Steve McQueen: Desert Racer

2015

48min

In this fast-paced hour long biopic documentary, Director Jon Brewer unearths the fascinating story that is the undercurrent of film icon Steve McQueen's favourite past time as a desert motorbike racer and hidden talents that are generally unknown. More specifically, his obsession with motorbikes and the invention of the racing bike which was the by-product of his relationship with Stunt Double Bud Ekins and the film they were in together, 'The Great Escape'. As the two men shared their enthusiasm for motorbikes, it was a natural progression for them to work together in Bud's motorbike shop in California, fixing , tinkering and riding, and working to improve performance. This brought about their concept of combining a Metisse frame and a Triumph engine for a new track racing bike. McQueen decided to take this model to England where he met up with the Rickman brothers of Metisse motorbikes, and the 'Desert Racer' was soon born.