The legend of Evel Knievel and Triumph

Words and images courtesy Triumph

Robert Craig ‘Evel’ Knievel (October 17, 1938 – November 30, 2007) was an iconic American motorcycle stunt performer and showman.

He performed ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps during a career that took him from rural county fairs to sold-out stadiums.

To many generations of fans, he was more than just a stuntman. He was a symbol of daring and adventure.

Triumph motorcycles played a pivotal role in his rise to fame.

Knievel performed some of his most iconic jumps on a Triumph Bonneville. This included his first televised stunt and the infamous 1967 Caesar’s Palace fountain jump, which cemented his global fame.

During 1967 and 1968, Knievel exclusively rode Triumphs. He recognised their superior handling and reliability for his dangerous feats.

ALL IN THE NAME

Evel’s iconic name supposedly came about after a police chase in 1956, in which he crashed his motorcycle.

Taken to jail on a charge of reckless driving, he was placed next to one William Knoffel.

Knoffel was well known as ‘Awful Knoffel’ (rhyming ‘awful’ with ‘Knoffel’).

At roll call, the guard referred to Knievel as ‘Evil Knievel’.

Evel adopted the tag and chose the misspelling to match his last name. He didn’t want to be considered ‘evil!’

Performing more than 175 jumps during a career that took him from rural county fairs to sold-out stadiums, Knievel went toe-to-toe with danger.

He lived to tell the tale.

Recognised by Guinness World Records as having broken more bones than any person in history, with the total listed at 433 (although this is likely exaggerated).

He would spend years of his life in hospital. Despite failed jumps, crashes, and multiple broken bones, he always rose to perform again.

Evel Knievel has left a remarkable legacy behind him.

He inspired an entire generation of kids to jump their pushbikes over ramps and, later, to progress onto motorcycles. In fact, most of today’s top stunt performers and extreme sports athletes credit Evel Knievel as an inspiration.

In every kid who pops a wheelie on their pushbike, in every motorcyclist who guns the throttle, the spirit of Evel Knievel lives on.

EVEL KNIEVEL AND TRIUMPH

In 1967, Knievel finally received national exposure with his first appearance on ABC’s ‘Wide World of Sports’.

He was jumping a 650cc Bonneville T120 over 15 cars at Ascot Park Speedway in Gardena, California.

During 1967 and 1968 Evel Knievel exclusively rode Triumphs, which were provided by Johnson Motors in Los Angeles.

He made at least 15 jumps all over America. He first jumped over cars and then attempted the longest jump of his entire career – 141 feet over the Caesar’s Palace fountains in Las Vegas.

In 1978, Knievel opted to ride a Triumph again for what would prove to be his final public appearances.

This time he rode a 750cc Bonneville T140. By that point, Knievel was too badly injured to make jumps. Instead, he would perform wheelies and act as master of ceremonies. Other stuntmen and women provided the thrills and spills.

His final public performance was in Puerto Rico in March of 1980. Evel Knievel saw out his career on a Triumph. It was the same manufacturer with whom he had originally made his name.

ASCOT PARK SPEEDWAY – FIRST TV PERFORMANCE

Evel Knievel got his first breakthrough when ABC’s ‘Wide World of Sports’ agreed to film him jumping over 15 cars at Ascot Park Speedway, the legendary half-mile dirt track oval located in Gardena, Southern California.

The jump marked the first time Knievel had ever appeared on national television. The footage aired two weeks after the jump. On March 25, 1967, American TV audiences got to see Evel Knievel jumping his Triumph Bonneville for the very first time.

The Ascot jump predated Evel’s now iconic white jumpsuit and cape. Instead, he wore yellow and black leathers. However, he would return to Ascot a few months later to jump 16 cars. He sported a white jumpsuit for the first time.

COLOR ME LUCKY

Eight months on from Gardena, Evel Knievel shot to worldwide fame overnight after attempting to leap over the fountains at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He used a Triumph Bonneville T120 called ‘Color me Lucky’.

Ahead of the New Year’s Eve festivities, thousands gathered outside the casino on December 31, 1967, to watch. After soaring 141 feet over the fountains, Knievel lost control of his Bonneville on landing. He crashed spectacularly, horrifying the spectators.

Knievel suffered a concussion, multiple broken ribs, a broken left hip, a crushed pelvis, a broken jaw, and a broken nose. “I was hurt real bad,” he said. After spending 29 days in a coma, Knievel woke to discover that he was internationally famous. His life would never be the same again.

ROCKET MAN: THE SNAKE RIVER CANYON JUMP

Of all the outrageous stunts Evel Knievel performed, the most spectacular was his attempt to leap over the 500m (more than a quarter-mile) wide Snake River Canyon in Idaho. He used a steam-powered rocket he dubbed the X-2.

But long before the X-2 was built, Evel had planned to make the jump on a heavily modified Triumph Bonneville T120. He referred to it as the ‘Skycycle’. The original idea had been to jump over the Grand Canyon. A mocked-up Triumph was shown at events to generate publicity for the jump. The dummy Bonneville was fitted with four-foot delta wings, a seatbelt, a parachute, and two jet booster engines.

Permission for the Grand Canyon stunt was refused by the National Park Service. After flying over it one day, Knievel switched his attention to the narrower, but still imposing, Snake River Canyon instead. Even so, it became apparent that it would take a different kind of vehicle than a conventional motorcycle to make such a huge jump. He didn’t give up. Knievel adapted his plans and, along with US-Navy rocket engineer Bob Truax, developed a super-heated, steam-powered rocket. Knievel dubbed this the Skycycle X-2.

On September 8, 1974, after months of hyperbole, Knievel pressed the launch button. He shot up a ramp set at a 56-degree angle, hoping to reach a maximum speed of 394mph five seconds into the flight.

He hoped he would drift down to safety on the other side of the canyon with parachutes. It was one of the most spectacular, and dangerous, stunts ever attempted. However, it ultimately failed.

The rocket’s drogue parachute deployed on take-off, causing Knievel and the Skycycle to lose control. The world watched on in horror as Knievel disappeared into the canyon. Not knowing if he was alive or dead…

Miraculously, he crash-landed against a rocky outcrop a few feet from the river. He would surely have drowned if he had landed in the river. He survived the crash relatively unhurt and was picked up by a rescue team.

The Snake River Canyon stunt proved to be a major catalyst of Evel Knievel’s remarkable career.

Although he would complete many more successful jumps, he would never again attempt anything so outlandish or on such a massive scale. However, by then, his legacy was well and truly established.

Just like James Dean, Steve McQueen and Marlon Brando before him, he had helped thrust motorcycling into the heart of popular culture worldwide.

In 2024, as part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Snake River Canyon attempt, Evel’s son Kelly and stunt legend Robbie Madison led the anniversary parade through Twin Falls, Idaho.

They rode two special tribute machines, a Bonneville T120 and a Rocket 3, painted in a one-off scheme inspired by Evel’s original ‘Color me Lucky’ Caesar’s Palace Triumph.

See the Evel Knievel LIMITED EDITION Rocket 3S here!

SuperBike Magazine – Triumph’s Evel Knievel Limited Edition Rocket 3s