“It’s a free road.”
In the 1992 film Roadside Prophets Joe Mosely (X man John Doe) road trips to El Dorado on a ‘57 Harley-Davidson FL Hydra Glide with the ashes of his new found friend in a ’65 Electra Glide tank. Along the way he picks up Sam (Beastie Boy Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz) riding a mysterious Triumph. As he tells Joe, “I wasn’t too sure about this bike. You know? I mean, it looks kind of fucked up, not all cherry like yours, but it’s tight man. It’s tight! Man, it’s great. Power. Freedom. First bike I’ve ever owned. It’s perfect.” We also get appearances from Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, John Cusack, and Don Cheadle. Though, one of the biggest debates on the interwebs is: What kind of Bonne is that? In the film it’s called a ’68 Bonneville, but as many point out it has a rear disc brake of the T140, which appeared in ’75, but before the air cover change in ’78. Writer goof, forgotten line, ad lib? Regardless it has some great bikes and an epic road trip. Director and writer by Abbe Wool (co-wrote Sid & Nancy) delivers one of the best two-line exchanges ever: Caspar (John Cusack) asks, “So what do you guys do?” Sam’s answer, “We ride.”