The Great Escape motorcycle

[chief]

Yeah Bud Ekins did the stunt. I understand Steve later tried to do it but failed. Bud was a Triumph dealer Steve knew... he also did bike stunts in several movies. Steve as a big time Triumph fan... as was I!!

I owned 3 trumpfs... actually only bought my first harley because the triumph dealer wouldn't work with me (in Scotland at the time).

I'm thinking I really want to build a trumpf bobber... now... geez.

[cochise]

Steve Mcqueen was just cool but the Chief has all the answers. I read the stuntman was Mcqueens buddy and still has a couple of Steves bikes, one an Indian and shows them at meets and keeps his memory alive. Those time machines are cool. I was in an antique shop and there was a tin friction toy of a 1948 Buick Roadmaster and the tag said " 1930's toy car" I asked the lady " What can you tell me about this 1948 Buick toy" and she said it was a wind up model from the 30's, I said but its a 48 BUICK ! she smiled and said " Yes from the 1930's.

[chief]

<LOL>... have you seen the BOOKS section?  Steve McQueen is one of 6 books featured!!

[aclone]

Chiefs on my team the next time I play trivial pursuit.

[chief]

<LOL>... problem is... its a 1961 TR6 Trophy... so they musta had time machines too!

The bike was actually ridden by Bud Ekins. And as an interesting aside, in the scene where the McQueen character - Hilt - acquires his ride by knocking a German from his bike with a strung wire, McQueen is actually the German!

While there were Triumph bikes made in Germany before the war, the primary bikes used by the German military during WW2 were Zundapp and BMW - Others included DKW and NSU. But a stray few trumpfs might have infiltrated!

[cochise]

We just had Rememberance Day in Canada, our day honouring veterens. My thanks to all who served, from both sides of the border. All the war related movies have been on tv, and just had to watch "The Great Escape" again. Steve Mcqueen trying to out run the Germans on his bike is a great scene. I read he did his own riding but the producers of the movie wouldn't let him do the jump in case he injured himself it would delay the movie. The movie was so authentic but the bike he rode looked like a 650 Triumph. How could it be a British bike ? A little research showed a German , Siegfried Beltmann started Triumph in Coventry England and later a plant in Nuremburg. Both the German plant along with the Coventry plant were demolished during WW11 . After the war ended the Nuremburg Triumph factory was the first  factory back in production. So the Germans on Triumphs is accurate.