Car movies – or at the very least movies that feature cool cars as prominent set pieces – are timeless and, unlike westerns or movies with Val Kilmer in them, never seem to go out of style. Maybe it’s because we can all identify with, or project our personas onto, characters who both drive wicked cool cars, and are adept behind the wheel. On the other hand, it’s hard to say just who would be the audience for motorcycle movies, and perhaps that’s the reason for their apparent dearth. 

People who ride motorcycles are unique – which is a nice way to say nuts. Wrapping your legs around a machine capable of brutal acceleration and limpet-like multi-gee cornering, all the while bugs, stones and other debris pepper your body and head, is an act akin to attempted suicide, which provides a rush unlike nearly any other. Come to think of it, that would make a totally awesome flick.

When I was a kid, I saw the Aussie film Sidecar Racers, which told the story, strangely enough, of a pair of sidecar racers, fighting the competition and each other over the love of a woman. There’s amazing racing footage, plenty of tire-to tire action, and enough body-flinging accidents to satisfy even the most jaded sadist. Oh, and oddly Peter Graves shows up along the way. Yeah, I’m shocked the Academy passed it by too. Still, that’s my favorite motorcycle movie, what’s yours? 

Image: [moviegoods]