Harley-Davidson from Easy Rider expected to fetch $1.2M

With the famous tag line, "A man went looking for America. And couldn't find it anywhere..." the 1969 movie Easy Rider has become one of the definitive on-screen expressions of the counter culture of the era. Starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper with a great guest role from Jack Nicholson, it told the story of disillusioned guys riding motorcycles through the US. Among the most iconic parts of the film was the customized Harley-Davidson chopper that Fonda's character rode. On October 18, the bike dubbed Captain America is crossing the auction block in California and is expected to go for as much as $1.2 million, according to the auction house Profiles in History.

Fonda reportedly came up with the bike's famous combination of high handle bars, a fuel tank painted like the American flag and lots of chrome by himself, and had four of them built or the movie. Before Easy Rider was released the other three were reportedly stolen, according to former owner (and Grizzly Adams star) Dan Haggerty to ABC News. This one was not only ridden on film, but it was used in the crash sequence at the end of the movie.

When shooting was complete, Fonda gave the bike to Haggerty who had maintained the motorcycles on set during production. He restored it, and the chopper was eventually put it on display National Motorcycle Museum in Iowa. According to ABC News, Michael Eisenberg bought the famous motorcycle last year and has decided to sell it on again. It comes with signed letters of authenticity from the National Motorcycle Museum, Fonda and Haggerty verifying that this was the bike used in the film. Now, someone else gets a chance to own this historic piece of movie and motorcycle memorabilia.