Crashing twice on the set of “CHiPs” didn’t stop Dax Shepard from performing his own stunts. Playing a California Highway Patrolman motorcycle officer, Shepard was in his element. He has been around bikes since he was a toddler and started riding dirt bikes when five. He stopped dirt biking after the time he hit some tree stumps and got launched.
He broke every tendon in his shoulder and lost part of his clavicle. But he loves motorcycles and has a collection that includes a Suzuki GSX-R1000 and three Ducatis—a Hypermotard, a Multistrada, and a Sport 1000 Monoposoto.
Clark Gable
If you haven’t heard of Clark Gable, perhaps you’ll recognize one of the most famous Hollywood lines ever uttered on the silver screen: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” "Gone With the Wind" was just one of his major roles, and the heartthrob from the Golden Age of Hollywood was an early motorbike enthusiast.
He proudly rode his 1942 H-D Knuckle Head at breakneck speeds. He also owned a 1934 Harley-Davidson. Gable once remarked that out of all of the perks in Hollywood, riding his Harley was the best.
David Blaine
Illusionist David Blaine was most recently spotted in the skies of Arizona dangling from a colorful bunch of helium balloons. So, it’s no surprise the daredevil likes to travel by motorcycle.
The New Yorker owns a sleek BMW bike and has been seen cruising the streets of the Big Apple when he’s not performing extreme daredevil tricks.
Tim Allen
In "Wild Hogs," Tim Allen had to learn how to ride a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. The massive bike was unwieldy, and he dropped the Hog several times. Costar John Travolta still teases him. Allen explained that he was used to Triumphs and lighter bikes. In the end, he learned to love the comfort of a touring bike and purchased a Brawler GT cruiser.
The exclusive bike was placed at the 2010 World Championship in Sturgis. It was hand-built by Dar Holdsworth and the Darwin Motorcycle team. Designed on an H-D FXR and powered by the trademark V-twin, it’s a rumbling yet cushy ride.
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson tagged along with the Hell’s Angels outlaw motorcycle club to write a documentary on the subculture. He rode with them for a year until he got kicked out for suggesting a member not beat his wife. The iconic journalist published his experience in his book, "Hell’s Angels."
In one passage, Thompson describes the exhilaration of flying atop a bike at top speed. “You can barely see a hundred; the tears blow back so fast that they vaporize before they get to your ears. The only sounds are the wind and the dull roar floating back from the mufflers.”