Restoring the "Kelly Leak" Bike
The story begins in a cluttered California garage, where sunlight spills through dust and decades of forgotten grease. On a shelf, an old VHS tape sits labeled “The Bad News Bears – 1976.” It’s more than just a movie for Eric, a lifelong fan who grew up idolizing Kelly Leak — the rebel kid with the shades, the smirk, and that mean Harley-Davidson rumbling through the outfield.
For Eric, that bike wasn’t just a prop — it was freedom, rebellion, and youth, all captured in chrome and gasoline. One evening, he replays the film for the first time in years. When Kelly Leak kicks up his Harley and speeds down the street, Eric pauses the frame. The bike’s small frame, the tank’s logo, the distinctive 1973 lines — something inside him clicks.
He decides he’s going to find that motorcycle.
Months turn into years. Eric combs through junkyards, film archives, and collector forums. He talks to grips and prop masters who remember the movie.
He follows false leads — a burned-out frame in Bakersfield, a mistaken VIN in Texas. People laugh at the obsession, but to him, it’s not just about the bike. It’s about restoring a piece of lost Americana — and giving thanks to the man who brought Kelly Leak to life: Jackie Earle Haley.
Then, in a private collection outside Wisconsin, a man named Tommy tells Eric " I have One and we can get it close the original.
The air smells like oil and hay. And there it is. The 1973 Harley-Davidson 90cc, rough, silent, but unmistakable.
Erics’s heart stops.
He doesn’t shout. He just whispers, “Found you.”
Not the "Original" but the bike that is to become the "Kelly Leak" Bike
The restoration becomes a pilgrimage. Every bolt is cleaned by hand.
He hunts down period-correct parts, re-chromes the handlebars, and matches the original paint from freeze-frames of the movie scratched just so.
When the engine finally sputters back to life, it sounds like a memory roaring awake — the voice of every kid who ever wanted to ride away from Little League and rules and expectations.
The day he meets Jackie Earle Haley, Eric is shaking. He doesn’t ask for an autograph. He just tells the story — the search, the restoration, the childhood dream. Jackie listens quietly, eyes glinting with something between surprise and gratitude.
When Eric, and Tom roll the bike forward and offers him the keys, Jackie laughs softly, but his voice cracks.
“You’re kidding,” he says. “This… this is Kelly’s bike
Jackie runs a hand along the tank, almost reverent. “Haven’t seen this thing in fifty years,” he murmurs. Then, after a long pause: “You brought it home.”
For a moment, he’s not the actor. He’s Kelly Leak again, the kid who ruled the diamond, king of misfits, heart of rebellion.
Tears roll down Erics’s face as Jackie inspects and mounts the bike with a grin.
"Sorry The Fire Marshall had me empty all the fluids"
The past isn’t gone, Eric realizes.
Sometimes, it just needs a little gas and a good heart to bring it back.
Kelly Leak 1974 HD Aeromachi Bike Specs
Engine and drivetrain
- Engine: 89cc, two-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled
- Horsepower: 8 HP
- Transmission: 4-speed manual, foot-shifted
- Clutch: Manual
- Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
- Lubrication: Metered oil injection
Chassis and Suspension
- Frame: Steel backbone frame
- Front suspension: Telescopic front fork
- Rear suspension: Swing arm with dual coil springs
- Brakes: Drum brakes on front and rear wheels
- Wheels: 17-inch chrome wire wheels in the front and 16-inch in the rear (on some models)
Dimensions and features
- Bore and stroke:
48 mm×50 mm 48 mm cross 50 mm
48 mm×50 mm- Compression ratio: 9.22:1
- Lights: Headlight and taillight
- Instrumentation: Speedometer
- Other features: Turn signals and folding handlebars with full-size grips
The specific Kelly Leak Z90 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi is likely a restored or modified replica, as the original bikes are rare and the one from The Bad News Bears was a prop. While the exact fate of the movie prop is unknown, Harley-Davidson made the Z90 in the mid-1970s through its partnership with Italian manufacturer Aermacchi.
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The original bike: The Z90 was a small-displacement motorcycle produced by Harley-Davidson between 1973 and 1975, as part of a series of bikes made in collaboration with Aermacchi in Italy.
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The movie prop: The Z90 is best known as the bike ridden by the character Kelly Leak in the 1976 film The Bad News Bears. It's unlikely this specific prop exists today as a complete, original vehicle, but it's possible a restored or modified version could be mistaken for the original.
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The fate of movie props: While the exact fate of the prop bike is unknown, it's common for movie props to be sold, modified, or lost over time. It's possible that the original bike was sold and modified by an individual or that it was lost or destroyed
The specific Aermacchi Harley-Davidson motorcycle used by the character Kelly Leak in The Bad News Bears does not have a publicly known, officially documented location and is likely in a private collection or has been sold. While the film is known for its iconic scenes, the exact whereabouts of that specific motorcycle are not publicized
