What Motorcycle Did Prince Ride In Purple Rain And Where Is It Today?

Prince is about as iconic an artist as you'll find in the pop culture pantheon, boasting a look as singular as his all-encompassing sonic palette. Those familiar with the artist's pop culture legacy would likely be quick to tell you that his unabashedly flashy personal and musical stylings were, perhaps, never more prominently on display than in the classic 1984 film "Purple Rain." 

If you're unfamiliar with the movie, "Purple Rain" follows the story of The Kid (played by Prince himself), a rising star in the Minneapolis, Minnesota rock and roll scene who struggles to balance his burgeoning success with various personal dramas. Amid the ceaseless tensions, The Kid finds refuge largely in playing his music, and in taking long, ponderous rides through the city astride a motorcycle customized to match his unique style. And yes, those rides are almost always accompanied by one of Prince's own songs playing in the background, including his #1 hit "When Doves Cry."

Not surprisingly, the motorcycle itself instantly entered any chat covering the most famous movie motorcycles after earning its "Purple Rain" closeup, as well as appearing on the cover of Prince's accompanying album. You might be surprised to learn that the bike in question is a Honda, with the production selecting the 1981 CM400A Hondamatic as The Kid's primary mode of transportation around the "Mini-Apple." However, the build is almost unrecognizable after all the Princely customizations, leading to some debate over which Honda is actually featured in the film.

Yes, there are those who note Honda's CB400 as the motorcycle seen in "Purple Rain," and not the CM400. The build's do share a striking resemblance, but with reliable outlets like USA Today tabbing the bike as the CM400, while others were arguing and digging deep into the production's history to suss out the make and model, it's generally accepted as fact that the CM400A is the bike in "Purple Rain." There are a few good reasons that particular build was selected, with its low-to-the-ground 30" seat being a big one. That is because Prince stood at 5' 2" tall, and the CM400 was one of the few proper street bikes he could easily manage in the saddle.

Perhaps more importantly, Honda's 400-pound, 395cc CM400 was reportedly notable for its ease of operation, as it featured a semi-automatic transmission like the old CB570As that required almost no shifting. That, of course, meant that Prince could actually ride the bike on camera during low-risk scenes in the movie, which the artist does throughout. As for the bike's radical customizations — which include the addition of an oversized Vetter fairing, a fully backed passenger seat, and that iconic paint job, among others — rumor has it they were undertaken in Waterloo, Iowa by Kutter Motorcycle Accessories Company and by Minneapolis' own Lowriders by Summers.

Whatever the case, Prince was so taken with the finished product, he claimed one of the Honda's for his own at the end of the "Purple Rain" production. These days, that bike is on display in the museum at the late artist's Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.

Upon its release in 1984, "Purple Rain" would become a hit at the box office. Prince's accompanying album also became one of the year's biggest hits, topping the Billboard 200 chart for a whopping 24 weeks, feats that essentially charted the artist's path to superstardom. These days, publications like Rolling Stone even rank "Purple Rain" as a Top 10 all-time album, with that publication also ranking Prince high on their list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.

Even as "Purple Rain" almost instantly vaulted Prince to the height of the pop culture zeitgeist — and made a low-key icon of his customized Honda CM400 — the film didn't do much to salvage the build's standing in the motorcycle community. In fact, the 1981 CM400s used in the film were among the last to feature in the Honda lineup, with the Japanese manufacturer ultimately ending Hondamatic CM400 production after 1982, a couple of years before "Purple Rain" even made its theatrical debut.

Despite only being a part of the Honda lineup for a few years, the "Purple Rain" tie-in has helped keep the bike remain present in the cultural landscape. There are even a few diehard customizers out there who are picking up CM400s on the used motorcycle market and tricking them out in proper "Purple Rain" regalia. We can't help but think that Prince himself would appreciate that sincerest form of flattery.