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...
 

hmmmmmmm
 

[quote=juddadredd;162153 if Evil had a better bike and better control and better luck and a better landing he'd kick his arse ANYTIME.

[/quote]

A better Bike, like a HONDA?

Better Control, Like Travis?

Better Luck, See Above....:innocent:

Better Landing..... See HONDA...........:oops2:

ROTFLMAO if you don't go through life with a big sh*t eating grin you don't deserve to breathe.

:mchappy: look it's me Voommmm........ sh*t eating grin and all

I guess you missed the point.
 

I'm not taking anything away from "Travis". I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that if you asked Travis who inspired him and was his hero as a kid, he would say "Evil Kenievel". Regardless of what a mediocre motorcyclist he may have been, in his day he was an original. He paved the way for guys like "Travis". It was his nuttiness, persona, and showmanship that made him a household word around the world. I mean, how many people could dream up jumping Snake River Canyon on a rocket powered motorcycle. That is showmanship. PT Barnum style. How many people outside the motorcycle community have any idea who Travis is? Travis didn't invent anything, but improved upon the techniques of the "Ground Breaker".....................
.......Evil Kenievel........Get it?

OK Time to come clean......
 

Time to fess up guys.
I was just having a little tease with you all, Evel was MY hero as a kid too.
Had the bike with the string ya pulled and the ramp, busted my Raleigh Chopper (as well as my N*TS) trying to jump 14 cars! ( OK, they were matchbox cars about 3" long and end to end, I was 11 and made a ramp at 45 degrees, do I need to draw you a picture??????....wheeeeeeee SMAK!!!!!! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!)

RIP Evel, your Bones deserve a rest!

Martyn

I don't come on this site to wind people up or be rude to other's
I was just pointing out the differences between jumper's in the 70's and the present day Heros
Ride safe Chap's
I'm off :mchappy:

Dazzer..... chill out......
 

Dazzer, juddadredd im sure didnt take offence ( did you Lee?) nor I hope did anyone else, there is too much bad news in this world, and sometimes its good just to have a bit of banter among ourselves.
We are all, I hope, friends on this site.... willing to go the extra mile to help each other out. I know I am, and have and will. Others on this site have helped me loads, Judadredd being one of them with advice he has offered.


Martyn

Well said, Evel was the best stuntman/showman of HIS era, unfortunately arguements can go on for years in pubs/clubs and even amongst friends about who is the 'best or greatest' at something, but comparing from different era's is just not possible: Who's best? Dunlop or Hailwood?, Roberts or Rossi? Fangio or Schmacher?, Ali or Tyson? Best or Ronaldo? (Real Madrid or Crystal Palace?:oops2:sorry for that one) but you get my drift? Judging from the aggressive posts of a couple of the hubbers today it would seem that they have had either a bad day 'on the road' or are on their 'monthlies':nono:

Hi All,

I think everyone who has read a few of my posts knows that I just like to poke people and then run away laughing, I really don’t mean to offend anyone unless your work for Touratech (UK) in which case you know what I mean. So I apologise whole heartedly and unreservedly for any offence cased to anyone but if you work for Touratech (UK) you know what I mean.....

And I NEVER EVER take offence at anyone, people's views are their own and they seldom like them challenged even in joking.

Warmest regards

Lee @ www.f650ridetheworld.com (unless it’s raining really really hard, in which case you will find me in my tent all alone and cold)


P.S. Oh as Martyn says I can be quite usefull, well sometimes if the moods right and the winds blowing in from the south west, and it’s a leap year.