My wife and I had a little downtime over the weekend so we rented a movie, Eastern Promises
A few weeks ago, we rented War
Movie motorcycles have been around for a long time but it’s usually the better known brands, Ducati in The Matrix movies (except for a brief Triumph appearance in the first one) and the Blade series, Triumph in Mission Impossible, Harley Davidson in more movies than I can count but Confederate is pretty rare to my knowledge and I can’t remember the last time I saw a Ural in a current movie, though they’ve probably had their share of the spotlight in old war movies or spy thrillers in eastern Europe.
Product placement is becoming a more predominant form of advertising now that print ads seem to be losing their effectiveness, actors always make sure the label on the beer can faces the camera, but I often wonder what impact it has on anyone. This Ural, though, was pretty low key, no badges or anything apparent and my wife had to ask me what it was. The actor, Viggo Mortensen, did mention the name later but only once that I recall, so they weren’t overplaying their hand, and unlike Ducati, I rather doubt we’ll see a Ural “Eastern Promises” edition. 🙂
Related: Ural Motorcycles – Another Retro
See also: Ural Motorcycles for sale
chris says
And don’t forget the 1 of 300 2004 F4 750 SPR Agustas ridden by Will Smith in the film I,Robot (2004). I think a friend of mine still has that bike as the background on his computer (he doesn’t even ride). I believe I would call that a product impact.
hpfabe says
I was actually just thinking about this same topic a couple days ago. I was watching a Japanese movie called “Returner.” This is a fun scifi/action movie, you just have to ignore all of the ripoffs from the Matrix movies, Close Encounters, and even the motorcycle chase from Mission Impossible II… which brings me to my point. That scene in this movie had significant product placement of the Yamaha motorcycle, which is the only time I can remember seeing any real product placement of Japanese bikes.
Brian Case says
Every movie studio is different. Some treat motorcycle props as traditional product placement and require fees and/or donating the bikes, and some are simply adamant about a certain style bike “playing a role” in the film.
The “War” producers wanted the Hellcat for Jet Li’s part and they even paid for shipping. The whole “showroom” scene with the billboards and blood splatter was their idea, though. They were also insistent about the sound of the bike being correct, so they re-recorded the sound of the bike alone in the mojave desert after the movie was shot. I guess the post-sound stuff happens a lot in movies, but I was lucky enough to experience for myself just how much work goes into just a few seconds of film.
The same situation happened in “The Island”, where producers specifically requested Confederates with out a fee. Except somehow in post editing, the importance of the bikes became less important and were almost completely cut out of the “garage scene” with the Cadillac Evoq, and you might have to squint to see two Hellcats riding by in the city scene.
Motarded says
There was also a Ural featured in the film Garden State. It’s an artsy slightly depressing chick flick, but the Ural plays a signifigant role…..
Though as if to comunicate how depressed everyone is in the film the Bike with side car probably never breaks 30 mph or does anything particularly interesting.
hoyt says
and wasn’t that a late model Indian in Terminator doing impossible handling and aerial manuevers?
Or was that a Harley?
So much for product placement…maybe directors will use distinctive bikes more often 🙂
Kim Scholer says
Aside from appearing in several East European films, Urals were seen in an Indiana Jones movie (apparently they were short of genuine Wehrmacht BMWs – and the sound track featured not a boxer twin but a straight four Nimbus). ‘The Green Berets’ with John Wayne also had a North Vietnamese Army Ural. And in ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ Ry Cooder and his son ride one around Havana too.
Adrian says
Check out Internet Movie Cars Database for more info about which bikes (and cars of course) are in which movies.
Alister says
the returner was great..with an xj1200, racing along with no helmets and shooting off the back, hah! badass. i had an issue with blade though..in blade trinity (i think..may be 2) at the start there are a few ducatis used in a battle with vampires, and the sound of them revving the engines and racing towards blade was the unmistakable sound of – wait for it – an inline four. it hurts me to my core that they would kill the beautiful sound of a ducati for (admittedly also awesome) a screaming inline four..whats wrong, harley davidson? paying movie execs to change the sound of the ducatis in movies so willie g fans don’t realise italian bikes sound better? haha. ooh! same thing happened with an aprilia near the end of the transformers movie.
i want a Ural to make a chopper..such radical looking engines. yes-i know they’re very similar to BMW’s flat twin..but where has anyone ever seen a excellent condition BMW for $500?
hah!
justpete says
Most of the movies I have ever seen almost always seem to change the sound of the bikes. You see a guy ride up on a honda/yamaha/kawi etc.. and it sounds like a Harley.Blasphemy! Terminator had both an Indian(T3), a Harley (T2), and a Honda or Kawisaki in the first one. Want to talk about impossible manuvers, Tomb Raider, M.I. any of those stupid biker movies of late.
todd says
Who can forget the Bond Girl (admittedly she was first a Bad Girl until Bond won her over…) in Thunderball on the BSA Lightning complete with fairing mount rocket launchers? Too bad she had to push it off a cliff and destroy it.
In Eastern Promises, as Paul mentions, Naomi Watts is seen not only riding the Ural (on a trailer no less) but also trying to kick-start it in vain after it sits in the rain. Though the scenario is fairly accurate (they just needed to dry out the plug caps) I doubt Ural appreciated the negative attention it got from that.
My favorite still is Wallace and Gromit’s 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub complete with dismounting-flying side car.
-todd
Space Weasel says
I love the MV Agusta. I love Angelina Jolie. WTF was she doing riding one (as broke bartender) in Gone in 60 Seconds? Motorcycles (even more than cars) can be used to evoke the inner nature of characters. But the right choices need to be made.
..of course, she still looked hot…
wendell says
In the movie Bicentenial Man I built the bike based on a lame aprilia 6.5 designer bike, I forgot who it was,maybe phillip stark, it turned out pretty cool, and I think it might have been on screen for ten seconds. I never saw the movie….
kim scholer says
To Alister,
Ural makes a chopper called the ‘Wolf’, and for the UK market they even made a hardtail version called ‘Cobra’. You can google them, and read more info about the latter on the website http://www.autosoviet.altervista.org/main-english.htm
Boris says
At the beginning of HellBoy, I believe the “new guy” was riding an Ariel.
Stefan says
If you haven’t discovered it already [url=http://www.motorbiker.org/motorbiker.nsf]motorbike.org[/url] has a great list of over 1000 movies in which motorcycles feature. I’ve found some real gems by hunting out interesting sounding films I’ve discovered via the list.
skeeter says
Wendell Says: “In the movie Bicentenial Man I built the bike based on a lame aprilia 6.5 designer bike”
Your headlight and handlebar mods were an nice but covering the engine detracted from the design. I actually like the styling of the original 1995 Aprilia Moto 6.5. I don’t believe it was ever available to the general market.
The stock Aprilia Moto 6.5 – 1998 Cha-cha-cha:
http://www.imcdb.org/images/062/543.jpg
Modified Aprilia Moto 6.5 – 1999 Bicentennial Man:
http://www.imcdb.org/images/107/529.jpg
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Bobert says
Bikes in a David Cronenberg movie is no surprise. Many years ago my then girlfriend babysat for the Cronenbergs one summer. You wouldn’t believe the collection of bikes the man owned, and rode. All sorts of fascinating old stuff, and most of it was currently road registered.
Slow says
Don’t forget the movie “Fled”! Great chase scene on Duc996’s. Just good high speed riding with no Hollywood CGI, or stupid stunts to muck it up. Starred L Fishburn and one of the Baldwins I think.
Pigdog says
“There was also a Ural featured in the film Garden State.” Close, it was a Dnepr, but most wouldn’t know the difference.
“‘The Green Berets’ with John Wayne also had a North Vietnamese Army Ural.” Actually, it wasn’t a Ural, but I couldn’t tell you what it is.
“i want a Ural to make a chopper..such radical looking engines. yes-i know they’re very similar to BMW’s flat twin..but where has anyone ever seen a excellent condition BMW for $500?” Look for a Wolf. Produced as a solo from Ural as a factory chopper.”
“In Eastern Promises, as Paul mentions, Naomi Watts is seen not only riding the Ural (on a trailer no less) but also trying to kick-start it in vain after it sits in the rain. Though the scenario is fairly accurate (they just needed to dry out the plug caps) I doubt Ural appreciated the negative attention it got from that.”
Actually, the factory has said they may reintroduce a solo back in the States if they determined interest was high enough. They have seen the movie and were excited about the exposure.
Can you tell I ride/drive a Ural?!?!
wendell says
That cool, I was’nt the art director, I just built the thing. Now it’s over in italy in the Aprilia museum.
coho says
Nice job, Wendell.
And thanks to Skeeter for the comparison links.
My brush with moto-fame happened in an independent (read: very short, angst-ridden and never seen by anyone) film when a co worker’s computer-related misfortune necessitated the sound of my inline-three K75(now deceased…stupid cars) standing in for the sound of a parallel twin 250 Honda Rebel (which had been stolen between filming and post-production). I’m still waiting for my 15 minutes.
taxman says
blade rode a Buell firebolt in the trinity movie. not a ducati. not sure about the other blade movies.
i love it when motorcycles get some airtime in movies, tv shows, or even commercials.
is it suzuki that has the commercial with the guy and gal zipping around in the suv and on the bike?
Eric says
“Back to the Future II” Had a Honda Pacific Coast. I thought that was rather appropriate.