10 Of The Most Iconic Appearances Of Triumph Motorcycles In Movies And TV

Movies and television are visual mediums where the following adage has persisted for decades: show don't tell. Filmmakers need to convey a lot of information about each character to the audience, and you don't necessarily want them to give a big speech about what they stand for. If a movie needs to convey that a character is super cool, it may be wise to have them ride a motorcycle to evoke that feeling of freedom and rebellion. And when not just any old motorcycle will do, many opt to have a character ride a Triumph bike.

Triumph has manufactured motorcycles since the dawn of the 20th century. Over the decades, Triumph has created some truly outstanding bikes, from the Trident 750 to the Rocket 3. And you could probably track the trajectory of the company's offerings by following notable Triumph appearances in movies and TV shows. 

There's nothing quite like a character riding toward the center of the frame atop a classic Triumph motorcycle, and these bikes have a true cinematic history to them. From Marlon Brando's earlier work to modern blockbusters, you can find Triumph's products all over the place. Here are just some of the brand's most iconic appearances.

When people think of the coolest TV characters of all time, Fonzie (Henry Winkler) from "Happy Days" has to come to mind. He exemplified the greaser aesthetic of the 1950s with a leather jacket, suave demeanor, and a motorcycle never too far away. However, Fonzie didn't actually start on a Triumph bike. Originally, the character rode a Harley-Davidson knucklehead, which in and of itself remains one of the most iconic Harley-Davidsons in film and television. Winkler found it was too wide to try to keep upright, so they made the switch to the leaner Triumph Trophy 500.

It's hard to imagine the Fonz without a motorcycle too far behind, but Winkler revealed he only actually rode such a bike once. He amusingly detailed the "Happy Days" anecdote on "The Jennifer Hudson Show." "All I had to do was rev it and move it 5 feet," Winkler explained. "I revved it ... and I had no idea where the brake was, where the gear was, and I shot forward ... I put the bike down. We slid under the truck on the sound stage." He later admits how motorcycles scare him, which is understandable.

As for the Fonz's legendary Triumph, it sold at auction in 2021. For the iconic character, a motorcycle wasn't merely a mode of transportation; it was a way of life. 

Motorcycles were a common symbol for the counterculture in 1950s America in the aftermath of World War II. It's a big reason why Fonzie rode one on "Happy Days," which is set during that decade. However, anyone wanting to see a more dramatic interpretation of how feared bikers were during that era should check out 1953's "The Wild One," starring Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler. Johnny's the leader of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club who upset the status quo in a small all-American town. 

The bikers' more cavalier attitudes clash with the old-fashioned sensibilities of the townspeople, and that difference in lifestyles is showcased perfectly with the bikes' loud revving overtaking everything else. The movie may have been a warning against youthful rebellion, but all it really did was make Brando look super cool atop his Triumph Thunderbird 6T. 

By today's standards, "The Wild One" seems almost quaint, but it caused a real stir upon first release, particularly in the United Kingdom where there were deep-seated fears the movie could make the youth rebel against authorities. Except for minimal exceptions, the film was banned from screening in the country due to its depiction of hooliganism, which may be the most British reason for banning a film ever.

Riding a motorcycle around is one thing; it's another thing entirely to jump over barb wire, but that's precisely what audiences were treated to in 1963's "The Great Escape," which features one of the best motorcycle stunts ever put to film. "The Great Escape" stars Steve McQueen as Captain Virgil Hilts, an American POW in a Nazi camp. True to the symbolism that motorcycles represent freedom, Hilts attempts to escape from the camp with a Triumph TR6 Trophy motorcycle, culminating in an impressive jump before he's apprehended. The only problem is that the Triumph wasn't the bike to do the jump. 

Credit where credit's due, McQueen didn't do the jump either. That was all stunt performer Bud Ekins, who eventually revealed the barbed wire jump in "The Great Escape" used a standard street bike in lieu of the Triumph. They installed some fancier tires to execute the stunt, but still, the Triumph remains a cornerstone of the film. 

McQueen did much of the motorcycle riding himself, as he was an avid daredevil throughout his film career. The jump was seen as too dangerous to risk McQueen getting injured and putting production behind. McQueen still got much of the glory, and anyone who wants to see that Triumph in-person can check it out at the Triumph Factory Visitor Experience, located in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England.

While remakes tend to get a bad rap, there's something to be said of how 1988's "The Blob" differentiated itself from the 1958 version. While the original made the titular gelatinous threat an alien entity, it becomes a bio-weapon in the remake, effectively turning the film into a conspiracy thriller where government agents attempt to cover up the blob getting loose. It's only appropriate the government runs into opposition from the pinnacle of rebellion at the time — Brian Flagg (Kevin Dillon). In true rebel fashion, he wears a black leather jacket and rides a Triumph Tiger, one of the most reliable vintage motorcycles ever built. 

True gearheads may have picked up on the fact Dillon actually rides two different motorcycles throughout "The Blob." A 500cc T100R Tiger was used for most of the riding while a T20 Triumph Tiger Cub was used for the jumps. 

It feels appropriate for Dillon to have ridden a Triumph in "The Blob" remake. The original "Blob" starred Steve McQueen in his first leading role, and in addition to riding a Triumph motorcycle in "The Great Escape," McQueen had many Triumph bikes in his personal collection. Dillon riding one in 1988's "The Blob" almost feels like a shoutout to the legendary actor who preceded him.

"Barb Wire" wasn't exactly a critical darling when it came out in 1996. It was supposed to be a launching pad to prove Pamela Anderson could do more than run in slow-motion on "Baywatch," but it was pretty much dead on arrival, flopping at the box office. There's plenty of campy fun to be had watching Anderson as a renegade in a post-apocalyptic United States. And while plenty of men's attention may be on her suggestive outfit, let's not overlook the truly incredible bike she's on throughout the film — a Triumph Thunderbird 900. 

And apparently, Anderson really learned how to ride the bike for the production, as she wrote about in her memoir "Love, Pamela." Among the various tasks she had to perform for "Barb Wire," she listed these: "Learning to ride a motorcycle. Kickboxing in a tiny, restrictive corset. Rolling around while shooting guns like Desert Eagles and assembling at hyper speed MP5K fully automatics." While "Barb Wire" may not have made a ton of money, the film was a success for the 1995 Triumph Thunderbird 900, which ended up getting a great deal of publicity out of the film and remains a suitable used bike to this day. 

Anderson didn't just display her love of motorcycle in movies. For at least some time, she was known to ride a Honda Valkyrie Rune in real life.

Among "Walking Dead" fans, there was a strong belief that Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) could never be killed off, despite the inherent premise within the zombie show that anyone could meet a horrific fate. Daryl was just too popular of a character, which is likely why he ended up getting his own spinoff. It's easy to understand Daryl's appeal, as he's an effortlessly cool character, and at the beginning of the show's run, he drove around the barren wasteland of what's left of the United States atop a Triumph Bonneville 650. 

Daryl only had this bike for a while before abandoning it, which was likely for the best, seeing as how it was originally Merle's (Michael Rooker) and adorned with Nazi insignia. In its place, Daryl got a completely custom bike apparently made up of parts from different bikes, which feels appropriate for the apocalyptic setting. 

Reedus doesn't just play a biker on a TV show, either. He walks the walk in real life, owning a variety of bikes, including a custom Indian Sport Chief. He hosts the AMC reality series, "Ride with Norman Reedus," and he continues playing bikers in media, appearing in the 2024 film "The Bikeriders." He explained the appeal of motorcycles to Mr Feelgood: "It's just this sense of freedom. You can smell the town you're riding through, feel the wind on your face, but feel the motor below you."

Tom Cruise has made a name for himself doing most of his own stunts and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in major motion pictures. That includes riding an assortment of motorcycles in many of his projects, as he can be found on a Kawasaki GPZ900R in "Top Gun" as well as Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic in "Days of Thunder." There have even been a couple of instances where Cruise has ridden a Triumph bike. The first was a Triumph Triple Speed in "Mission: Impossible II," but he hopped on a Triumph Thruxton for 2014's "Edge of Tomorrow."

The Thruxton doesn't get any action on the battlefield, as Cruise's character dies repeatedly from the alien invasion. Fortunately, he comes back to life throughout the film in a "Groundhog Day" sort of scenario. At one point in the film, he takes the Triumph Thruxton for a joy ride in London to visit a pub. After dying as many times as he did, it makes since he could use a pint. 

There are many perks of the Triumph Thruxton, with its styling being chief among them. It just looks great, which may explain why it was used in "Edge of Tomorrow." It doesn't get a ton of screen time, but when you need to show off how cool a character is, it gets the job done.

"Jurassic Park" is about as perfect of a blockbuster as you can get. The sequels all have their merits, and with "Jurassic World," someone had the brilliant idea to have a character ride a motorcycle alongside some charging velociraptors. It's a great scene, and the bike on display is a Triumph Scrambler ridden by Owen Grady (Chris Pratt). For those thinking of getting their own bikes, the Scrambler is a great example of a bike from a top brand that costs under $10,000, which may explain how Grady could afford one. 

Behind-the-scenes footage reveals Pratt actually riding the Scrambler with a camera rig capturing the footage in front of him. He really seems like an expert aboard the bike, but even people with a ton of experience riding motorcycles can wind up with accidents. In that "Jurassic World" production clip, Pratt jokes about having fallen off the bike during another take, but fortunately, he seems all right if not a little muddier. 

It would seem Pratt has a bit of misfortune when it comes to motorcycle stunts, as on April 18, 2024, Pratt posted to Instagram a photo of his ankle getting iced due to an injury he sustained while filming a new movie. The actor wrote, "I have such a great stunt team! AND I sometimes try to get in there and do some of my own stuff. Today, daddy caught a metal post to the ankle." It's a good reminder to always be cautious while riding these vehicles.

When looking at the coolest superhero vehicles that aren't the Batmobile, they tend to be pretty fantastical, such as Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet or Moon Knight's Mooncopter. However, for a movie with a relatively grounded aesthetic, it makes sense 2020's "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" gives crossbow expert Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) a bike someone could own in real life — the Triumph Street Triple RS. 

The bike gets featured in the climax of the film when Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) has kidnapped Cass (Ella Jay Basco). Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) gives chase on her roller blades to try to get to Black Mask's cronies, but she's not quite fast enough. That where Huntress on her Triumph motorcycle comes in handy.

Winstead is great at capturing Huntress' fiery attitude, but she admitted to The Hollywood Reporter her disappointment in not needing to do any of the bike stunts. 

"I did not get to do any motorcycle training," she explained. "I thought I might when I read the script; I was excited. I thought I'd maybe get to learn how to ride a motorcycle, but since Huntress wears a helmet, there was no need. My double [Dena Sodano] got to have all the fun in that regard." Winstead still had her work cut out for her when it came to fight training, learning a combination of martial arts, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu. 

James Bond has ridden plenty of vehicles over the years, with the Aston Martin being arguably the most iconic. However, he's known to make due with whatever object with wheels happens to be in the vicinity, and he gets a chance to drive a Triumph motorcycle in 2021's "No Time to Die." It's honestly a superb partnership, given that Bond (Daniel Craig) is the quintessential British spy and Triumph is based out of the United Kingdom.

Bond shows off the Triumph's handling capabilities in "No Time to Die," as Bond commandeers a Scrambler 1200 from a nefarious henchman and drives it through rocky Italian streets. He cuts through crowds and jumps over walls with ease before abandoning the bike and letting it fall to the ground, and there were probably many viewers wincing at the lack of care for such a great bike. The Triumph Tiger 900 also gets some time to shine during some stunt scenes.

Triumph even released a limited edition Tiger 900 Rally Pro bearing a "007" insignia on the side. Only 250 were made available, with each one bearing a numbered marking on the handlebar clamp. It's a true collector's item, and with the Bond franchise likely not going away anytime soon, there may be plenty more Triumph bikes in the character's future.