Was Evel Knievel really any good….

it seems that back in the day it was a lot more noble to be as mindlessly brave as he was…

and risking your own safety to enjoy a lifestyle isn’t neccesarily stupid..

I guess some folk would rather live that way than measuring every decision and working their guts out to be a dull nobody with nothing and no-one..
which is maybe what he feared he might have become had he chosen a job as a bank clerk or petrol pump attendant..?

Some folk choose to live fast and die young.. maybe Evel inspired a generation of winos and slackers..?
hmmm.. I now have to run an errand or two.. I will be wearing a seatbelt..

I guess some folk would rather live that way than measuring every decision and working their guts out to be a dull nobody with nothing and no-one..

But you could work your guts out TO be someone, couldn’t you? Like most top athletes… (jump/freeride stars included)

+1 for Eddie Kidd – he was and still is, cool as.

I remember when he jumped the Great Wall of China:

I also remember him nearly running me and me dad over in his Vauxhall Frontera at a motorshow in the early 90’s.

😀

Yeah, but he only jumped it widthways. Did he ever compete at MX or similar? Is there vid of that? was he any good?

But you could work your guts out TO be someone, couldn’t you?

yes

“Yeah, but he only jumped it widthways.”

He’s not going to jump it length ways is he? 😀

Now that would be something to see!

Just have to jump in about H&S and Pastrana. I dont think there were any H&S bods consulted when he had this idea!

Pah, that’s a full sus motorbike.
If he was proper hardcore he’d have done it on a hardtail.

Or a kids tricycle.

Evel Knievel was very good at being Evel Knievel, trying to compare his technical abilities with others is sort of missing the point. What we know of him now (the drink, drugs, wife beating and borderline insanity) makes no difference to the way I saw him as a kid – he was a hero in my eyes back then, and I’ll stick with my fuzzy, seven year old kids memories now, thank you. 😀

He deserves his status for using just about the heaviest ‘non’ jump bike ever. Harley’s are traditionally used by split personality accountants who want to look ‘sick’ at the weekends by wearing leather chaps and tassles on their bars, it’s not the best or easiest bike to jump on.

I’d like to see Danny Macaskill emulate some of his tricks on a 35kg DH bike, that may be somewhere in the same league as Evil……

All Harleys are not the same.

An XR750 yesterday.

Not quite an Electraglide, but not quite a Honda CR500 either.

Not quite an Electraglide, but not quite a Honda CR500 either.

Yes, when the japanease turned up and beat harley at flat-track they changed the rules to ban them.

Still cool though.

From memory, so could well be wrong, but wasn’t it the Kawasaki two stroke triple that provoked the rule change.
Insanely fast down the straights, but without the controllability of a slow revving four stroke twin for drifting round the corners.
This led to problems with the Kawasakis leading in to every corner, then holding up the other bikes as the pootled round afraid to hit the power band while cranked over.

Nothing to do with nationalism or protectionism. 😉

With Kenny Roberts riding it. Can’t remember the brand but I’d guess Yamaha, but Kenny’s link with them may have come later.

In fairness Kenny was delighted that it was banned 😆

Now you mention it, Kenny Roberts and Yamaha sounds familiar.

Anyway, how about another picture of an XR750 being drifted on one wheel and one foot.

Based on what we know now, would these jumps be more likely?

based on the maths I learnt at school those take off ramps aren’t exactly going to launch him a long way

barnsleymitch – Member
makes no difference to the way I saw him as a kid – he was a hero in my eyes back then, and I’ll stick with my fuzzy, seven year old kids memories now, thank you.

And with reference to the original question, barnsleymitch has it.

He was great if you were 7.

I wonder how many of our parents* watched him and thought, “What an irresponsible idiot”. I must ask my father.

Btw, my brother had the toy bike which crashed down the stairs on a daily basis, and I had the campervan. Playing with dolls, even if they were Knievel dolls….. 😉

*parents of those of us who were kids in the 70s.

MidlandTrailquestsGraham – Member

From memory, so could well be wrong, but wasn’t it the Kawasaki two stroke triple that provoked the rule change.

It was a yamaha tz 750 two stroke race bike – Kenny roberts riding it. He had a button to cut out one cylinder as it would not run part throttle very well. Just mad.

EK inspired millions of kids around the world. Despite his family life issues which we, as kids couldn’t give a fek about, got all me and my mates on bikes jumping drain ditches and pipe laying drainage system outlets back where I lived in FL.
If you weren’t seen with a Stars n Stripes cape on on your 10th birthday, then you were most deffo ghey.
I still aspire to those sideburns.
I still aspire to beating my M’sus up,
I still aspire to snuffing coke through $20.00 bills,
I still aspire to having my own TV prog.
All hail gold medallions, wild hair, capes, huge artics full of bikes and blonds in tight jumpsuits.

Whats not to love about him??

Erm, check Extreme Sports channel now! THAT is BIG! 255ft jump 😯