If you've seen On Any Sunday (OAS), Bruce Brown's 1970 feelgood jolt of moto celluloid, you know the scene: flat track champion Mert Lawwill; moto all-rounder and bike shop owner Malcolm Smith and actor Steve McQueen meet up to show just riding around the countryside on their bikes is a fun time, you don't have to be a competition rider, like all those others the film focussed on, just go trail riding. The American public didn't need telling twice and there was an explosion in off-road play riding.
The bike McQueen rides in that scene is currently owned by Jason, a friend of mine who has been a constant through the life of Sideburn, having more bikes featured in our 32 issues than any other individual. I say currently, because it's coming up for auction at the Bonham's Auction at the Barber Museum, Alabama in October.
Jason bought the bike knowing it was an ex-McQueen 400 Cross, then through detective work, discovered it was the famous OAS Camp Pendleton beach bike.
What's more pleasing, and a true measure of Jason, is that even though he knew the bike was a McQueen Husky, he has raced it at two different Snow Quakes.
FURTHER ACTIONS
For more info on the auction go to Bonhams.com
For the story of the bike and how it ended up at Snow Quake, wait for the next issue of Sideburn. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss it.
To read Sideburn's story of the making of On Any Sunday, that I interviewed Bruce Brown and Malcolm Smith for, buy Sideburn 10