Apologies if this is a redundant topic -- I checked the section on "Mac's Vehicles" and didn't see it, but I haven't hunted everywhere.

I'm trying to get solid ID on the motorcycles. Unfortunately, I've shown sections of "The Stringer" to two different biking wonks, and they didn't agree, particularly on Sam's bike.

Both of them thought that Mac's bike is a Yamaha. One thought it was a 750 cc cruising bike; the other wants to go do more research, which of course suited me just fine.

One thought Sam's bike was a BMW K1100 touring bike. The other thought it was a 1992 Honda CBR, but wants to go do more research.

Also, Wonk #1 identified Mac's other bike in "High Control" as a Harley, but didn't have any model specifications.

Can we do better?

Great questions.

We might need some good screen captures

There has been a mention of the bike in the last scene of the stringer, but I'd need to go hunting for it.

Unfortunately, at the moment my computer with the DVD drive and the capping software is unusable, so I can't personally oblige at the moment.

But I can say that the best daylight shots of Sam's bike are in Mac's garage, just before the confrontation over the gun. There are some passable ones when they reach the dock, and at the end.

The best daylight shots of Mac's bike are in "Split Decision", when he catches up with Ronnie at the bus stop.

There are plenty of good shots of the Harley in "High Control".

Trail of Doomsday bikes, cars and ect.

http://www.imcdb.org/movie_110420-MacGyver...o-Doomsday.html

MacGyver tv show random cars, trucks and ect.
http://www.imcdb.org/movie_88559-MacGyver.html

MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis

http://www.imcdb.org/movie_110419-MacGyver...f-Atlantis.html

Flame's End Triumph TR 6 C Trophy

Wonk #2 wins. It's a CBR alright, don't know what year tho. I google through CBRs and it looks like an '89.

says so right down there.




From High Control



Heh



From Split Decision

i am pretty sure macs harley is a Harley Davidson Sportster

Mac's bike...



A / an 1000cc Harley Davidson Sportster....




RDA owns/ed a 1000cc Harley Davidson Sportster.

So it's possible that he used his own bike for those scenes?

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Harley was RDA's.

Um, nice shots there, Nymphy!!!!

But the Harley in "High Control" is not the same bike as the one Mac has in "Split Decision" and "Stringer". Can anyone narrow down it down any farther? It's not a Harley -- the engine sound is wrong. Both my wonks thought it was a Yamaha.

Your assuming they used the real sound from that bike, rather than adding (or otherwise altered) the sound in post-production.

Talk about returning late to a discussion . . .

If they use a Harley, they use a Harley sound. The Harley sound is central to the mystique. Filming a Harley and then removing the unique sound in post-production would be, let's see, the equivalent of filming a fine arts masterpiece -- The Last Supper, say -- and then replacing the image, in post-production, with a cartoon scribble. Pointless, counter-productive, all that.

At any rate, I did succeed in identifying the specific motorcycles, both Mac's and Sam's -- or, rather, my motorcycle geeks did, bless them.

Thank god this topic was up, I had same questions.
bet you didn't count on the ones he ''borrowed'' they didn't suit him, he's more a harley guy....!
Even he speeds like hell to the mountain in ''Cease fire'' .... I just thought ''too bad you didn't take a motard/crosser instead''


I used to hate harley, the only harleys I like is the small sportsters, nice for my size, looks swell that Mac uses one too!
It's not my on wishlist though.........yet!

I've been looking at a lot of Harley Davidson bikes recently, mainly looking to get ideas for another project. Anyhow, I can say with reasonable certainty that the motorcycle used by Mac in High Control is a mid 70's Harley Davidson FLH Shovelhead with some fairly standard (70's-80's) chops. They are a (swap=replacement for stock) handlebar swap, fork swap, front tire swap, front fender swap, rear fender swap, and pegs instead foot boards. I hope this quite late post is of some assistance to others who were as curious as I was.


Shiny side up, rubber side down, cheers.

Hi Moscow-1, Thanks for your post.

Am I right in thinking that the pictures posted show the bike changed from scene to scene?

in some shots the bike has a shiny exhaust and in others it's a dark non-shiny exhaust. and even the shape of the air filter? under the gas tank changes.

In Cease Fire episode, Mac stole the blue Honda NX250 motorcycle. In Renegade episode, he used Honda XR250R motorcycle. And Lost Love Part 1, Honda 600v Transalp.

KiwiTek,

Please correct me if by chance I happen to be mistaken. However, I looked back at the photos posted by MacNymph (Thank You for the very nice screen shots by the way) and it appears there may be some misunderstanding. In that big post the majority of the pics were from "High Control" and they were all about as detailed as one could pull from the episode. The bike in those pictures is the only one he rides in that episode, and it was the hard to identify one, and yes it's the one the black pipes.

However, just below those photos there are two smaller ones pulled from a different episode, I forget the name but it is posted with them. And, yes, you are right that machine is different. That one is a Sportster, and that model varies quite a lot from the other one that was harder to identify. The gas tank, cylinders, crank case, and exhaust are the most noticeable variances between the two.

I hope that clears up the question, if not, I can, and would be happy to go back and watch "High Control" again and pick through the bike shots to see if I can find more detailed info concerning any screen time differences in that episode.



Shiny side up, rubber side down, cheers.

yes your correct. I was looking at them as all being from the one episode.

Problem sorted.

Cool thread. Thanks for re-directing us Kiwi. It's funny this post came up today as this is the first day in over a year that I was able to commute to work with my motorcycle. Needed tires and service...now rides like a dream!!

Now to head out and RIDE home...YAY!!!!

Thanks for redirecting me, Kiwi! Answered me questions! ^-^

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I think Mac would definitely drive this bike...It's his colour!

ROFL! Yeah, mud! XD (his poor jeep, lol!)

Moscow-1, unfortunately I cant agree that in "High Control" we see Harley Davidson FLH Shovelhead. FLH Shovelhead is definitely a cruiser and in High control" we can see chopper. Yes, I know that we can build on Harley base everything, but here changes would be of 80% it it was FLH Shovelhead.
Look for example on fork - not only it size, but its geometry. Rear suspension is also different, and I think that frame in FLH Shovelhead is longer.

IMHO it's definitely different bike. Yes, they have very similar engine (like many of different Harley models these days) but that's another bike.

It would definitly be interesting to see what type of trike dent had. Looked completely custom. Possibly Harley frame. Sams bike may be a early to mid 90's cbr

Moscow-1, unfortunately I cant agree that in "High Control" we see Harley Davidson FLH Shovelhead. FLH Shovelhead is definitely a cruiser and in High control" we can see chopper. Yes, I know that we can build on Harley base everything, but here changes would be of 80% it it was FLH Shovelhead.
Look for example on fork - not only it size, but its geometry. Rear suspension is also different, and I think that frame in FLH Shovelhead is longer.

IMHO it's definitely different bike. Yes, they have very similar engine (like many of different Harley models these days) but that's another bike.

Marcin,

Well now you've made me look twice and I can say with certainty it is not a full chopper. Has it been "chopped"? Yes, to the extent of parts being replaced with after market parts, but the frame has not been cut at all, as is the case with true choppers. My first suggestion still stands as a possibility. However, as I mentioned I've now looked twice, and it could very well be the FXE. If it is then it has been "chopped" even less, it has had its pipes colored, fenders swapped, after market seats, a wider tire mounted in the front, a tiny sissy bar in the rear, and the factory handlebars have been rolled backwards in their risers. In the early days of the Shovelheads the FLH and FXE shared the same frame and motor with a handful of minor differences and a few noticeable differences. I can list them if you like, but the bike is most likely an FXE with just a few parts swapped as opposed to major parts swapped such as the fork as I had mentioned in my first post. This would have made it easy to source and modify by the Properties Department or find already modified by a home mechanic and use as is.

Regardless, my initial post was to help fans who want to source one of the Harley Davidson motorcycles for themselves, find what they are looking for. Either way it is a mid to late seventies Kick/Electric start Shovelhead FXE or FLH. From that a person can make the bike, and a mechanically inclined Macgyver fan could do it with a box of wrenches, screwdrivers, a good socket set, and a tube of good thread locker.

As for the Sportster, they are easily identifiable, available in a few engine sizes, and quite affordable and easy to find.

As before I hope this post is of some assistance to others who were as curious as I was.


Thanks for making me take a second look,
Moscow-1

Shiny side up, rubber side down, cheers.

yes, the other one is a late 70s Shovel and the other one is a Sporster. Sporters have their chains/belts on the right side, shovel has it on the left side. That is something that u dont normally change in custom building. I am a biker and custom builder so I know what I'm talking about. The engine sound that was speculated to be from an other motorcycle, like from a honda is probaply so that the the sound engineers used wrong engine sound on that. Shovel's engine sound is quite unique and easy to recognize if you know what u r talking about. I don't have the opportunity to watch that episode, so cant really comment on that. But two different harleys.

He has great taste in bikes...esp that Bonneville!!