Last year we lamented the sad loss of Easy Rider star Peter Fonda who died at the age of 79, but we still remember him not only for his movie but also this 1973 safety film.
It also includes legendary stuntman Evel Knievel and at times is quite dated and funny, but it has some great period music and is still surprisingly relevant today.
While the film doesn’t endorse lane filtering or splitting, most of the information supplied is still as relevant today as it was in the 1970s when the film was produced.
That is not to say that you will agree wth everything they say; for example that you should wear a white helmet to be more visible.
However, it’s an entertaining 17-minute safety film that features a segment with Evel.
Evel KnievelWe particularly love the reference to defensive motorcyclists treating all drivers as either “asleep, blind or drunk”.
There is also some great LA motorcycle police synchronised riding. It’s fascinating to watch, but it doesn’t have much to do with the message about how police cops “riding by the book” are actually safer than police in patrol cars. They quote the statistic of 18 accidents per million miles on police bikes compared with 27 in patrol cars.
There is also a true/false quiz to test your motorcycle knowledge.
And it finishes with a cringe-worthy safety message from the former Mr Easy Rider himself: “Have a good trip and don’t ride too easy.”
Peter Fonda on Captain America in Easy RiderOther notable riders to have died last year include Luigi Termignoni, 75, who started the eponymous exhaust company and Iconic American motorcycle customiser Arlen Ness, aged 79.
