COVID-19: Motorcycle documentaries to watch in lockdown

Finished Peaky Blinders, Narcos and Tiger King? Watched every over-the-top 80s action movie in your collection? Over watching funny cat videos on YouTube? Well here are a bunch of top-notch motorcycle documentaries to help you survive lockdown with your sanity intact.

Finke: There and Back

This incredible documentary was released late last year and follows the mythical Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs. Directed by Alice local Dylan River (also the son of award-winning filmmaker Warwick Thornton), and narrated by Eric Bana, the doco is a cinematic journey through the deserts of Central Australia. It's not just the amazing cinematography and high-speed action that makes this film a must-watch; it is the characters. As well as unique insights into the factory riders, the film shines when lesser known competitors, like Isaac Elliot (a paraplegic rider aiming to finish the race and also a co-producer) and Scruff Hamill (a weekend warrior with a taste for vintage cars and bikes), take centre stage. If you know anything about Finke, you’ll know this film will be one hell of a ride.

Wayne

Another Australian doco which chronicles the rise of Wayne Gardner, from the industrial town of Wollongong to the fame and glory of MotoGP. Nicknamed the Wollongong Whiz, Gardner won the 1987 500cc world motorcycle championship. But as the film reveals, it wasn’t an easy ride. The doco details his trials and tribulations and features interviews with his family and friends, his peers, his rivals and Gardner himself. The film is directed by acclaimed filmmaker, Jeremy Sims.

The Doctor, the Tornado and the Kentucky Kid

The Doctor, the Tornado and the Kentucky Kid is the second of four MotoGP-related documentaries directed by Mark Neale. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, the film follows the on-track and off-track action at the 2005 US Motorcycle Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The three stars of the film are Valentino Rossi (the Doctor), and two American riders, Nicky Hayden (the Kentucky Kid) and Colin Edwards (the Texas Tornado). Featuring several celebrity cameos, the doco is action packed with plenty of action and drama. It was preceded by Faster, and followed by Fastest and Hitting the Apex.

Crusty Demons of Dirt

This 1994 film basically started a revolution. Just as motocross was beginning to find its professionalism, the Crusty Demons came along and gave the sport a big middle-finger. With a blistering punk rock and metal soundtrack, and littered with daredevil antics, pyrotechnics, crazy hairdos and tattoos, the film was the birth of freestyle motocross. The rag-tag group of riders would become iconic characters in a series than spanned 18 films, a number of hugely-successful live world tours, and a massive multimedia franchise. While the bad-boy image of the Crusty gang is now largely frowned upon, the series inspired an entire generation of motorcyclists; this journo included.

On Any Sunday

Do we really need to say anymore? If you’ve never heard of this Academy Award-nominated documentary by Bruce Brown, then it is time to emerge from that rock. Released in 1971, the film stars the King of Cool, Steve McQueen, and a number of motorcycle racers such as Mert Lawwil and Malcolm Smith. The success of On Any Sunday was no surprise given Brown had already produced the legendary surf film, The Endless Summer (1964), but On Any Sunday was a massive boost for motorcycling. There were a number of sequels, the most notable being The Next Chapter, which was directed by Brown’s son, Dana.

Dust to Glory

Speaking of Dana Brown, here is another one from the Brown stable. Before there was Finke: There and Back, there was Dust to Glory. Following the 2003 edition of the Baja 1000, a legendary desert race on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, the film is a large-scale production jam-packed with high-speed two-wheel and four-wheel action. The cinematography puts you right in the thick of it, taking you on an exhilarating thrill-ride through the desert.

Closer to the Edge

Much like Finke: There and Back and Dust to Glory, Closer to the Edge is a story of a race that most mortals would never dream of entering, and which only a few special individuals ever truly master. Narrated by rock star and actor, Jared Leto (Thirty Seconds to Mars), Closer to the Edge is the story of the fabled Isle of Man TT. Not much more needs to be said – just watch it and you’ll be blown away.

Long Way Round

Okay, so this one isn’t a film, but we couldn’t make this list without featuring Long Way Round. The ten-part television series follows Ewan McGregor (you know, Obi Wan Kenobi) and his best mate and fellow actor, Charley Boorman, on their journey from London to New York. Riding BMW R1150GS’s, the pair head through Europe, Asia and Alaska before making their way down to New York. The series instigated countless midlife crises around the world, as middle-aged men decided to buy adventure bikes and hit the lonesome trail. The series spawned a sequel, Long Way Down, and we’ll soon be getting a third edition, Long Way Up. Dual-sport motorcycling would not be the same without Ewan and Charley.

12 O’Clock Boys

A motorcycling film of a different kind, 12 O’Clock Boys (not to be confused with the original 2001 film, 12 O’Clock Boyz) follows a notorious street gang in Baltimore that roams the city on dirt bikes performing death-defying stunts at high-speeds. Attracting the attention of police and pissed-off locals, many of the riders come from broken homes and find solace in riding motorcycles. The doco focuses on a young teen, Pug, who idolises the gang and is desperate to join.

Want even more motorcycle motion-picture action? Check out our list of the must-watch motorcycle movies.