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Evel Knievel was known for his death-defying motorcycle stunts. But what kind of motorcycle did he ride?
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Evel Knievel’s Motorcycling Career
Evel Knievel was an American stunt performer and motorcycle daredevil. He was widely known for attempting and performing death-defying feats, including his highly publicized jumps. Knievel began his career in the 1950s, performing stunts and jumps with a bicycle before moving on to motorcycles.
Knievel’s first jump with a motorcycle was in September 1965, when he attempted to jump across the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. He did not succeed, but he became popular for his attempt. Over the next few years, Knievel performed several more successful jumps, including a topic over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He set a world record for distance jumping in 1971, when he cleared 141 feet on a Harley-Davidson XR-750.
In 1974, Knievel attempted to jump over the Snake River Canyon again, this time on a rocket-powered bicycle. The attempt failed, and Knievel was badly injured. He retired from professional jumping after this accident, but continued to perform other stunts until 1977.
Evel Knievel’s Famous Jumps
Evel Knievel was a professional motorcycle daredevil and entertainment icon. He achieved notoriety for his public jumps, setting a number of world records for the longest and highest jumps on a motorcycle.
Knievel was born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte, Montana, on October 17, 1938. He became interested in motorcycles at a young age, and began competing in racing events as a teenager. He soon gained a reputation for being an reckless and dangerous rider, which led to him being banned from racing in Montana.
Knievel turned to stunt riding as a way to continue his love of motorcycles. He began performing small jumps and tricks, and eventually started to tackle increasingly larger and more dangerous feats. His most famous jumps included an attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in 1974, and a successful jump over 13 buses at Wembley Stadium in London in 1975.
Sadly, Knievel’s career was not without its share of accidents and injuries. He suffered more than 433 bone fractures over the course of his career, including fractures to his skull, pelvis, spine, ribs, and both legs. He retired from jumping in 1976 after one final jump at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Knievel died in 2007 at the age of 69.
The Bikes Evel Knievel Rode
Evel Knievel was a legendary motorcycle daredevil who entertained crowds with his death-defying stunts. He set a number of world records, including becoming the first person to jump over the Snake River Canyon.
Knievel originally gained notoriety by riding a Harley-Davidson XR-750, which was a street bike that had been modified for racing. He later switched to a Triumph Bonneville, which he felt was better suited for his stunts. He also rode a number of other motorcycles throughout his career, including Indian Scouts and Nortons.
The Harley-Davidson XR-750
Evel Knievel was well known for his death-defying motorcycle stunts, and he frequently used a Harley-Davidson XR-750 in his performances. The XR-750 is a racing motorcycle that was first introduced in 1970, and it quickly became popular among professional riders. Knievel was known for pushing the limits of what the XR-750 could do, and he often used it to perform stunts that had never been attempted before.
The XR-750 is still being produced today, and it remains a popular choice among professional motorcycle racers. If you’re looking for a bike that can handle extreme conditions and perform spectacular feats, the XR-750 is definitely worth considering.
Other Motorcycles Ridden By Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel rode many different motorcycles during his career as a professional stuntman. He is most well-known for riding a Harley-Davidson XR750, but he also rode bikes from other manufacturers including Triumph, Suzuki, and Yamaha.
Some of the other motorcycles that Evel Knievel rode include the following:
-Triumph Tiger 100: This bike was Knievel’s first motorcycle and he used it to perform his first stunt jumps.
-Suzuki RM400: Knievel rode this bike when he jumped the Snake River Canyon in 1974.
-Yamaha DT250: This was one of the bikes that Knievel used during his early career as a stuntman.
Evel Knievel’s Motorcycling Accidents
Evel Knievel was an American stunt performer who achieved worldwide fame for his various motorcycle jumps. Some of the more famous jumps that he made were over a tank of sharks, a live rattlesnake pit, and the Snake River Canyon. He also jumped over buses and cars, and set a record for the longest motorcycle jump in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Despite his fame, Evel Knievel was no stranger to accidents. In fact, he holds the Guinness World Record for “Most bones broken in a lifetime”. In 1967, he suffered a serious back injury after attempting to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace. The following year, he dislocated his pelvis and several bones after trying to jump 13 buses at Wembley Stadium in London.
In 1976, Evel Knievel finally retired from motorcycling after suffering yet another serious injury. This time, he broke his collarbone, ribs, and both wrists while attempting to jump theSnake River Canyon in Idaho on a rocket-powered cycle.
The Legacy Of Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel was a legendary stuntman who rode motorcycles and jumped over obstacles with them. He became an iconic figure in American culture, and his name is still synonymous with daredevil motorcycle jumping. But what kind of motorcycle did Evel Knievel actually ride?
Evel Knievel started his career riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but he later switched to Vespa scooters. He also rode a wide variety of other motorcycles during his career, including Triumphs, Yamahas, and even a Honda Goldwing. However, the motorcycle that is most associated with Evel Knievel is the Harley-Davidson XR-750. This bike was specially designed for him by Harley-Davidson, and he used it for some of his most famous jumps, including jumps over Snake River Canyon and Caesar’s Palace fountain.
After retirement, Evel Knievel continued to be associated with Harley-Davidson, and even had his own line of motorcycles produced by the company. These bikes were known as the “Knievel” series, and they were based on the XR-750 model. Today, Harley-Davidson still produces a limited edition run of XR-750 motorcycles each year, in tribute to the legend of Evel Knievel.
Evel Knievel In Popular Culture
Evel Knievel was an American stunt performer and motorcycle racer. He became widely known for his publicized stunts in the 1960s, including a failed jump across the Snake River Canyon in 1974, and a successful jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1967. In 1975, he was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Knievel was born Robert Craig Knievel on October 17, 1938 in Butte, Montana. He began motorcycle riding at age 8 on a minibike given to him by his father. He later moved up to riding motorcycles with improvised armor made from hubcaps.
In 1966, Knievel started jumping motorbikes over cars and buses as part of a traveling stunt show called “Evel Knievel’s Motorcycle Daredevils”, which he took to small towns across America. His jumped progressively larger objects as his career progressed.
On December 31, 1967, he attempted to jump the Caesars Palace fountain in Las Vegas on a Harley-Davidson XR-750. Though he cleared the 145 ft (44 m) gap, he came down hard and broke his pelvis and several bones. The injuries kept him hospitalized for 29 days and left him with steel rods permanently implanted in his legs. Despite the crash landing, the event made him an international celebrity and launched his career as “The King of Daredevils”.
In 1968, Knievel returned to Caesars Palace for another attempt at jumping the fountains. This time he rode a new bike specially designed for long-distance jumping by cycle designer Connie Ellison—an early prototype of what would become known as a “Kneivelle”. After two unsuccessful tries (the first due to low throttle response from the new bike’s carburetor settings), Evel succeeded on his third attempt, clearing 140 ft (43 m) with room to spare. The successful jump gave him enough confidence to try other jumps of similar distances without any safety devices other than his helmet—including a jumps over Greyhound buses at Seattle’s Kingdome and Detroit’s McKenzie Arena—both accomplished later that year.
On September 8, 1974—exactly one year after successfully clearing 19 cars with a Harley-Davidson XR-750 in Ontario—Knievel attempted to jump Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho on a steam-powered rocket cycle called “The Skycycle X-2”, designed by Roberta Meeks and built by wine maker George Epps. The ramp had been constructed of 2x4s covered with plywood and ramped up at an angle of 45 degrees for 1/4 mile (400 m). During launch, however, one of the parachute canopies deploying too soon dragged against the rocket’s tailfin, sending it into an uncontrolled spin which caused it to crash on impact just short of the opposite canyon rim; Knievel was thrown clear but still suffered serious injuries including multiple fractures of his right arm and ribs as well as a concussion. Miraculously he survived but remained comatose for nearly a month afterwards
The Evel Knievel Museum
Evel Knievel was a professional daredevil, stunt performer and motorcycleracer who attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980. In 1974, he succeeded in jumping 142ft over the Snake River Canyon in his rocket-powered cycle, the Skycycle X-2.
Today, visitors to the Evel Knievel Museum in Butte, Montana can see some of the iconic motorcycles that he used in his performances, including the Harley-Davidson XR750 that he rode in his jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace in 1967.
Evel Knievel’s Death
Evel Knievel was one of the most famous daredevils in history. He was well-known for his death-defying motorcycle stunts, which often ended in disaster. On November 30, 2007, at the age of 69, Knievel died of natural causes.
Knievel’s signature motorcycle was a Harley-Davidson XR-750. He rode this bike during some of his most famous stunts, including his attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in 1974. The XR-750 was also the bike he was riding when he crashed during a jump at the 1976 Kings Island Grand National Championship race. This crash resulted in serious injuries for Knievel, including a broken back.
