Bill Murray builds `Caddyshack' motorcycle for charity auction

Would it incorporate his love of greenskeeping, his hatred of gophers or his experiences as a "looper" for the Dalai Lama? Those were the sort of questions Murray and the guys of Orange County Choppers had to ask themselves in fashioning a bike in the spirit of the beloved Spackler. "It was like it was (Carl's) motorcycle, so it had a little bit of army surplus, a little bit of army ordinance and a little bit of greenskeeper," Murray told The Associated Press in a recent phone interview. "It was fun. I got to lift something every once in a while." Murray spent several days with Paul Teutul Sr., his son Paul Jr. and company at their Montgomery, N.Y. bike shop. Teutul and family have been building custom-made bikes on the popular Discovery series "American Chopper" since 2003. Their thoughtful process impressed Murray. "It was as artistic as anything I've ever been involved with," said the 55-year-old actor. "It was very much like a creative writing session where you're trying to figure out some scene in a movie or show." The result includes a pitchfork over the rear tire, grass clippers where wheel spinners might be and a painting of a gopher that's square in a rifle's sights. The bike was auctioned at the sixth annual Murray Bros. Caddyshack Charity Golf Tournament in St. Augustine, Fla., in May. The tournament has raised more than $1 million for the St. Vincent's Foundation Mobile Health Outreach Ministry. "When it was showed off at the end of the tournament, I don't want to say it was like the Vatican, but people were, like, very respectful," the actor said. And the highest bidder for the motorcycle? Bill Murray.