News Copy by Grant Bailey
Steve McQueen’s dramatic fence-jump in the 1963 classic The Great Escape has been named the greatest movie motorcycle scene ever.
The high-speed leap was made on a Triumph TR6 Trophy by stunt double Bud Ekins, after McQueen crashed attempting the stunt himself.
The scene was described by the panel as the 'quintessential motorbike stunt'.
Maverick’s bike scene in Top Gun, which sees Hollywood star Tom Cruise bombing around the airfield ahead of a mission, took second spot.
The chaotic animated sheep rescue in Wallace And Gromit: A close Shave came third.
A spokesperson for motorcycle insurer Lexham Insurance, which commissioned the study, said: “Nothing embodies the same level of chaotic cool as a well-choreographed bike stunt on-screen, and there have been some classic two-wheeled moments throughout the history of cinema.
“Steve McQueen’s fateful leap is not only the most iconic scene from The Great Escape, but has now been named the best appearance of a motorbike in any movie.”
The study also found two in five Brits think motorcycle stunts or chases enhance movies.
Thirty per cent have been to see a movie purely because of the stunts shown in the trailer.
And one in four gladly admitted they were drawn to a film based on the promise of a dangerous or spectacular bike stunts.
When it comes to the type of bike they want to see on screen the Harley Davidson considered the most ‘watchable’ motorcycle in film.
One in five said they would prefer to watch a sporty super-bike tearing up the tarmac in a blockbuster.
One in four of those surveyed in the OnePoll.com study said they enjoy a motorbike stunt because they seem tougher for the stunt rider to pull off compared to other vehicular stunts.
And 23 per cent feel a motorcycle stunt helps to inject a scene with a sense of real danger.
On a more serious note, three in five believe bikes on screen give a poor representation of what it is like to ride and crash on a real motorbike.
Of those surveyed, 23 per cent currently own a motorbike or have owned one in the past, and a further 14 per cent would consider owning one in the future.
The spokesperson for Lexham Insurance added: “While an entertaining spectacle in film, it’s important to keep the realities of riding motorbikes in mind.
“Real life isn’t Hollywood, and it is important to observe road safety and resist mimicking the heroes and stunt riders on screen.”
TOP 20 BEST MOTORCYCLE SCENES OF ALL TIME
1. Steve McQueen's fence jump in The Great Escape, 1963
2. Tom Cruise riding around as fighter planes take off, Top Gun, 1986
3. The sheep rescue in Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave, 1995
4. The Los Angeles creek truck/motorbike chase in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 1991
5. Escaping the Germans in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, 1989
6. James Bond's Saigon motorbike chase in Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997
7. If you want to be a bird,' Easy Rider, 1969
8. Chris Pratt's velociraptor ride in Jurassic World, 2015
9. The mods v rockers scene in Quadrophenia, 1979
10. Audrey Hepburn's Italian Vespa ride in Roman Holiday, 1953
11. James Bond's chase in Never Say Never Again, 1983
12. The 'Bat Pod' scene in The Dark Knight, 2008
13. The ride out to Brighton, Quadrophenia, 1979
14. Zed's Dead,' Pulp Fiction, 1994
15. Vampire bike chase, The Lost Boys, 1987
16. The motorcycle chase in Mission Impossible 2, 2000
17. John Rambo's police getaway, Rambo: First Blood, 1982
18. Motorcycle chase, Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015
19. The freeway chase, The Matrix Reloaded, 2003
20. Riding the Great Wall of China, Tomb Raider 2, 2003
ENDS
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