The gentleman interviewed at 5:14 is Rob Orchard. He was one of the mechanics on the set of Mad Max and later went on to be an accomplished aeronautical engineer. I had the honour of working with him a few years back. He told some fantastic stories about working on the set of Mad Max. But etched in my mind are the stories that he told about those bikes. They were shared amongst everyone on set. The cast and crew were at their own discretion to do with them as they pleased, when they pleased. They road them home at night, they took them home on the weekends and they thrashed them to within an inch of their lives. Apparently, they'd send a bike home on Friday afternoon with a new rear tyre and it would be back on set on Monday, needing a new rear tyre. And that didn't happen just once. He reckoned that nearly all of the bikes were crashed not just once, but several times. He claimed that it was a miracle that nobody was killed or seriously injured. According to Rob, by the time Kawasaki got the bikes back, most were held together by gaffer tape and fencing wire. Every bike bar a couple had a number of significant faults when they were returned. Bent forks, twisted chassis, broken this that and the other thing. Some were total write offs. And Kawasaki Australia weren't happy at all. They offered to sell the bikes to the producers at a huge discount, but nobody wanted them. Kawasaki were threatening legal action against them to recoup their losses and then the film was released. At that point, Kawasaki's demands for compensation suddenly came to an end. Nice bloke, Rob. I wish him well.
Just imagine being at the dealership went them bike come in ! Had the cash and said I'll take all ten if you deliver them ! What a absolute gold mine ! Imagine what they would be wroth today !
79 z750 here. Love all the Z bikes from 70s-2000s that engine archetecture has still not been beaten i.m.o. Ease of matinence and pure reliability. I know some Zs over 200k miles.
Back in in day after watching the movie i bought a z650 ,z1b z900 a4, z1100r lawson rep, but these days I have a z 650 which is easier to manage, great bikes.
Right after I saw this movie first thing I tried was “ Mad Max Turn”. Me and my friends we all tried to do it, after few times of laying bike down on the pavement, I finally got it right and that made me very proud. Mad Max Turn was coolest things to do, I was 18 years old what else would you do…
@michaeledwards8058 few? They built the 750 from late 70s thru early 2000s, same engine with updated parts over years. The 750s/650s are just as reliable n punchy as 900/1000s. Lighter too. The turbo variant also existed in 1980s stock. So yeah the kawa 4cyl air cooled 2valve per engines still hole up to this day. My 79 750 will smoke most stock harleys
Thanks for this fascinating video . Nobody is a bigger fan of mad Max than me , they are all cinematic perfection and I adore watching them over and over from my vast film collection. We are so lucky these films exist 😁😁😁
I've come so close to buying one of those for exactly the same reason. Making more reasonable choices for the sake of my family. Living vicariously through videos. Enjoy it!
Always appreciated the riding skills of those men. Today's riders probably would get beat to death on those old stiff bikes we rode back then especially trying to put some interstate miles on 😂
Pretty sure they crushed them and the ones that went back to stock got sold. the green bike that does the donut burnout with yellow pipes in the town still exists in original condition.
Mad max bikes made a biker.I still am 45 years later. Now correct me if I am wrong but there was a cb 750 Honda in the lineup collecting toecutters coffin off the train?
Wow ..Great movie .wounder how much the bikes worth now ..a normal Immaculate Z9...Z1..is worth about £20-£30 grand ..(thousands)..😊😊 I would buy it ..if I had the money .😊
The bikes were all private prop of the "Actors". They were real members of MCs and after the Movie the lives goes on. I think they all are sold, pieces or damaged over the last 45 yrs.
Biggest fun fact ist that is STILL the ultimate Bikers fav Movie...but the bikers are really bad...rapists, violence, child murderer, dog murderer...and the hero is a Police Officer in a CAR.
