1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross

This bike is what motorcycle dreams are made of.

Ridden across a deserted beach and into history by AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend Malcolm Smith, this 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross starred in the defining scene from the greatest motorcycle movie ever made, “On Any Sunday.”

While the 1971 documentary is renowned for its coverage of the sport, the concluding scene of Hall of Famers Smith, dirt-tracker Mert Lawwill and actor Steve McQueen play-riding by the sea showcased just how much fun the sport could be.

For that scene, Smith, an off-road racer, was aboard one of the best off-road bikes of the day—a Husqvarna 400 Cross.

Though relatively unknown outside of racing circles at the time, Husqvarna was a force in international motocross, ultimately winning 14 World Motocross and 24 World Enduro titles through the 1960s and ’70s. There was a lot more to this bike than movie-star looks.

Imported by U.S. motocross pioneer and Hall of Famer Edison Dye—the man who promoted many of the races that made the sport famous in America—Husqvarna built an early reputation for 250cc and 125cc success. In 1969, the company branched out with an open-class machine.

A bigger version of the popular, world championship-winning 250 Cross, the 395cc two-stroke single was a light, sharp-handling performer, known for excellent power and decent factory suspension. Those capabilities, along with world-class talent at the controls, spurred the Husqvarna 400 Cross to competition success in the 1971 Baja 1000, where it was ridden to victory by Smith and Gunnar Nilsson.

In many ways, though, racing success couldn’t be as influential as the free-riding footage that capped a documentary about motorcycle racing. That scene, in particular, is credited with a reported sales spike for Husqvarna after “On Any Sunday” hit the theaters.

You can see this 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross, donated by Malcolm Smith, in the Hall of Fame museum on the campus of the AMA in Pickerington, Ohio.