The Walking Dead: The Real Origin Of Daryl’s Bike Revealed

Daryl Dixon’s motorcycle is very much a character in itself on The Walking Dead. Every character has an origin story and the bike is no exception.

John and Betsy Ryland are a couple who followed the passion of building motorcycles in 2011. They opened up Classified Moto in Richmond, Virginia – not far from where The Walking Dead is currently set, though it still films in Georgia.

One day, about two years ago now, the Rylands received a surprise e-mail from Daryl Dixon himself, Norman Reedus. Reedus, a bike lover himself (so much so he has his own motorcycle show coming to AMC this summer) asked the Rylands if they would build him a custom bike.

“First we built a custom XV920R for the amazing Norman Reedus,” explains John Ryland. “Then he introduced us to creative powerhouse Scott M. Gimple who was looking for a custom bike for the show. We’ve got love for all things post-apocalyptic and have been avid fans of the show from the get-go. So when Scott said he wanted us to build a bike to replace Daryl Dixon’s lost chopper, we thought we had died, then turned, then died again, then gone to heaven.”

The bike made its debut on The Walking Dead early in season six. It became a major factor in the plot when it was stolen by a member of the Saviors and found at one of their compounds later.

The custom bikes started with 1992 Honda CB750 Nighthawks. They would soon be modified with Yamaha YZF-R6 front end/wheel/brakes and a Shorai Lithium Ion battery, custom leather seat, and a crossbow rack. More information is available on their website.

Classified Moto has filled orders for other celebrities, as well, including Battlestar Galactica’s Katie Sackhoff and have shipped their products internationally to Dubai, Brazil, and London.

(via The Walking Dead)