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NEWS
COLOR ME LUCKY
Triumph ' s Tribute To The King
Triumph Motorcycles joined the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Evel Knievel ’ s legendary Rocket Jump at Twin Falls , Idaho on Sunday 1 September .
The day of festivities began with a motorcycle parade and featured live music from Krysten Knievel ( Kaptain Robbie Knievel ’ s daughter ) and The Knievel Daredevil Band .
Leading the motorcycle parade , Knievel ’ s son Kelly rode a custom-painted Bonneville T120 , alongside stunt rider Robbie ‘ Maddo ’ Maddison , who rode a custom Rocket 3 , in tribute to the one-of-a-kind Skycycle X-2 Rocket used in the original jump . Six-time gold medal X Games champion Colby Raha also chose a Triumph to ride in the parade , opting for a Speed 400 .
The matching custom schemes were inspired by Evel ’ s original Bonneville T120-TT ‘ Color Me Lucky ’, which he used to perform his legendary 141-foot jump over the Caesar ’ s Palace fountains in Las Vegas on December 31st , 1967 . Although the crash-landing crushed his pelvis and femur , fractured his hip , wrist , and both ankles , the stunt confirmed him as the ultimate daredevil . A Bonneville T120 was also used by Knievel to promote his Canyon flight in 1972 , which he fitted with wings to capture everyone ’ s imagination .
“ This bike is painted up just like ‘ Color me Lucky ’ the Triumph he used , it looks great ," said Kelly Kneievel . " He always had a soft spot for his T120 , said it flew ‘ straight as a bullet ’. Robbie ’ s riding a Triumph Rocket with the same custom paint scheme as this bike , which feels a very appropriate way to celebrate the anniversary .”
Triumph Motorcycles Chief Operating Officer Paul Stroud added : “ This was an uplifting celebration of one of Evel Knievel ’ s best-known stunts , and Triumph is thrilled to support his family and fans by creating these one-off custom bikes to lead the parade . Following his jump at Caesar ’ s Palace on a T120 TT , Evel Knievel performed many stunts on Triumph motorcycles during the 60 ’ s , securing his name in the hearts of generations of fans . It ’ s good to see the latest generation of the T120 bike that was used to first promote this notorious Snake Canyon jump , now being ridden by the next generation of the
Knievel family .”
Robert Craig " Evel " Knievel ( October 17 , 1938 – November 30 , 2007 ) was an iconic American motorcycle stunt performer and showman , performing more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps during a career that took him from rural county fairs to sold-out stadiums .
Evel ’ s infamous ‘ rocket jump ’ of the Snake River Canyon in Idaho in September of 1972 delivered his most dramatic career highlight . While recovering from his crash at Caesars Palace , Evel dreamed up his most daring stunt ever - an ambitious and heavily-promoted plan to jump the Grand Canyon . Following difficulties obtaining the necessary permissions , the location was changed to the Snake River Canyon in Idaho , a site that required him to clear a gap a quarter-mile wide and more than 500 feet deep !
To promote the Grand Canyon jump , a prototype ‘ jet powered ’ Triumph Bonneville T120 fitted with wings , named the ‘ Skycycle ’, was shown to the press . Aeronautical engineer Doug Malewicki was then engaged to design and build a real ‘ rocket-powered ’ motorcycle to jump the Snake River Canyon . The Skycycle X-1 was based on a heavily-modified motorcycle chassis and powered by a steam engine built by former NASA engineer Robert Truax . After a test flight , which resulted in the X-1 crashing into the Snake River , the decision was made to remove the wheels entirely and instead take-off and fly more like a rocket than a motorcycle .
The final X-2 Rocket , with Knievel inside , launched at Snake River Canyon on September 8 , 1974 . During take-off , the drogue parachute deployed prematurely . Even though the X-2 made it part way across the canyon to the north rim , the drag of the prevailing winds caused it to drift back south , into the canyon , landing only a few feet clear of the water in which Evel would have surely drowned , strapped into the craft .
However , along with his jump at Caesars Palace , despite its ultimate failure , the Snake River Canyon rocket jump secured Evel ’ s reputation as the King of Stuntmen .
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