For all the talking points from movie critics and entertainment reporters, it should have been motorcycles riding down the red carpet for the premiere of the latest action flick ‘Knight and Day’.

But instead it was Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz and not Ducati and Kawasaki being photographed by the world’s press at the movies unveiling. Regardless of who had the limelight on opening night, the motorcycle seems to have caught the attention and imagination of reviewers and movie-goers in what appears to be another hit for the likeable scientologist.

With a loosely believable storyline of an everyday, lovelorn woman pulled into an international battle between superspys, Cruises' passion for motorcycles are throughout the movie. A Kawasaki is seen dressed in a familiar role of police motorcycle while the performance reputation of Ducati earned the Italian brand a prominent place in a chase scene.

Knight and Day sees Cruise as a mysterious action man who crash-lands in Diaz's life, claiming to be a rogue CIA agent. The storyline sees the pair careering around the world as they are chased by US secret service types, Spanish drug dealers and German assassins.

Not only are they at the heart of the movies best action scenes but the humble motorcycle was the center of the film’s only controversial pre-publicity moment over an improper claim to fame.

Early reports had Mr. Cruise claiming to have invented a stunt in the movie where the action star switches places and direction with Cameron Diaz while riding a motorcycle in order to shoot villains chasing the couple was quickly dismissed as soon as it saw print. While the admittedly multi-talented Cruise can point to quite a few movie firsts, that particular saddle swap was seen in the James Bond Flick ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’.

Another more recent rumor has the two-wheeled world abuzz with allegations from the website Hell for Leather noting the Ducati seen in many of the stunt scenes may not be a Ducati at all.

'It appears that the Aprilia is being used as the stunt bike for the movie, performing jumps, slides and other difficult tasks, while the Ducati is used for close ups and low speed shots where Cruise and Diaz are actually riding it,' the website observes.

Even so, Ducati’s Hypermotard was reportedly handpicked by Cruise for the big chase scene with the actor performing rides and stunts for media and fans during the publicity tour in Seville, Spain. Not only does Cruise own some Ducati’s, but the rumor mill went into overdrive in 2008 alleging the actor upset Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom and other famous names by jumping to the top of the list for a limited run of the Italian motorcycle manufacturers Desmosedici RR.

Movie-goers and motorcycle enthusiasts can enjoy ‘Knight and Day’ at the cinema’s now with another motorcycle movie also starring a famous (and quite) sexy face with Angelina Jolie in Salt hitting theaters on July 23^rd.