Movie mistakes: when the films get motorbikes wrong

For some reason, when filmmakers decide to include a motorbike in their story they rarely bother to find out what it’s meant to sound like.

Either that or they just don’t care. But when you love bikes it can be really painful to watch a Ducati or Aprilia scream along to the soundtrack of an inline four, or a four-stroke dirt bike ring-ting across the screen as if it were a two-stroke.

MCN MODEL GUIDES

• Triumph Bonneville: a brief model history
• Our ultimate introduction to the BMW GS
• MCN’s guide to Triumph Scramblers
• Exploring the history of the Ducati Monster
• The lifespan of the Ducati Scrambler range

The chances are that 99% of the people watching won’t notice or care, and pointing it out to your non-bike-loving friends or family makes you look like a boorish pedant.

Here’s a list of a few times we can think of that films have got the engine sound of a motorbike wrong, just so that you know you’re not alone.

Rambo First Blood – Yamaha XT250

The Yamaha used in the first Rambo looks great and is the perfect bike for a police chase through the woods. One thing it most certainly is not, though, is a two-stroke.

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Transformers – Aprilia RSV1000 R

The Aprilia RSV 1000 R is a brilliant motorcycle, and it’s great that Transformers used an Italian sportsbike instead of a more American option. Unfortunately, they went for an inline four soundtrack.

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The Italian Job – Ducati 748

Another example of a film opting to use a European twin and then overdubbing the soundtrack from an inline four. To add insult to injury, they drop it too!

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Yes Man – Ducati Hypermotard

You may have noticed a theme appearing here. This time, Jim Carey’s character borrows a Ducati Hypermotard that appears to have had an engine transplant.

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Mission: Impossible Fallout – BMW R nine T

The same mistake but this time it’s the flat-twin of a BMW R nine T being drowned out by an in-line four.

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Torque – Every bike you can imagine

Torque promised so much and delivered so little. Billed as the motorcycling equivalent of the Fast and Furious franchise, they have motorbikes performing all kinds of physics-defying stunts to incorrect soundtracks. If you’ve not seen it, don’t.

Find your next two-wheeled companion at MCN Bikes for Sale.