With the recent launch of two new commemorative motorcycles marking the collaboration between Triumph and legendary motorcycle stunt rider Evel Knievel, this got us thinking.
Firstly, we always assumed Knievel was more closely associated with Harley-Davidson – so what is this Triumph link all about? And secondly, now that it’s almost 50 years since Knievel’s most famous television attempt to jump thirteen buses at Wembley Stadium, perhaps it’s a good time to remind ourselves a little of what Knievel was all about, his greatest leaps – and on which bicycles he made them. on.
As reported here, the new commemorative Triumphs are the Rocket 3 R and GT Evel Knievel Limited Editions (below), built to celebrate the relationship between Triumph and Knievel, from his first television appearance on a Bonneville T120 in 1967, to his breakthrough on the fountains. at Caesars Palace at the end of that year.
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Limited edition Triumph GT
He continued to ride Triumphs until September 1969 before briefly switching to Honda’s CL350 Scrambler and then the Laverda 750 twin-powered American Eagles, before switching to Harley’s new flat-track racer, the XR750, in late 1970. He stuck with Harleys. to his last jump in 1977, although he did associate with Triumph for his Skycycle jump in 1974 and also returned to Bonnevilles for some non-jumping appearances in 1979 and ’80.
The Triumph period is an important period and marks his breakthrough to the big time. As Triumph Motorcycles Chief Commercial Officer Paul Stroud said: “Evel Knievel performed many stunts on Triumph motorcycles in the 1960s, but his jump at Caesar’s Palace on a T120 TT was the moment he created a legend that will last generations. has inspired fans.”
Evel Knievel Caesars Palace
But it is not the only one – nor is it the only bicycle he used. Here we pick Knievel’s greatest moments – and motorcycles – in chronological order.
Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel (October 17, 1938 – November 30, 2007) was an iconic American motorcycle stunt performer and showman, who performed motorcycle jumps from ramp to ramp during a career that took him from country fairs to sold-out stadiums. , made him one of the most famous names of the 1970s and even a movie and toy spin-off.
Born in Montana and raised by his grandparents, Knievel was inspired to become a motorcycle daredevil after attending a car daredevil show, with his iconic “Evel” name reportedly created after a 1956 police chase that ended in a crash that left Knievel in a car. next to a William Knoffel who was known locally as ‘Awful Knoffel’. The guard then called Knievel ‘Evil Knievel’ as the label stuck, but re-spelled because he didn’t want to be seen as ‘evil’!
Evel Knievel
During his subsequent career he performed more than 175 jumps, some successful, some less so, and is also recognized by Guinness World Records as having broken or re-broken more bones than anyone in history, with a total of 433 (although this is probably an exaggeration). But despite failed jumps, crashes and multiple broken bones, Knievel always got up to perform again.
He was also groundbreakingly successful in his ability to capitalize on his image through endorsements and marketing deals. His fame led to numerous TV appearances and commercial partnerships, and from 1972 to 1977, Ideal Toys reportedly sold more than $125 million worth of Knievel toys. However, Knievel made his final leap in 1977, and his image was later tarnished by an assault conviction and prison sentence. He died in 2007 at the age of 69 due to a combination of diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, but his name and legacy are remembered to this day.
1965, Moses Lake, Washington
Knievel’s first jump is so little known that the exact date is not even recorded. What is known is that it was aboard a Honda 305cc scrambler, about 40 feet long, from ramp to ramp, with mostly some rattlesnakes and two mountain lions among them. Although successful, Knievel’s landing was so heavy that he sprained his ankle. It was just a taste of what was to come.
June 1, 1966, Kellogg, Idaho
After switching to a Norton 750, Knievel turned his attention to making increasingly longer jumps over, mostly vehicles. His first jump over cars came at Kellogg, where he cleared 12 over a distance of about 20 yards.
25 March 25, 1967, Ascot Park, Gardena, California
Evel Knievel performs a stunt
Knievel’s first televised jump was also his first on a Triumph and that was when he first gained national fame with his appearance on ABC’s ‘Wide World of Sports’, jumping over 15 cars on a 650cc Bonneville T120 at Ascot Park Speedway . This jump predated Evel’s now iconic white jumpsuit and cape. Instead he wore yellow and black leather, but returned to Ascot a few months later to jump into sixteen cars – this time in a white jumpsuit for the first time.
December 31, 1967, Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas
Evel Knievel Caesars Palace stunt
Eight months later, Knievel gained worldwide fame when, at the end of the year, he made the longest attempt of his entire career: 144 feet above the fountains of the Caesar’s Palace casino in Las Vegas. Before the New Year’s Eve festivities, thousands gathered outside to watch the attempt, but after flying over the fountains, Knievel lost control on landing and crashed spectacularly with a concussion, multiple broken ribs, a broken left hip, a crushed pelvis, a broken jaw and a broken nose.
“I was really hurt,” he said. After being in a coma for 29 days, Knievel woke up to find himself internationally famous.
1969-1974 Knievel’s golden era
Evel Knievel Harley-Davidson advertisement
In 1969, Knievel made a deal to ride the Laverda-powered ‘American Eagle’ 750 twin, which he used until the late 1970s, making many jumps, including clearing 18 cars over 100 feet during a jump in Washington in April of that year. In December he switched to the new Harley-Davidson
September 8, 1974, Snake River Canyon, Idaho
Evel Knievel Snake River Canyon stunt
Of all the outrageous stunts Evel Knievel performed, the most bizarre was probably his attempt to jump across the quarter-mile wide Snake River Canyon in Idaho, using a steam-powered rocket called the X-2.
But long before the X-2 was built, Evel planned to make the leap on a heavily modified Triumph Bonneville T120 that he dubbed the ‘Skycycle’. The original idea was to jump the Grand Canyon, and a mock Triumph was displayed at events to generate publicity for the jump. The dummy Bonneville was equipped with four-foot delta wings, a seat belt, a parachute and two booster engines.
Permission for the Grand Canyon stunt was denied by the US National Park Service, so after flying over it one day, he switched his attention to the narrower but still imposing Snake River Canyon. Still, it became clear that a different kind of vehicle than a conventional motorcycle was needed to make such a huge leap, so Knievel adjusted his plans and, together with US Navy rocket engineer Bob Truax, developed a superheated, steam-powered rocket engine. rocket called it the Skycycle X-2.
On September 8, 1974, after months of exaggeration, Knievel pressed the launch button and shot up a ramp set up at a 56-degree angle, hoping to reach a maximum speed of 400 mph (630 km/h) five seconds into the flight, before both he as his Skycycle It was one of the most spectacular and dangerous stunts ever attempted… but ultimately failed. The missile’s drag parachute deployed upon takeoff, causing Knievel to lose control. He crash-landed against a rock a few meters from the river and survived the crash relatively unscathed.
May 26, 1975, Wembley Stadium, UK
Undoubtedly Knievel’s most famous jump for us Brits. Live on TV, after a lot of fuss and build-up, the big man tried to jump thirteen single-decker buses over a distance of 35 meters. He almost succeeded, too, by passing the last bus, causing it to flip over and providing TV footage that was probably much more exciting than if he had actually made the jump.
Stumbling to the cheers of a hero, the great man was later found to have suffered a fractured pelvis, a broken hand and a concussion and his true legendary status was assured. Five months later, Knievel successfully cleared 14 Greyhound buses during a jump at Kings Island Amusement Park, Ohio.
January 31, 1977, Chicago, USA
What turned out to be Knievel’s final display jump was also unsuccessful. On a planned jump over a 100-foot tank containing 13 sharks, Knievel was once again going to use his trusty the end of his show jumping career, although he later made a number of appearances with a Triumph Bonneville. His last public appearance took place in Puerto Rico in March 1980, meaning Evel Knievel ended his career driving a Triumph – the same manufacturer with which he had originally made his name.
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