The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
MOTORCYCLE MAN (2019)
Run Time: 29:00
Producer: Daniel Lovering
Director: Daniel Lovering
Editor: Chi-Ho Lee
Key Cast: Dave Roper
FILM MAKERS
We featured this film project by Daniel Lovering back in 2018 when the team was fundraising to complete post production. you can read that post HERE. The film premiered at the 2019 Newburyport Documentary Film Festival, where it won Best Short Film. It has gone on to win awards all over the world, and aired on PBS in October of 2022. See below for how and where to watch.
SUMMARY
MOTORCYCLE MAN is a short documentary about a man who has pursued a single passion in life: motorcycle racing. Dave Roper has raced every year since 1972, competing on exotic vintage bikes at racetracks around the world and winning a reputation as a folk hero of the sport.
But Roper is hardly an adrenaline addict. He takes a philosophical approach to racing, viewing it as a test of mental and physical abilities. As he enters his twilight years, Roper reflects on the unconventional path he has followed in life, the dangers he has faced and the choices he has made.
MOTORCYCLE MAN follows Roper from a workshop in Brooklyn to his home on Long Island to a racetrack in Canada. Along the way he encounters autograph-seeking admirers, old friends and fellow racers eager to test their skills on the track. It also delves into Roper’s past, including his victory at the UK’s Isle of Man Tourist Trophy in 1984, when he became the first American to win the notoriously dangerous race.
MOTORCYCLE MAN celebrates the speed, sweat and thrill of motorcycle racing, while offering a meditation on craft, obsession and what it takes to pursue your dreams.
RELATED MEDIA
Film Website – Buy the DVD direct from the Filmmaker
Watch the FULL FILM on PBS
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Racing legend Dave Roper is hardly an…
Hmmm … doing it in a controlled environment …. doing it well prepared … doing it quite aware of the possible consequences … been doing it for a helluva long time .
I say good on him … and here’s hoping he is able to continue to keep ” The Sausage Creature ” at bay .
Cause let me tell ya … when SC even takes a good chunk outta ya, never mind catches ya … yer down and out for a good long time .. and possibly forever
BWTM … damn fine little film as well !!!
Two thumbs up to all involved
😎
Met Dave in the early 70s, racing on Long Island. Nice fellow, not a big head. Met again in Daytona, and again Steamboat Springs, CO, again racing…and still a nice fellow. I look forward to again meeting him.