When Terminator 2 was released in 1991, it ushered in a new generation of computer-generated imagery, blending live action with virtual graphics. The terrifying liquid-metal T-1000’s (Robert Patrick) depiction is still impressive by today’s standards. One of the most memorable scenes in T2, however, involved a freshly-arrived nude T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) beating down bar patrons on its way to secure a motorcycle. And that very bike — a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy — went up for auction earlier this month.
The screen-used Harley’s sale was handled by Profiles In History as part of its “Icons & Legends of Hollywood” auction, which ran June 5-8. An email from Profiles in History showed that the bike sold for $480,000, beating the estimated sale price of $200,000-$300,000.
Schwarzenegger, a motorcycle enthusiast in his own right, rode this actual bike in the film, giving it legendary provenance. The odometer reads just 392 miles, though the bike may need some work to get it running. The side mirrors are missing, so the buyer would have to add those in to legally run this piece of cinematic history and live out his or her T2 fantasy.
In the film, the T-800 had its pick of rides outside the bar, scanning various Harleys, a Yamaha, and even a Plymouth sedan. Its eyes settled on a 1991 Harley-Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy — a model that had just been introduced the prior year. After strongly convincing the owner to hand over his keys (in addition to his riding gear), the T-800 set off, but that’s not the last we saw of the bike.
The Fat Boy went on to take part in one of the greatest chase scenes in film history, when the T-800 used it to rescue John Connor (played by Edward Furlong astride a Honda XR dirtbike) from the relentless T-1000. The chase through the L.A. River reached iconic status, and numerous films and television shows have paid tribute to the scene, while others have made parodies of it.
Terminator 2 grossed over half a billion dollars at the box office and gave the franchise a huge boost, spawning numerous sequels and spin-offs.
There were listings for other Terminator and Arnold-related memorabilia, including the “punk” jacket from Terminator, which Schwarzenegger wore while riding a motorcycle in that film as well. This one sold for $24,000 including bloody bullet holes!
Updated on June 15: Added final sale price of the Terminator 2 motorcycle.
