'The Walking Dead': Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Daryl's Bike, From Prop Master John Sanders

One of the happiest reunions in The Walking Dead Season 6 was Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) getting back his motorcycle and crossbow, the beloved possessions that were stolen from him by Dwight and Honey. The loss of his bike and his signature weapon had made Daryl grumpy since they were taken in “Always Accountable,” and the fact that he had trusted, and even tried to help, Dwight has caused him to doubt his entire philosophy about how he deals with his fellow survivors in the walker apocalypse.

Bottom line: in both a practical and a symbolic sense, Daryl’s DIY-ed bike is a major part of who he is. And because Daryl is such a major part of why TWD fans love the show so much, Yahoo TV wanted to know more about our hero’s ride. Thanks to The Walking Dead prop master John Sanders — the keeper of every prop, vehicle, weapon, and object that helps establish the incredibly detailed world of the series — here’s the scoop on the bike’s beginnings, how the Honda Nighthawk platform was modified very specifically to fit Daryl’s needs, and its importance to the show. 

Daryl’s bike was created by Classified Moto, custom bike builders in Virginia. Is it true that Norman brought them to the show after having them build a bike for his personal collection?

I believe that is true. I came into it a little bit after that, but I believe the original story is that he used Classified Moto [to work] on a couple of his bikes, and then they built him a bike. Then he mentioned them to [showrunner] Scott Gimple and, I think, [executive producer] Tom Luse. Classified started building a bike, which took about four months. It’s a fantastic combination of pieces and parts that Scott Gimple, the people from Classified, and Norman himself had input on. It’s a real treat of a motorcycle. We love it.