MOTORCYCLE MAN is an award-winning short documentary about a man who has pursued a single passion in life: motorcycle racing. Dave Roper has raced every year since 1972, competing at racetracks around the world and winning a reputation as a folk hero of the sport. MOTORCYCLE MAN celebrates the speed, sweat and thrill of motorcycle racing, while offering a meditation on craft, obsession and what it takes to pursue your dreams.
Watch MOTORCYCLE MAN now on Amazon Prime Video or Vimeo (North America). Public television supporters in the United States can watch it on PBS Passport. If you would like to license the film for a private or institutional screening, please contact us for details.
Order a copy of MOTORCYCLE MAN on DVD and enjoy the film along with special features including deleted scenes and extended interview outtakes— more than 80 minutes combined.
Now available on DVD
“THE BEST DOCS ARE ONES THAT EXPAND BEYOND
THEIR SOMETIMES NICHE AUDIENCE TO BECOME RELATABLE
TO THE MASSES, AND HERE IS AN IDEAL EXAMPLE.”
— NEW HAVEN DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER - Best Short Film - Newburyport Documentary Film Festival 2019
WINNER - Best Short Documentary - MotoTematica - Rome Motorcycle Film Festival 2019
WINNER - Bronze Remi Award - WorldFest Houston International Film Festival 2019
WINNER - Best Feature - Santa Cruz Moto Film Festival 2020
SEMI-FINALIST - Lake Travis Film Festival 2020
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival 2020
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Sarasota Film Festival 2020
OFFICIAL SELECTION - French Riviera Motorcycle Film Festival 2020
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival 2019
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Portland International Motorcycle Film Festival 2020
OFFICIAL SELECTION - NHdocs (New Haven Documentary Film Festival) 2020
OFFICIAL SELECTION - Lisbon Motorcycle Film Fest 2021
“A SUPERB 32 MINUTES WHICH GETS TO THE HEART NOT JUST OF DAVE ROPER, OR EVEN RACERS IN GENERAL, BUT WHY HUMAN BEINGS CHOOSE TO PURSUE APPARENTLY RISKY ACTIVITIES.”
“THE BEST DOCS ARE ONES THAT EXPAND BEYOND THEIR SOMETIMES NICHE AUDIENCE TO BECOME RELATABLE TO THE MASSES, AND HERE IS AN IDEAL EXAMPLE. … IF WE COULD ALL OBTAIN SOME OF DAVE’S INTERNAL GUMPTION, WE WOULD ALL BE A HAPPIER LOT OF PEOPLE. ”
“MOTORCYCLE MAN PORTRAYS THE QUIET COMMITMENT OF A MAN WHO HAS PURSUED MOTORCYCLE RACING FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE. … THE FILM IS A STUDY OF ROPER’S LIFELONG PASSION AND DEVOTION TO THIS SPORT. LOTS OF EXCITING RACING FOOTAGE.”
“WHETHER OR NOT OUR PARTICULAR PASSION IS RACING MOTORCYCLES, THIS FILM GIFTS ITS VIEWERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE PASSION, THAT HUMAN DRIVE, UP CLOSE.”
“I WAS HAPPY TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE HAD RECOGNIZED THE AMAZING LIFE OF DAVE ROPER THROUGH FILM. I WAS EVEN MORE HAPPY WHEN I WATCHED THE FILM AND SAW JUST WHAT A FINE JOB THE FILMMAKERS HAD DONE.”
“WHAT AN EXCELLENT FILM, REALLY WELL DONE!”
Photo: Bill Burke
SCREENINGS
Newburyport Documentary Film Festival
Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival
Barber Vintage Festival
MotoTematica-Rome Motorcycle Film Festival
Portland International Motorcycle Film Festival
French Riviera Motorcycle Film Festival
Lake Travis Film Festival
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival ONLINE
Sarasota Film Festival ONLINE
Santa Cruz Moto Film Festival CANCELED
NHdocs (New Haven Documentary Film Festival)
Vintage Road Racing Association (Virtual)
Larz Anderson Auto Museum (Virtual)
Time Warp Vintage Motorcycle Club (Virtual)
Vintage Iron Riders (Virtual)
British Motorcyclists Federation (Virtual)
Lisbon Motorcycle Film Fest
FIM N.A. Vintage Road Racing Championships
Splittin’ Lanes Motorcycle Show
Pure & Crafted Festival
US broadcast premiere: Vermont PBS
PBS broadcast: Connecticut Public
PBS broadcast: GBH Boston
PBS broadcast: WNET New York
09/14/19
10/4/19
10/5/19
11/15/19
1/24/20
2/22/20
2/27/20
03/28/20
03/28/20
05/02/20
08/23/20
03/13/21
03/23/21
03/26/21
04/09/21
05/06/21
05/27/21
06/12/21
08/20/21
09/17/21
11/11/21
10/10/22
11/17/22
06/12/23
Newburyport, Mass.
Toronto, Canada
Birmingham, Alabama
Rome, Italy
Portland, Oregon
Nice, France
Bee Cave, Texas
Sebastopol, California
Sarasota, Florida
Santa Cruz, California
New Haven, Connecticut
Ontario, Canada
Brookline, Massachusetts
Knoxville, Tennessee
Springfield, Illinois
Leicester, UK
Lisbon, Portugal
Loudon, New Hampshire
Asbury, New Jersey
Berlin, Germany
Vermont, Mass., New York
Connecticut
Boston, Massachusetts
New York & New Jersey
PRESS
MOTORCYCLES & MISFITS PODCAST
(Interview with director Daniel Lovering starts around 6:20)
SUPPORTERS
Jonathan Nikkels
Karamagi Rujumba
Katy Osterloth
Kevin Burns
Kim Martineau
Liam O’Connor, Aileen Tiro
& the LadyO’s
Marian G. Michaels
Marilyn Mellowes
Mark B. French
Mark Morrison
Mark Patti
Matthew Pennington
Matthew Weaver
Maureen O'Reilly
Meghan Lytton
Michael Newbill
Mike Brenneman
Mike Daecher
Mike Greenblatt
Mike Lewis
Moto Patois
Motorcycles & Misfits Podcast
Nancy Baxter
Ned Heidel
Osh Minelian
Pamela Handleman
Patrick Barta
Patrick FitzGerald
Paul E. Ruimerman
David Spencer
David Swanson
Donald Ruff
Douglas Brown
Elspeth Slayter
& Murat Recevik
Emily Lovering
Eric Haessler
Ethan Mutschler
Evan Hause
Gary DiPietro
Gary Nurnberger
George Fern
Greg Wallack
Harriett DeLong
Herm Narciso
High Society Motorcycle Club
New England
James Philip Johnson
Jay Richardson
Jeff Buick
Jeff Law
Jeff Wilmington
Jeffrey Boyd
Jeri Simmons
Jerrett Martin
Jerrold Wood
Jim Doyle
John Bowe
John McCoy
John Norton
Jonathan Glaefke
Adam Silverman
Alan Sutherland
Andrew Capone
Andrew Innes
Andrew Surwilo
Anne-Marie Lubenau
Austin de Besche
Ben Schmitt
Ben Thorner
Bill Irwin
Bill Ramon
Bob Ones
Brian Conner
Bud Clauer
Butch Sprain
Carla Nierlich
Charles Weeks
Charlie Gauthier
Charlie Mahoney
Christian Amendola
Christian E. Jensen
Christian Kelleher
Christopher Owens
Curtis Wheat
Dale Miner
Daniel Kiefer
Dave Roper Fan Club
North American Chapter
David Case
David Dickerson
David Greenwood
Paul Millichip
Paul & Peggy Outon
Perry Feuster
Phillip Daulton
Rakesh Surampudi
Razee Motorcycle Center
Retsu Takahashi
Richard Marshall
Rick Newman
Robert Fox
Robert J. Giroux
Sam Lovering
Scott Dell
Scott Young
Shaul Perry
Spiro Manouselis
Stephanie Stanley
Steve Kiener
Steve Craddock
T.D. Lovering
Team Ministry
of Transportation
Theodore Page
Todd Trumbore
Tom D. Fowler
Tini Tran
Tracy Bienen
Walridge Motors Ltd.