'Captain America,' The World's Most Famous Harley Up for Sale at Mecum Auctions in Del Mar, Calif.

    DEL MAR, Calif., March 29 A Harley motorcycle named
"Captain America" ridden by Peter Fonda in the movie Easy Rider, has surfaced
after 28 years and will be sold by the Mecum Auction Company in Del Mar,
California, on Saturday, March 31.
    The Harley, one of four panheads originally purchased by Fonda from an
L.A. police department auction, was customized by Fonda, customizer Tex Hall
and actor Dan Haggerty who had a brief appearance in Easy Rider but is best
known for his role in the TV series "Grizzly Adams."  The three did all the
chopping, welding, fabricating and painting to produce four bikes for the
movie.  They made two "Billy Bikes" named for and ridden by the character
played by Dennis Hopper and two of the more radically chopped Captain America
machines ridden by Fonda.  Two of each were built in order to switch back and
forth due to the rigors of film production.
    They held together quite well during the production except for the Captain
America that was trashed in the last scene of the movie.  The machines seemed
poised to become the property of the actors and producers until thieves broke
into a storage garage and took them all except the one trashed Captain
America.  Since the movie had not yet been released, the bikes, in fact, meant
little to the thieves as they were nothing more than customized Harley
Panheads.  They left the damaged Captain America behind.
    After the movie was released, Fonda gave the bike to Dan Haggerty who put
it back together.  From his Woodland Hills home, Haggerty said he rebuilt the
bike as a momento to his work on the film.
    A Mecum Auction Company spokesman said Haggerty is willing to part with
this film artifact only reluctantly but also stated that the Mecum Auction in
Del Mar, in conjunction with the Goodguys Rod and Custom event, would be a
good place to sell the bike due to the tens of thousands of people who will be
in attendance and have the opportunity to see an American icon.