R.I.P. Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel

[tardis454]

He was a man of many broken body parts....

 

[Dirk94yj]

I saw the man jump over about 10 cars at the los angeles convention center with I was about 10 years old, I will never foret it, the year was 1968. He was the original king of motorcycles.

 

[TwistedCU]

When I was a kid, I had an Evel Knievel motorcycle. You would spin a crank until it was going fast enough then launch him. IT was before the days of RC cars and the like. That was one of my favorite toys as a young kid. I'd guess that was around 1976. I say that because I remember that it was the bicentennial, and I remember wearing an Evel K. shirt under my "uniform" in the town parade. Me and several other "select" members of Allen Ave Elementary School in N. Attleboro Mass were a featured attraction - a "kazoo band" :lol:

We did one hell of a "Yankee Doodle Dandy", and out "It's a Grand Ol' Flag" weren't too bad, either

 

[90Xjay]

he was a hero to me as a kid for sure.

He was a true daredevil

He let alot of things get to him and he became a bitter man toward the end of his career and all of his dangerous living took a toll on his health...what a shame

He sure didn't take crap off of anyone who wronged him.

broke that guys arm with a ball bat for printing lies about him in a book

 

[KrazyJeeper]

TC, I was thinking about my EK motorcycle also before I read your post. That was one of my most favorite toys growing up, that and the rockem sockem robots and I had another that I can't remember the name but you set up a field goal and placed the football in front of your kicker and hit him on the head for the kick. I also remember watch EK try and rocket over the snake river. He was truly a hero back then. Not to be insensitive, but I sure do wish I still had all my EK stuff.

 

[TwistedCU]

and the rockem sockem robots and I had another that I can't remember the name but you set up a field goal and placed the football in front of your kicker and hit him on the head for the kick

Woah... I had the both of those, too! I forgot about the football punt thingy... it rocked though :lol:

Good times. 8)

 

[firemanharry]

VIVA KNIEVEL!!! He wasn't much of an actor but he did kick *ss.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

As many of us here are of that young age when Evil Knievel was doing most of his jumps, we grew up wanting those EK toys. I had the very same one and I also remember the rip cord one that you used the plastic rip cord, that you pulled threw the bike to power it. If you gather us together and start talking about old toys you most likely find that most of us played with the very same ones as we were kids.

To be in fact I have a scar above my left eye from jumping my 125cc just like EK...
We had this little track behind the biz park next street over, it wasn't much of a jump, maybe 2 foot high, that would launch you maybe 5-6 feet up but a little over 20 foot while in the air. I used to do that jump over and over pretending I was Evil Knievel...
One year when I was eight we went on vacation for two weeks and when we got back my brothers and I went riding...dad kicked us out of the house for some peace and quiet. Well we headed over to the track and I took off heading for my favorite jump...needless to say that they started construction a week before and built this wall right after our jump...(how rude!)
I was told it looked just like it does in the cartoons...I hit the wall and slid down it like Willie E. Coyote after hitting the canyon side.

I was so proud of those six stitches...just Evil Knievel you must shed some blood for your career...mom and dad wasn't.
I still wear that scar that splits my left eye brow with pride...but at 40+ I refrain from doing stunts like that that on my quads...they friggin hurt to much at my age when I kiss the sand.
Well maybe not...I think I will load the old banshee up and head down to the dunes...


On a side note...TC do you still crank out a tune or two on your old kazoo?

 

[TwistedCU]

I also remember the rip cord one that you used the plastic rip cord, that you pulled threw the bike to power it.

Had that one too.

On a side note...TC do you still crank out a tune or two on your old kazoo?

No, I long ago graduated to full fledged harmonicas. I have several "blues harps" and I break them out once in a while when my kids bug me to play.

Funny but that kazoo band thing is probably what led me to play the harp.

 

[KrazyJeeper]

Yep, I had a Honda 125 and I can't remember the times I wrecked that thing. I had to straighten the handle bars at least 50. LOL The stupid things we did and all without a helmet. Even EK wore one.

 

[redrooster]

I always thought he was nuts for trying those jumps on a motorcycle that basically had street bike suspension. He wouldn't have had have the crashes if he were on a motorcross bike.
I had all those same toys too, except the rockem sockem robots. That ripcord EK toy was the bomb. I wore the teeth of the cord. Stretch Armstrong was another good toy of the era. Me and my brothers tried our best to rip him in half. He was tough.

 

[TwistedCU]

I always thought he was nuts for trying those jumps on a motorcycle that basically had street bike suspension. He wouldn't have had have the crashes if he were on a motorcross bike.
I had all those same toys too, except the rockem sockem robots. That ripcord EK toy was the bomb. I wore the teeth of the cord. Stretch Armstrong was another good toy of the era. Me and my brothers tried our best to rip him in half. He was tough.

I didn't hava a stretch, but my neighbor did. Anybody have race car tracks?

I never had slots, I had the "TCR" set. You could change lanes and pass. It came with a "Jam Car" and that was probably my favorite toy overall. I remember taking the cars apart to strip weight off them so when I took it over my buddies house it was a little faster than his :twisted:

 

[southtj]

I used to love EK. Yeah, I had the ripcord motorcycle too.