The stunt riders in the first film were actual one-percenters who took the gig because it gave them access to brand-new Kawi four-cylinders. But when you watch the stunts in the original films and realize they performed them with minimal safety precautions, it’s impressive. Now, you might squawk that these aren’t real family-friendly motorcycle movies, not like that feel-good movie On Any Sunday, etc. No helmet, no safety gear, no problem: They just don’t make movies this way anymore (although photographer Bill Petro does a good impression at press launches sometimes). This would be quite a switch, because in the first movies, Max was always battling bikers (or, as they call them in Australia, “bikies”). At least, that’s what the publicity shot indicates. Mel Gibson makes an appearance, but it seems Tom Hardy is the star, and it also seems that he’s riding a motorcycle. However, there’s a new film in the series en route. The third film? Well, it had Tina Turner as the wacky female leader of a bartering post and Mad Max abandoned the muscle cars in favour of a camel team, so it’s safe to say the movies lost their emphasis on horsepower. You could say this photo here pretty much sums up the first two movies. Mel Gibson kickstarted his movie career by battling biker baddies in the original Mad Max film the second movie in the series also had some motorcycles, although the emphasis was more on cobbled-together offroad assault vehicles.

We’re guessing there will be an increase in the amount of rat bikes on the road after a few impressionable hipsters see the movie and realize their cafe racer project isn’t going as planned. Here’s a publicity from the new Mad Max: Fury Road. We're guessing there will be an increase in the amount of rat bikes on the road after a few impressionable hipsters see the movie and realize their cafe racer project isn't going as planned. Here's a publicity from the new Mad Max: Fury Road.

Mad max fury road motorcycles