Monday, February 11, 2008

Arthurian motorcycles..

Daniel Echeverria on his trusty and noble steed...

From Boingboing:
"Daniel Echeverria is an Argentine motorcyclist who is obsessed with Arthurian legends. He has created the "Excalibur Bike," a motorcycle decked out like a medieval horse (by way of a Vegas strip hotel) with a fire-breathing dragon on the front. Daniel is on a quest for the legendary Camelot castle (which he firmly believes in). He says it took him 3 years to armor his bike. Travelling across the country he carries a cart full of promotional materials (like posters etc.)-and a collection jar to help get him to reach his quest."
From thebikergene:
"Echeverria has poured more then 2200 hours into transforming his 1979 Kawasaki 1000 LTD into a motorcycle worthy of King Arthur. The detail is unbelieveable; custom parts have been scavenged from celtic antiques or hand-designed and cast in bronze. The handlebars are twisted swords, the tank and rear guard are draped in chain mail, and the headlight is a dragon’s head with powerful globes for eyes and a remote-controlled fire-breathing mouth. Even the footboards and brake calipers are works of art - Echeverria has spared no effort or expense in Excalibur’s creation, and he’s built and assembled every tiny detail himself."


Knightriders film poster

Wiki:
"Knightriders is a 1981 film written and directed by George A. Romero. It was filmed entirely on location in Pittsburgh.

The story is about a group of travelling jousters and performers who are cracking under the pressure of personal problems and failure to live up to their ideals. They joust on motorcycles in pseudomedieval armor, allowing for some bizarre images and excellent stuntwork. The members of the troupe adopt names and costumes derived from a combination of the Arthurian cycle and medieval legends (for instance, there's both a Merlin and a Friar Tuck), and portray these roles in their lives together.


(You tube link)

After a slick promoter offers to "handle" the group by arranging gigs at state fairs and other large events, the group divides into factions. Some follow the promoter, hoping for money, security and fame, while King Billy refuses to compromise on the ideals with which he founded the group. Eventually the factions reunite in a grand melee to decide who will lead. The eventual downfall of the group is intended to mirror the inner conflicts that ultimately brought down Camelot. The lead role of King Billy is played by Ed Harris (in his third film). Stephen King (and his wife Tabitha) have a 20 second cameo.

George Romero has claimed the medieval hobbyist organization, the Society for Creative Anachronism, to be one inspiration for the film. Thematically, the characters' philosophical conflicts between money and security on the one hand, and being true to their vision on the other, echoes the situations of independent filmmakers, who often must reconcile financial concerns with creative control. The film was initially deemed too long, resulting in a 145 minute runtime being edited to 102 minutes in its German release.

A sequel entitled Knightriders 2 has been announced, with a budget of around $1-3 million. The company behind this sequel is Taurus Entertainment."
Yet another lone knight on a personal quest-pict from Bikes in the fast lane.

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