The Awesome Motorcycle Collection of Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor is a Scottish actor who began his career in 1993. He is best known for films including ‘Trainspotting,’ ‘T2 Trainspotting, the Star Wars prequel trilogy, ‘Angels and Demons,’ ‘Birds of Prey,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ and ‘Doctor Sleep.’ In addition to his films, McGregor has also appeared in many television series. While most people are aware of Ewan McGregor’s acting career, many people do not know about his passions outside of his working life. People may not realize that Ewan McGregor has a great passion for motorcycles, especially vintage motorcycles. He enjoys riding motorcycles in his free time and has even filmed television series where he travels to various destinations on motorcycles. His passion has led to him building a large and impressive collection of vehicles. Here is a look at the awesome motorcycle collection of Ewan McGregor.
1972 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport
Moto Guzzi is the oldest European bike manufacturer in continuous production. The company was founded in Genoa, Italy, in 1921 by Carlo Guzzi, Giorgio Parodi, and Angelo Parodi. It is one of McGregor’s favorite motorcycle manufacturers, and he has several bikes produced by this manufacturer in his collection. McGregor’s favorite motorcycle is his 1972 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport, which he has described as one of the most beautiful vehicles ever built. The motorcycle features Moto Guzzi’s famous eagle wings logo.
2000 Moto Guzzi VII Sport
The 1972 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport is not the only Moto Guzzi in McGregor’s collection, as he also has a 2000 Moto Guzzi VII Sport. McGregor has also owned many other motorcycles by this manufacturer, many of which are no longer in his possession. The actor has long links with the company, as McGregor was on many ad campaigns for Moto Guzzi. After each of his appearances in an ad campaign, Moto Guzzi presented McGregor with one of their bikes, although McGregor also forked out for more motorcycles manufactured by the Italian brand.
1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado Police Bike
One of the more unusual Moto Guzzi motorcycles owned by Ewan McGregor is the 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado Police Bike. The Eldorado was Moto Guzzi’s best-selling bike, and it became known for being the bike of choice for the police during the 1970s. The first police force to use these motorcycles was the Los Angeles Police Department. Moto Guzzi specifically targeted the LAPD because they believed that it would set the trend and other police forces would follow. Ewan McGregor’s police bike was manufactured in 1974, and it still has a working police siren. Unfortunately, McGregor says that the bike is not in very good condition these days aesthetically, although it is still in working order.
BMW R1150GS
According to GQ Magazine, one of the bikes in Ewan McGregor’s motorcycle collection is the BMW R1150GS. The actor acquired the bike in 2004 for a television series he was filming called ‘Long Way Round.’ In the series, McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman ride from London to New York. They originally asked KTM to supply their motorcycles but were turned down. Instead, the motorcycles were supplied by BMW. The BMW R1150GS has a horizontally opposed flat-twin engine, and it was designed for adventure riding.
BMW R1200GS Adventure
Another BMW in Ewan McGregor’s amazing motorcycle collection is the BMW R1200GS. McGregor acquired the bike from BMW for another television series with Boorman, where they rode from John O’Groats to Cape Town. Supplying the motorcycles for both the television series helped BMW to make their name as one of the leading manufacturers of adventure bikes.
Indian Larry Chopper
Indian Larry is a famous custom bike builder who custom-built a chopper for Ewan McGregor. As it is an individual bike that nobody else in the world owns, McGregor has said it is one of his most prized possessions. The actor has also described the bike as an art form, as it combines mechanics with sculpture and painting. The bike became even more special to McGregor following Indian Larry’s death in 2004. Larry was killed after sustaining significant injuries performing stunts at a bike show. Despite his death, the Indian Larry Motorcycles NYC company is still in operation.
Harley Davidson Live Wire
Many motorcycle enthusiasts believe that you are not a true biker unless you have owned a Harley-Davidson, so it is hardly surprising that a die-hard motorcycle fan such as Ewan McGregor has one in his collection. When McGregor and Boorman teamed up for the third time to make another travel series, they decided to switch from using BMWs to Harley-Davidson’s. The duo specifically chose the Live Wire because it is an electric motorcycle, and they wanted to participate in the new trend for ele3ctric transportation. In the series, Boorman and McGregor traveled on their Harley-Davidson’s from Argentina to Los Angeles. The Harley-Davidson Live Wire was an economically sound option. McGregor claims that when they were traveling through Patagonia, they would just knock on the door of strangers to ask if they could plug in their bikes.
1952 BSA Bantam D1
One of the older bikes in McGregor’s diverse collection is the 1952 BSA Bantam D1. Although it is a post-war bike, the design of the British bike was given to BSA by the Germans as part of war reparations. The DI is the original model of the motorcycle, as it changed several times over the years that followed. BSA produced the Bantam from 1948 to 1971, and it became one of the company’s most popular and successful bikes. During its years of production, it is estimated that BSA sold between 250,000 and 500,000 Bantams, although the exact figures are unknown. Options for the Bantam were limited, as it was only available in mist gree. It had a top speed of 45 miles per hour.