RIP, Evel

[Dirk Diggler]

Evel Knievel has gone to the big traction ward in the sky.

Thanks for inspiring the greatest toy ever, Evel! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

http://www.plaidstallions.com/evel/ektoys.jpg

[RusH]

R.I.P.:(

[emjaya]

In a typical stunt, Knievel would race up a ramp and soar over a dozen or more buses or cars parked side by side.

"Anybody can jump a motorcycle," he once told Esquire magazine. "The trouble begins when you try to land it."

Link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/30/AR2007113001736.html)

Rip, Evel. :(

[RusH]

http://blogs.kansascity.com/photos/uncategorized/evel_knievel.jpg

[eiregosod]

:( :cry:

[nissan gtp]

dang.

guy was a badass

[RichK]

He definitely LIVED his life. :thumbup:

That toy in the first post was my favorite. That kid & I were about the same age in '73, with the same haircut!

[Sean Malone]

One of my favorite toys and Evel really epitomizies the mid 70's to me when I was 10, 11, 12.
Star Wars, Evel Knievel and Cheap Trick. Good times!

RIP you rebel. Hope your demons didn't follow.

[eiregosod]

I wish he made it across the Grand Canyon in the rocket.

[Dirk Diggler]

That kid & I were about the same age in '73, with the same haircut!

:laugh: That photo struck a nerve with me, as well!

[Indy]

Damn, me too. He was my hero as a kid, before I could really understand racing. No surprise that I fell for the daredevil sport.

RIP EK.

[Andrew Longman]

This is the image that will always stick with me re Evel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYGGCVE2lKY

Tough guy and masterful self promoter. Never has anyone made so much from so many broken bones.

RIP

[Gnam]

I only knew of him after his retirement. I'll always associate him with the Simpsons episode with Bart jumping the canyon.


But the fact of the matter is: Bones heal. Chicks dig scars. And the United States of America has the best doctor-to-daredevil ratio in the world!

...probably bet the Devil he could jump the pearly gates. :thumbup:

[emjaya]

This is the image that will always stick with me re Evel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYGGCVE2lKY

Tough guy and masterful self promoter. Never has anyone made so much from so many broken bones.

RIP

That hurts just watching. :eek:

*****ox Triumph, I wonder what he could've done on the rocketships you can get today. :\

[Andrew Longman]

I wish he made it across the Grand Canyon in the rocket.


Actually Snake River Canyon. Might have worked too but the parachute deployed on that launch

[dando]

One tough sumbitch. :thumbup: :cool:

RIP. :(

-Kevin

[G.]

Awful K'noffel was my kidhood hero. Cept for his Lump in Jondon that was so horribly botched.

As such, I owe MANY abrasions, contusions, and owies to my attempts at emulating him. I mean, who knew that you could not fly through the air for 25 yds. with a BMX bike and a piece of plywood propped up on a pile of wood?

Back then, when riding a bike, I was always either Evel Knievel, or Mario Andretti.

RIP, showman.

[oddlycalm]

That hurts just watching. :eek:

*****ox Triumph, I wonder what he could've done on the rocketships you can get today. :\ Great point, he was doing those jumps on Triumphs and later Harley Sportsters (the red, white and blue phase) which were 425lb. sleds with pathetic rear suspension travel. You can see him lose control in the video when the suspension bottoms and the bars are jerked out of his hands.

Evel was still jumping on Sportsters long after lightweight dirt bikes with long travel suspensions became available in the 1970's. There were other jumpers using them but they didn't attract much attention as they didn't crash as often. I saw him make a jump at the Michigan State Fair coliseum one night, then crash the next, that most any current arena cross rider on a 200lb. motocross bike with 16 inches of suspension travel could handle no problem.

Glad he managed to get in 15yrs of retirement in Tampa, he certainly more tha earned it...:thumbup:

oc

[KaBoom21]

This was a close second:

http://www.timewarptoys.com/supertoefb.jpg

[Dirk Diggler]

Evel was still jumping on Sportsters long after lightweight dirt bikes with long travel suspensions became available in the 1970's.

It was pretty easy to find full face helmets in the 70's, as well.:eek:

http://www.motorcyclejumpers.com/canyonStrappedinandreadytogo.jpg