Update: Jan. 24, 2012 Rooney Mara was nominated for Best Actress for her role as Lisbeth Salander.

Cori and I went to a matinée to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo yesterday. I was curious to see how the bike would be used in the film. I had read that the studio wanted the Lisbeth Salander character to ride a newer bike but I thought the choice of a vintage Honda CB350 was perfect and exactly what the character would’ve ridden. Tough, a bit beat up looking and weathered with some meaty tires for riding in all weather. Glory Motor Works, a Los Angeles builder, did a fantastic job turning the bike into a vintage Cafe Racer.

The bike was in several scenes including a chase at night in the snow. We thought the growl of the CB350 engine perfectly expressed the rage pent-up inside the Salander character and as Cori pointed out seemed to growl out either “here I come” or “there I go” from a woman who otherwise survived by being a ghost. I loved the original movies and thought maybe the Hollywood version wouldn’t measure up but it did and may actually be a better adaptation of the novel. If you love thrillers and bikes check it out.

Ride safe.

Check out our other movie bike posts.