Silver Dream Racer (1980)

Director:

David Wickes

Writers:

Michael Billington (story)
David Wickes (screenplay)

Release Date:

September 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

A young hot-headed motorbike enthusiast inherits the prototype for an incredibly fast machine which was designed by his brother...

Plot Keywords:

Brothers | World Championship | Motorcycle Racing | Motorcyclist | Motor Bike

Cast

David Essex	...	Nick Freeman
Beau Bridges	...	Bruce McBride
Cristina Raines	...	Julie Prince
Clarke Peters	...	Cider Jones
Harry H. Corbett	...	Wiggins
Diane Keen	...	Tina Freeman
Lee Montague	...	Jack Freeman
Sheila White	...	Carol
Patrick Ryecart	...	Benson
Ed Bishop	...	Al Peterson
T.P. McKenna	...	Bank Manager
David Baxt	...	Ben Mendoza
Barrie Rutter	...	Privateer
Doyle Richmond	...	Cider's Brother
Nick Brimble	...	Jack Davis

Runtime:

111 min | USA:101 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (1986) | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:12 | USA:PG (certificate #25831) | Australia:M

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

Last feature film of 'Harry H Corbett'.

Soundtrack:

I Think I'll Always Love You

Real life imitates art, but only to a point!

O.K., I'll concede that this movie is not all that great! I don't think there's been a really great motorcycle related film since Easy Rider. Although, Little Fauss and Big Halsey with Redford was not too shabby! A good character study as well as a bike flick. At least these films had something to do with the real racing spirit, unlike the miscreant unproductive behaviors glorified in the recent Larry Fishburn's "Biker Boyz". I can't think of any more insane premise than racing Nitro-enhanced Huyabusa type bikes down a dead-end dirt road as a grand finale... I think trying to travel light speed is a more feasible idea? There's something about that scene stolen from a horse/western flick, but doesn't work! This film did nothing but serve to further demonize the average Joe commuter/enthusiast cyclist for law enforcement types by glamorizing a subculture of reckless uninsurable freaks that exist in the big U.S. cities.

- For those that don't like the SDR ending, don't you get it? Underdog type gets the hot chick, takes the race with utter impunity only to meet demise at the end. It's a classic tragedy! Also tragic was the British motorcycle industry (British industry in general during this period) Metaphor?

I think besides the Norton rotary made for the Brit Police, the U.K. was soon to produce <200 units per annum until the 1995 resurrection of Triumph. I think the Jeff Bridges character in SDR was supposed to be a metaphor for the then- dominant American Kenny Roberts, but I'm sure the great KR wouldn't appreciate that particular character portrayal! If upon watching SDR you find yourself irretrievably bummed out, watch Little Fauss, it will make you feel much better!

However, the Silver Dream concept was not completely fictitious. The Barton "Silver Dream Racers" were actually being built in an abandoned church in the U.K. at this time, They were a good design on paper, but very poorly executed when it came to tolerances and metalurgy. Some units would have their engines frag all over the shop after a couple throttle-twists. As the real story progresses, a Yank. Eric Buell got the design rights & built his own Wisconsin version that worked in 1983 (Buell RW-750 "Road Warrior"). However, the controlling regulatory entity in the U.S. eliminated this racing class that season... Politics even infiltrate the cycle racing world.... After this setback, Buell went back to engineering at Harley for a while. He would rise from the ashes to build an actual super-bike using a Harley engine with his own company. So far, the latest versions are very impressive, if not for all out speed, but a combination of charisma, durability, and finesse that nothing else has . I used to ride exclusively Japanese bikes myself, but have recently been converted... What would make things come full circle is some revived new tech at Harley to produce something that will eat Ducks (Ducatis) and RC51's, Maybe win the AMA super-bike title!!! It could happen? For now, there's the new Triumph Daytona 675. A full frontal assault on the same old Godzilla bike that's been coming from Hamamatsu for innumerable years. That's partially the essence of what this movie is really about. Vindication is at hand!:)

Well, that's where this sad little movie actually does fit into a bigger picture...