2016 Metzeler Calendar Pays Tribute To Motorcycles In Film

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

The 2016 Metzeler calendar, titled Take the Road, celebrates motorcycling history in the world of cinema through a series of shots from past and present films.

Two versions of the Metzeler calander, now in its 23rd edition, will be available: the Classic and the Contemporary. The former will be predominantly in black and white, and feature legendary films that have contributed to the history of cinema. The latter features movie scenes from the 2013, 2014, and 2015 editions of the Motorcycle Film Festival. Below is more information on the calendar, direct from the Metzeler press release.

The calendar, produced in collaboration with Motorcycle Film Festival and the Italian distributor Rodaggio Film and printed in a limited edition of six thousand copies, has a size of 58 x 47 cms and has a total of seven sheets of high quality as well as a cardboard to divide the Classics version from the Contemporary one. The sheets were subjected to a 5 + 5 color printing process with matte litho paint on two sides using Magno satin paper of 250 grams, the two side Invercote cardboard with 400 grams and was always printed with 5 + 5 colors process with matte litho paint on both sides.

The Metzeler calendar has always been a cult object for collectors and now, this year for the first time, the tire brand has decided to make it accessible to anyone thanks to the exclusive partnership with Ace Cafe London. The 2016 Metzeler calendar will be available to purchase, subject to the availability of one hundred copies, directly from the legendary and iconic English cafe’s website using the following link: http://www.acecafeshop.com/products/615.

Below are descriptions of the photos:

“Take the Road with ROADTEC 01”, the campaign introducing the new sport touring tire from METZELER which transforms travel into a cinematic experience, has in this calendar linked to the “48 Hours On The Road”. The event was a non-stop marathon of the best travel films of the Motorcycle Film Festival that took center stage in Milan in November in a week dedicated to the world of motorcycling.

On one hand images of historical films, on the other modern films that come from the Motorcycle Film Festival: an innovative way to remind all the motorcyclists that any motorcycle trip can become a cinematic event.

Both born in the late 19th century, motorcycles and movies were fated for a beautiful partnership. Since the dawn of the movies, the motorbike has played a prominent role in cinematic tales, bringing fun, freedom, thrills, adventure, rebellion, and style to the world from the silver screen. The motorcycle, the essence of cool, the romantic companion, the tireless explorer of open spaces: this calendar exalts its past and present glories in cinema.

“Take the Road – A classic tale of wheels and reels” is the title of the Classics version which has as a cover photo a picture from “No limit” of Monty Banks, a 1935 musical comedy with British interpreter George Formby and filmed during the races of the Isle of Man TT of the same year using real riders as stuntmen. At the time the film was notable as a great success and nowadays a statue of George Formby is proudly displayed in Douglas, Isle of Man.

The first two months of the year portray the actor James Coburn who is resting while lying on the motorcycle in a break from shooting the Sergio Leone’s movie from 1971 “Duck, You Sucker!” set in revolution-torn 1913 Mexico.

March and April are a dive into the past in the period between the First and the Second World Wars when the director Phil Whitman realized “Motoring Mamas” (1929), classic of the silent film era.

1980 is the year for the premiere of Peter Starr masterpiece “Take It to the Limit” and the shot of May and June of the calendar starring the motorcycle champion Randy Mamola portrayed at Laguna Seca during the Spark Plug 200 Classic riding his motorcycle. On the fairing is mounted a 13Kg+ camera needed to shoot some scenes of the movie.

The fifth photograph of the Classics calendar this year captures the “Scureza” character of a great Italian masterpiece known and appreciated throughout the world, “Amarcord” by Federico Fellini from 1973. The page with the days of September and October has as its protagonist a girl parading naked on a motorcycle in “Vanishing Point”, the 1971 film directed by Richard C. Sarafian, regarded as one of the cornerstones of the exploitation of the seventies and which continues to be, even today, popular and a cult movie.

The year ends with the months of November and December dedicated to another film that has made the history of cinema, “Mamma Roma” from the Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini. Nowadays, thanks to tiny action cameras, filming a moving vehicle can be considered easy to make but when, in 1962, Pasolini wanted to film a scene where Ettore Garofalo and Anna Magnani were riding a motorbike, at the time it was was considered a “special effect”.

“Take the Road – The best shots from the Motorcycle Film Festival 2013-2015” is the title of the Contemporary version of the calendar starring snapshots of several films that have participated in the three editions of the Motorcycle Film Festival. On the cover “Somewhere Else Tomorrow”, the 2013 film directed by Daniel Rintz and winner of the 2014 festival: 2 wheels, 1 world, 0 money for one incredible journey. “1 Map for 2” is the title of the film from 2013 by Roberto Montanari and Danilo Caracciolo occupying the months of January and February. A 70-minute documentary on the extraordinary motorcycle trip around the world done by Leopoldo Tartarini and Giorgio Monetti that in 1957, on two 175cc Ducatis, crossed 5 continents, 35 countries and witnessed 4 revolutions.

A picture of “The Greasy Hands Preachers” (2014) by Clément Beauvais and Arthur de Kersauson was chosen for the months of March and April while for May and June was chosen the 2013 film “The Best Bar in America” directed by Eric and Damon Ristau and winner of the 2013 Motorcycle Film Festival. The story of a writer who is touring the big open spaces of the West riding a BMW R60/2 in 1960 with a sidecar Velorex to write a guide on the best bars in the area.

Another flick of 2013, “Out of Nothing” by Chad DeRosa, is the protagonist of July and August. Winner of the 2015 edition, is the is the inspiring true story of four brave men who risk everything to conquer the world records of motorcycle land speed racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

It comes from “Trog”, the 2015 film of Stephen Marino and Mel Stultz, the image that stands out in the months of September and October, a synonym of freedom that the motorcycle is able to offer.

The same production year for the film that closes the Contemporary calendar: “L’Équipée En Himalaya” by Cécile Ney, the story of five lady riders from Paris that with their Royal Enfield Bullets, loaded with over 100 kilograms of luggage and extra fuel, run through 2000 km rushing to conquer the Himalayan Passes.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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