The movie begins with Lyle Swann (played by Fred Ward) participating in an off-road race in the California desert. While riding his high-tech motorcycle at breakneck speed, he accidentally veers off track and crashes into a strange force field. When he wakes up, he finds himself transported back in time to the year 1877.
Lost and disoriented, Lyle tries to make sense of his predicament. He soon realizes that he is stranded in a small frontier town that is being terrorized by a gang of ruthless outlaws led by a man named Porter Reese (played by Richard Masur). To make matters worse, the outlaws have confiscated his motorcycle, which they believe is a "devil machine".
Desperate to retrieve his bike and get back to his own time, Lyle uses his ingenuity and resourcefulness to outwit the outlaws, who are hot on his trail. Along the way, he meets a beautiful local woman named Claire (played by Belinda Bauer), who helps him navigate the dangers of the Old West. Despite their attraction to each other, Lyle knows that he cannot stay in the past forever.
As Lyle tries to find a way out of the past, he must deal with a series of challenges and obstacles, including a wild west shoot-out, a jailbreak, a showdown with the outlaws, and a final confrontation with Reese. With the help of Claire and a trusty map from an Exxon station, Lyle manages to escape the Old West and return to the present day.
Overall, "Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann" is an entertaining and action-packed sci-fi adventure that combines elements of time travel, westerns, and motorcycle racing. It features strong performances by Fred Ward and Belinda Bauer, as well as impressive stunt work and special effects. Despite being largely overlooked upon its release, the movie has since become a cult classic among fans of science fiction and action movies.