Easy Rider Hopper to ride the Russian roads

**Bob** · 6th July 2007, 00:12

Dennis Hopper, star of the iconic biker film “Easy Rider” is to get back in the saddle and ride between Russia’s two largest cities.

The trip, to be undertaken along with Jeremy Irons, Laurence Fishburne, Thomas Krens (director of Guggenheim Museums Worldwide), will go from St Petersburg to Moscow, as part of the launch of an exhibition of American art at Moscow's Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.

Hopper said “It’s gonna be wild”.

**tri boy** · 6th July 2007, 08:41

That should be interesting. Any idea when this will be happening, and what bikes they will be on?

**Drum** · 6th July 2007, 09:44

I hope it ends better than Easy Rider did!

**janno** · 6th July 2007, 13:12

Wow! Wheezey Riders!!

Go the oldies!!!

**Big Dave** · 6th July 2007, 13:27

Big &^@#)& whoop.
He played a complete asshat in the film, which nowadays is entirely un-watchable.
Love the bikes, love the soundtrack. Can't cop his characters.
The poor old cultcha starved Russians don't deserve it either.

**surfer** · 6th July 2007, 13:52

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Big &^@#)& whoop.
He played a complete asshat in the film, which nowadays is entirely un-watchable.
Love the bikes, love the soundtrack. Can't cop his characters.
The poor old cultcha starved Russians don't deserve it either.

Yeah I'm with you on this one. Sad to say the movie is very poor by today's standards. Hope he can do better this time round.

Hopper was also stoned like the rest of the cast/crew most of the time while making Easy Rider hence in most places it makes no real sense. None of them really knew what they were doing either in terms of making the film. The part in the film that they were in New Orleans, they forgot their cameras, this is why most of it is shot in a grave yard. The fastest they rode their bikes for the whole movie was 25mph; that must be really hard on a bike like captain america with long forks, it must have flopped about all over the place and been a bitch to control.

I wish them well, stay off the drugs and for god's sake do more than 25mph otherwise you'll never make it.

**bull** · 6th July 2007, 14:07

Its wild hogs 2 - This time Laurence Fishburne is the token black guy LOL

**Big Dave** · 6th July 2007, 14:15

Originally Posted by surfer

I wish them well,

Indeed - I only meant the fictional characters.
I've not been beyond starting a Kiwi Rider piece with references to the film.
But in the context of then and now....yech.

**Drum** · 6th July 2007, 15:01

Originally Posted by Big Dave

.......He played a complete asshat in the film, which nowadays is entirely un-watchable...........

.Bollocks.

**Big Dave** · 6th July 2007, 15:19

Originally Posted by Drum

.Bollocks.

Tried twice - even had a big easy rider party - 30 minutes into the DVD that's exactly what everyone said. This is bollocks.

We watched Stone instead - that's just got hilarious with time - ER blows.

**Drum** · 6th July 2007, 15:25

Originally Posted by surfer

....... stay off the drugs and for god's sake do more than 25mph otherwise you'll never make it.

The choppers in Easy Rider had no rear suspension, and taking that into consideration I suggest that 25mph is plenty fast enough.

My kidneys hurt thinking about it!

**surfer** · 6th July 2007, 15:40

Originally Posted by Drum

The choppers in Easy Rider had no rear suspension, and taking that into consideration I suggest that 25mph is plenty fast enough.

My kidneys hurt thinking about it!

Ha ha know what you mean. There is a lot to be said for a softail or at least having a sprung solo seat.

**Big Dave** · 6th July 2007, 16:25

The Billy Bob is still one of my favourite looking bikes all time too.

Cap'n America, pretty but wouldn't turn.

What about the 50 grand stuffed in a 12 litre tank on a 1000cc with no back pressure.

Range 80km.

We should have seen them pushing it for 80% of the film.

**Conquiztador** · 6th July 2007, 17:20

The movie was done for under 1/2 million US$ and won awards.

The Mardi Gras scenes were done as a trial for the film. They got $40K to do them. If they turned out OK then the film would go ahead. As a result of the lack of $$'s they used 16mm cameras when shooting those scenes. They are used in the film.

Yep, there was drug issues. But we are talking about late 60's here. Hippies and Flower Power. LSD was the drug that all had to trial.

The movie has a thread. It is about Wyatt and Billy who go searching. They meet a cross section of ppl but dont want to get involved as they are on the look for something else. In the end they realise that they blew it all.

If you watch it for special effects and action scenes then you will be disappointed. But if you have an idea what it was all about, then...

Here the trailer:
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movie...tml?v_id=15197

Re rigids: I have ridden many of them. They are not made for hill climbs. But I have ridden through Germany on the AutoBahn at 180k/h without any worries.
And you have to remember that these were the standard HD frames of the days when Knucklehead/Panhead came out.

Re the ending: Yes, today they would not have been killed off. (But it was fitting, they had blown it, their search for freedom had failed, and so...)But in those days things were done for other reasons then to be able to make 7 follow ups to squeeze as mych $$'s as possible out of the punters.