Evel Knievel
 

CNN) -- Evel Knievel, the motorcycle daredevil whose stunts -- including an attempted leap over Idaho's Snake River Canyon -- made him a popular cultural figure, is dead, according to his Web site, evelknievel.com. He was 69.

Larger than life guy
 

Yes, he got a fairly long & balanced report on the main BBC TV news here in the UK tonight, which was a pleasant change from the usual rubbish, despite the sad nature of it.

From the horses' mouth in part of that news: "dying is part of living and I'm not afraid of dying".

RIP.

The Showman
 

The worlds greatest showman has now passed sadly on, the stuntmen that have tried to emulate are poor imitations.
He was the best.:(:(:(

Today's Stuntman = Computer generated

It's like comparing the WrongWay guys with proper Motorcyclists. :nono:

computer generated?
 

Evel was good, no doubt. The first to do a lot of big JUMPS, but I am afraid there is better than him out there. Mr Knievel did straight line Jumps. Period. ( Ok with the odd wheelie thrown in to please the kiddies and the girlies)

Has no-on ever heard of Travis Pastrana????? Now HE is a STUNT rider.

Fellow HUBBer Born2bmild posted this double back-flip in May. It's certainly worth a look.

Sky News was also very fulsome in its tributes to Evel Knievel today. :thumbup1:
Stephan

Yeah, THAT'S what I'm talkin about!
 

Mmmmmmmmm Adrenaline!! so much more addictive than Cocaine....... right Travis?? well, he seemed to be enjoying it anyhow!:thumbup1:

Martyn

You can Only Image
 

If Evel had today's bikes in his day he could have jumped the moon. At least he would have tried!

RIP

After seeing him Jump in the 70's my brother and I took the drop bars off our push bike's and fitted cow horn's removed the mud guards and front brake,then built ramps in the field next to our house.

That summer was spent seeing who could jump the most milk crate's
we had cut knee's ...torn jeans..and a chipped tooth,But what a summer

the next year we had saved enough to buy our first Motorbike,I was 12 and have been riding since

So A very Big Thank you to Evel for getting me into Motorbike's :mchappy:

RIP Sir.

Travis?
 

Where would Travis be right now without Evil? Selling encyclopedias?

Probably doing your job..... lol
 

he would probably have your Job Smitty!:nono:

come on, Evel was good, but NOT "The greatest showman on earth" everyone is trying to make him out to be. Eddie Kid, Robbie Knievel, Seth Enslow to name just three ( OK one is the son of the aforementioned Mr E.Knievel) are all good Jumpers in their OWN right.... but answer me this, WHY did none of those guys ever think of doing a single back-flip on a motorcycle? never mind a DOUBLE, and in competition too?????? The answer is simple.

Those who can Do, those who cant, dont.

Martyn

Martyn my dear chap
What your forgetting is that Evel Knievel was doing jump's on Triumph's and Harley Davidson's :eek3:
Now if you have ever tried to do a small jump on one of these you will know that when you land the forks and shocks can't take it and they unload and throw you over the bar's:(... My new Honda can do massive jumps and when you land it feels like you only jumped 2 feet in the air.

Your also forgetting that, {and I dont want to take anything away from the new Big Jumper's because what they are also now doing I love,,,,,:thumbup1: }

they now do a lot of pratice jump's in to very large foam pit's untill they are almost getting the landing right before the try to land one on a down ramp :cool4:

Another thing that make's Evil stand out is he often did big jump's even though he knew he could not reach the landing ramp.that take's gut's :mchappy:

In the 70s the helmets were shit,they had no body armour .
For me he was Ace and a hell of a tough guy.

God Speed to Him and Thanks for showing many of us what could be done
on a bike.

Dazzer

Different era in bikes me thinks you muppet :nono: if Evil had a better bike and better control and better luck and a better landing he'd kick his arse ANYTIME.

Have you even seen Evil's bikes they are like STONEAGE things, you drive them flintstones fashion, If TRAVIS was on one of them I'd like to see a double flip, he'd end up like that guy on utube with the bike on top of him.

:thumbup1: so you can put this thumb up your bum.

im not forgetting anything dazzer...