American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 229 August 2018 | Page 15
Pastrana Abuses a Perfectly Good FTR750
In Las Vegas on July 8 action sports
superstar Travis Pastrana sought to
channel Evel Knievel in front of an
estimated 25,000 fans watching in
person and many more tuning in live on
television across North America.
Produced in partnership with Nitro
Circus, “Evel Live” saw Pastrana pay
homage to Knievel’s legacy as he set out
to recreate three of the American
legend’s most iconic jumps. Pastrana
pushed the limits even further though,
breaking Knievel’s famous car and
Greyhound bus jump records before
completing the epic Caesars Palace
fountain jump that left Knievel grasping
for his life 50 years ago.
“I’m thrilled to have had this
opportunity to honor Evel Knievel,
whose guts and showmanship created
the foundation for action sports,” Travis
Pastrana said afterwards. “Evel pushed
himself and flew further on a motorcycle
than anyone thought possible. So, with
this modern-day tribute we wanted to
bridge generations – from my parents’
generation who was inspired by Evel to
the generation after me who may not
know much about the original stuntmen
who paved the way. To be able do that
in Las Vegas and at Caesars Palace,
where Evel’s legend was born, is so
awesome.”
In just three hours and under the
pressure of a live TV broadcast, Pastrana
first topped Knievel’s 1973 jump over 50
crushed cars by soaring more than 143
feet in the air over 52 vehicles.
Then he surpassed Knievel’s 1975 jump
over 14 buses, flying nearly four stories
high and covering a jaw-dropping 192
feet to clear 16 modern-day Greyhound
buses. In order to make room for the
massive set-up, these jumps required
the production teams to take over the
space behind Planet Hollywood Resort
& Casino, Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s Las
Vegas.
Afterwards, Pastrana took to the streets
with a police escort to ride to the
Caesars Palace jump site. Fans quickly
lined Las Vegas Boulevard, exchanging
high-fives with Pastrana from taxis and
the side of the road as anticipation for
the finale built. The motorcade quickly
closed The Strip.
Then Pastrana faced the Caesars Palace
fountain jump that nearly took Knievel’s
life half a century ago after his infamous
crash. As if that wasn’t daunting
enough, given the expansion of Caesars
Palace since Knievel’s ill-fated attempt,
Pastrana had only a 200 foot run-in to
accelerate to the 70 mph speed
necessary to clear the fountain.
Pastrana also had to contend with
stifling heat reaching 102 degrees and,
just before the event, potential
thunderstorms. Even in ideal conditions
and if he hit his speed marks perfectly,
Pastrana would land with just a few feet
to spare. But, after arcing over the
fountains, Pastrana touched safely
down on the landing ramp to the roaring
crowd and a flash of pyrotechnics.
This electrifying event paid tribute to
Evel Knievel in every possible detail.
From Pastrana riding an Indian Scout
FTR750, a modern-day evolution of the
flat track motorcycles of the past - and
very different from the modern-day dirt
bikes Pastrana usually rides – to the
white leather suit and helmet decked
out in American stars and stripes just like
Knievel’s classic livery, these specifics
illuminate how much Knievel achieved
and the impact he has had on
generations of fans.