1972 | 5.4 | Action, Adventure, Drama | |
The Thing with Two Heads | 1972 | 4.5 | Comedy, Sci-Fi | |
The Loners | 1972 | 5.4 | Action, Drama | |
Sleazy Rider | 1972 | 5.4 | Adult, Crime | |
The Bloody Slaying of Sarah Ridelander | 1973 | 4.5 | Horror, Thriller | |
Hex | 1973 | 5.2 | Drama, Horror, Western | |
Road of Death | 1973 | 5.3 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Teenager | 1974 | 5.7 | Action, Drama | |
The Black 6 | 1973 | 4.4 | Action, Drama | |
Pray for the Wildcats | 1974 | 5.8 | Thriller | |
Stone | 1974 | 6.3 | Action, Adventure, Crime | |
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? | 1974 | 6.8 | Action, Crime, Thriller | |
You and Me | 1974 | 5.7 | Drama | |
L'agression | 1975 | 5.4 | Crime, Drama | |
Sidecar Racers | 1975 | 5.7 | Drama | |
Trip with the Teacher | 1975 | 4.6 | Crime, Drama, Horror | |
Qui comincia l'avventura | 1975 | |||
Bakuhatsu! Nana-han zoku | 1976 | 5.6 | Action, Crime | |
Bakuhatsu! Boso yugi | 1976 | 5.7 | Action, Crime | |
Boso no kisetsu | 1976 | Crime | ||
Goddo supiido yuu! Burakku emparaa | 1976 | 6.3 | Documentary | |
The Gumball Rally | 1976 | 6.3 | Comedy | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Hollywood Man | 1976 | 5.4 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Northville Cemetery Massacre | 1976 | 5.9 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Wu fa wu tian fei che dang | 1976 | 5.8 | Crime, Thriller | |
One Away | 1976 | 5.5 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Checkered Flag or Crash | 1977 | 5.2 | Adventure, Comedy | |
Sidewinder 1 | 1977 | 5.7 | Action, Drama | |
The Gauntlet | 1977 | 6.4 | Action, Crime, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Cosy Cool | 1977 | 5.5 | Action, Adventure, Drama | |
Foul Play | 1977 | 6.0 | Drama | |
National Lampoon's Animal House | 1978 | 7.5 | Comedy | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Cycle Vixens | 1978 | 5.3 | Action, Drama | |
Dawn of the Dead | 1978 | 7.9 | Horror, Thriller | |
Deathsport | 1978 | 4.3 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi | |
Every Which Way But Loose | 1978 | 6.4 | Action, Comedy | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Dirt | 1979 | 5.8 | Documentary, Sport | |
Mad Max | 1979 | 6.9 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Quadrophenia | 1979 | 7.3 | Drama, Music | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Some People | 1962 | 5.9 | Drama, Musical | Amazon Prime |
These Are The Damned | 1962 | 6.5 | Drama, Fantasy, Horror | |
Roustabout | 1964 | 6.1 | Drama, Music, Musical | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Scorpio Rising | 1963 | 6.8 | Music, Short | |
Motorpsycho! | 1965 | 6.0 | Action, Thriller | |
The Love Merchant | 1966 | 5.7 | Drama | |
The Girls from Thunder Strip | 1970 | 5.3 | Action, Drama | Amazon Prime |
Outlaw Motorcycles | 1966 | 5.6 | Short | |
Teenage Gang Debs | 1966 | 5.8 | Crime | |
The Glory Stompers | 1967 | 5.3 | Action, Drama | |
The Hellcats | 1968 | 2.3 | Thriller | AppleTV |
The Wild Rebels | 1967 | 2.9 | Crime, Drama | |
Angels from Hell | 1968 | 5.4 | Action | |
The Angry Breed | 1968 | 5.4 | Drama | Amazon Prime |
À tout casser | 1968 | 5.4 | Action, Comedy, Crime | |
Hells Chosen Few | 1968 | 6.2 | Action, Crime | |
The Mini-Skirt Mob | 1968 | 5.1 | Action, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV |
The Sweet Ride | 1968 | 5.7 | Drama | |
It's a Revolution Mother | 1969 | 5.8 | Documentary | |
Five the Hard Way | 1969 | 2.1 | Action, Sport | |
Scream Free! | 1969 | 5.6 | Action, Drama | |
Hell's Belles | 1969 | 5.6 | Action, Drama, Thriller | |
Hell's Angels '69 | 1969 | 5.6 | Action, Drama | |
Naked Angels | 1969 | 5.2 | Drama, Thriller | |
Sinner's Blood | 1969 | 5.5 | Drama | |
Sisters in Leather | 1969 | 5.3 | Action, Crime, Drama | |
Wild Wheels | 1969 | 5.5 | Action, Drama | |
The Uncontrollable Motorcycle | 1909 | Short | ||
Alkali Ike's Motorcycle | 1912 | Comedy, Short | ||
A Motorcycle Adventure | 1912 | Drama | ||
Mabel at the Wheel | 1914 | 5.7 | Comedy, Short | |
A Motorcycle Elopement | 1915 | Comedy, Short | ||
Sherlock Jr. | 1924 | 8.2 | Action, Comedy, Romance | |
Step On It | 1936 | 5.5 | Action, Drama, Romance | |
Call the Mesquiteers | 1938 | 5.8 | Action, Adventure, Western | |
They Caught the Ferry | 1948 | 6.8 | Drama, Horror, Short | |
A.T.M.: ¡¡A toda máquina!! | 1951 | 7.4 | Comedy, Drama | |
The Pace That Thrills | 1952 | 5.7 | Action, Drama, Romance | |
An American in Rome | 1954 | 6.8 | Comedy | |
One Way Ticket to Hell | 1955 | 4.8 | Crime, Drama | |
I fidanzati della morte | 1957 | 5.9 | Drama | |
The Hot Angel | 1958 | 5.7 | Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Ivy League Killers | 1959 | 5.7 | Action, Crime | |
The Motorcycle Cops | 1959 | 5.7 | Comedy | |
The Greasy Hands Preachers | 2014 | 6.2 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Kings of the Road | 1976 | 7.7 | Drama | AppleTV |
Love Speed and Loss | 2005 | Documentary | Amazon Prime, YouTube | |
Motociklu vasara | 1975 | 5.9 | Romance | |
Motorcycle Gang | 1994 | 5.0 | Action | |
Motorcycle Karma | 2009 | Documentary | ||
The Mouse and the Motorcycle | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube | |||
1971 Motorcycle Heart | 2017 | 5.7 | Biography, Romance, Short | Amazon Prime |
Jurnjava za motorom | 1959 | 5.7 | \N | |
Vende-se esta moto | 2017 | Drama | ||
Of Men and Motorcycles | 2008 | Documentary, Short | ||
Haine | 1980 | 5.7 | Drama, Thriller | |
His Motorbike, Her Island | 1986 | 6.0 | Drama, Romance | |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | 8.5 | Action, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube, NowTV |
Fei ying gai wak | 1991 | |||
Pulp Fiction | 1994 | 8.9 | Crime, Drama | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Tomorrow Never Dies | 1997 | 6.5 | Action, Adventure, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Hellblock 13 | 1999 | 4.6 | Horror, Thriller | |
Hot Wax Zombies on Wheels | 1999 | 4.6 | Comedy, Horror | Amazon Prime |
Biker Zombies from Detroit | 2001 | 3.4 | Action, Comedy, Fantasy | |
Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End | 2013 | 5.0 | Action | |
Skyfall | 2012 | 7.7 | Action, Adventure, Thriller | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube |
Gemini Man | 2019 | 5.7 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi | Amazon Prime, AppleTV, YouTube, NowTV |
The breakdown of films by genre is shown below. (Films may be assigned to multiple genres.)
![Count of motorcycle movies by genre, April 2020](../../posts/motorcycle-movies/images/motorcycle_movies_count_by_genre.png)
Movie reel and Cinebox
Looking beyond the big screen, British Pathé and British Film Institute have preserved historic news reels and amateur cinefilm from Britain and abroad. There are numerous, fascinating motorcycle clips available to view free of charge including:
- St. Andrews Motors’ (Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne) 1955 commission showing the Arthur Emerson Memorial Trial from Wearhead
- Musical motorcycles (Italy, 1961)
- Ice-track motorcycle racing (Sweden, 1963)
- Motorcycle Ski Racing (Austria, 1963)
In 1948, director Carl Theodor Dreyer made the cautionary ‘De nåede færgen’ (They Caught The Ferry).
Comments
Do you know of a motorcycle movie that I’ve missed or that you would recommend? Let me know! Please send your comments to email.