At the end of the iconic biker rebellion film, Easy Rider, Peter Fonda’s “Captain America” Harley-Davidson Panhead went down on the pavement in a tangled mass. A total of four customized Harleys were used in the film. Now it seems that a fire in Austin, TX may have severely damaged one of the two originals that are still believed to be in existence.
The fire was in a building owned by a vintage car and motorcycle collector who said that the building contained 22 cars and eight motorcycles. Arson investigators are treating the fire as suspicious and have used dogs to sniff for an accelerant that may have been used to ignite the fire.
What a shame that such an important piece of Americana may have been lost in a hateful act of vandalism. Even if the bike can be restored, the fact is that its original form has been lost forever. The Captain America bike was only one of the historically significant vehicles that were lost or damaged in the fire.
Jay Janner’s photo (from The Austin American-Statesman) shows investigators gathering evidence in the fire scene. The damaged Harley can be seen in the photo.
