Mystery bike found

[misteraddiction]

The wife (who hates action movies) was away last night so I got to sit down in front of the widescreen HDTV to watch Mad Max in peace for once.
Then I noticed something for the first time: there's a mystery green bike in the Toecutter's gang. You can see it in the scene directly after they drive into the train station town and the Toecutter is walking along while being dusted off by Johnny the Boy. He walks by all the bikes (which appear to be all Kawasaki Zs). Then there's a black Honda K-series CB750, then the white Z with the Dunstall fairing, then a red Z with a bikini fairing, a grey (almost unpainted looking) Z (probably), and then, next to that on the very end....there's a mystery green bike. I can't tell what it is exactly, but I doesn't look like either a Z or CB. In fact, judging by the large size of its primary drive case, I'd be tempted to say it was a Brit bike (Triumph or Norton). Eitherway, the Mad Max fairing on the bike makes it even harder to identify.

If anyone knows what this machine is, please let me know!

Image attached below

[joeGermanGoose]

....maybe, it´s an old LAVERDA 750 SF 1 ????

[misteraddiction]

You're right. There definitely is a resemblance. Good chance it is a Laverda.

[Soulblinder]

Welcome, mr addiction! There are only a few bike-nuts here. You've a good eye...

I understand that most of the 'cycle 'fleet' were donated by Kawasaki, with some stragglers thrown in from cast and the 'clubs' hired for the movie. In the movie I've noted a few CB Hondas but have never seen the green one (widescreen??). I think Joe's correct p the cases resemble laverda (Jota??) and I have noticed a decided triple exhaust note during some of the bike scenes, particularly the Impala chase and Max's arm run-over.

Looking forward to any motorcycle post you may contribute in future.

PS: there is very little specific MM movie motorcycle information out there; anyone know how/why Kawasaki were used? Info on the builder/s??

I'm delighted that cafe-type motorcycles were chosen instead of customary cruiser/HD stereotypical junk. Anyone know why?

Cheers. 'blinder

[misteraddiction]

Soulbinder,

Thanks for rolling out the proverbial red carpet for me. Yep, I'm a bike nut through and through.
My first love was Harley Davidsons, but I've always been a Mad Max fan (ever since I first saw it when I was ten), and have enviously eyed the Kawazaki Z series for years. That changed a month ago when I finally splurged and bought myself a KZ1000.

Yes, I found the (probably) Laverda while watching the widescreen version of the movie. I wouldn't have noticed it if I weren't watching it on a 50 inch HDTV. Lot's of friends ride Zs (myself included now) and the wife rides a Honda CB750K1, so being familiar these two bike ranges I knew this was something else.

I can only surmise based on info in the documentaries and commentaries on the Mad Max special edition DVD, but my impression is that Kawasaki was eager to promote themselves in Australia and gladly donated a dozen or so bikes. I think they chose not to use the stereotypical Harleys because not many of the biker gangs in Oz were riding them.
BTW, Hell's Angels founder Sonny Barger has stated that he wished he had converted his gang over to Japanese bikes in the 70s since he considers the Harley a "primitive" machine. Sounds almost unimaginable, but there you have it.

Certainly by the late 70s, pretty much the only cafe-type sport bikes that were available new were Japanese. Norton and BSA had packed up, and Triumph was on its last legs, not to mention Harley, which was also in dire straights. So I think it stands to reason that nearly all the bikes in the movie are Japanese. Most bikers probably chose the Kawasaki because it had the biggest engine. Honda didn't upgrade to 900cc until the DOHC CB F series came out (early 80s?)

BTW, just a nitpick, but in contrast to this site's claim that Johnn the Boy's bike is a Z900, if you watch the movie carefully you can see that his bike clearly displays a Z1000 badge on the side covers (I supposed he could have just swapped side badges though).

[gosling1]

.....but my impression is that Kawasaki was eager to promote themselves in Australia and gladly donated a dozen or so bikes....

In 1973, Kawasaki Australia donated 16 brand-new Z900's to Sandy Harbutt, for the making of the movie 'Stone'. No Kawasaki's were donated for the making of Mad Max as far as I know...these bikes were purchased 2nd-hand, and Bertrand Cadart (the importer at the time of the La Parissiene full fairings used on Goose's bike, Toecutter's bike and Bubba Zanetti's bike) built all the bikes. Johnny the Boy's bike used a Dunstall 1/2 fairing - popular on pommie bikes of the time. And yes, it was a 1977 Z1000A1, not an earlier Z900A4.

Bertrand has directly confirmed with me (a few years ago) that the La Pas fairing I have is the *exact* model as used on these bikes - not the later 'Typhoon' model, which is seen on plenty of 'replica's - these ones are easily identifiable by the way the fairing shape either side of the headlight actually 'swoops down to meet under each side of the headlight. The original fairing shape at the front does not swoop down, it stays flat, and there is also a distinct 'flat' section directly under the headlight itself.

.... I think they chose not to use the stereotypical Harleys because not many of the biker gangs in Oz were riding them.......

In the late 70's, there were well over 100 'patch clubs' in Australia - and almost exclusively, they all rode H-D's. There were a very limited number of clubs that existed outside the 'patch' clubs, (ie, clubs known as MCC or Motor Cycle Clubs), that rode bikes other than H-D's - the Four Owners Club of Victoria being a good example. Many models of 4-cylinder bikes can be identified in the bike scenes - 400/4 Honda's through to 500/4's and 750/4's, as well as all the other kwakka 9's that make up the rest of Toecutters's gang. There are a couple of pommie bikes in amongst there, at least one Norton 750, and that green bike is definitely a Laverda SF750.

The first DOHC Honda 750 was released in 1978. This was the same year as the last SOHC 750/4, which was the F2 model, a favourite model for police bikes during the mid 70's. The first 900cc DOHC Honda (Bol'Dor) was released in 1979.

Here is a picture of the top-half of the Mk1 La Parissienne fairing, to help those out there who want a proper identification of this fairing:

Side shot


3/4 front shot


cheers

[Soulblinder]

+- I loves me this Internet thing! Entertainment and info...

Thanks for the motorcycle background, guys. Any further info on Bertrand would be gold. Has he responded to any forums, etc, or has he written any articles/ any know interviews?

I think I've searched his name before and came up nearly empty. May have more success with the additional info above.

Thanks. Keep the 'cycle info flowing! Cheers and shake it up!

[misteraddiction]

Gosling1,

Wow! Your are a treasure trove of info on the Australian biker scene! Thanks!

BTW, my statement about Kawasaki donating the bikes is based purely on one of the film's producers who participated in the commentary track and documentaries on the Mad Max special edition DVD. But, it was a long time ago, so perhaps he didn't quite remember precisely.

I saw "Stone" for the first time just recently. Lots of cool bikes in that one, but kind of a so-so movie otherwise.

[Soulblinder]

"Stone" movie trailer on youtube. Links to other Stone clips...:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lloTd45PFPg

[zboy again]

Good to read some bike info for a change

My dad was out at Clunes during the filming days out there (he was a highway patrol cop on a honda 750/4 in Balalarat at the time) & says that there were a few pom bikes etc amongst it out there. He also said there were a few bikes in attendance but weren't in any filming . When I started building my Johhny the boy bike I also took great interest in frame by frame pics of it, then bought the correct z1000 to use as a base, I later sold the bike to some japanese sounding guy in Sydney after going on the 25th ann mad max run that thw z owners organised