Evel Knievel Dies at 69 - Legendary Daredevil Passes Away

[Math Is Hard]

Evel Knievel, the hard-living motorcycle daredevil who cheated death time and time again, has died at the age of 69.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/01/wevel101.xml

Surprisingly, he didn't die during a stunt.

 

[wolram]

He sure had guts, does anyone still have a toy Evel?

 

[scorpa]

Wow another icon gone. That guy was 100% insane.

 

[turbo]

Wow another icon gone. That guy was 100% insane.

Well, maybe 90% risk-taker, 9% showman, and the rest insane. I've come through some stuff on bikes that I didn't deserve to, and None of them were as well-planned or thought-out as his stunts, though some were as crazy.

 

[wolram]

Turbo, you mean to say you miss used your velocipede, chuckle.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

He was definitely a very gutsy [or insane] daredevil, and for many years he was quite the celebrity. Perhaps his most amazing feat was to survive to the age of 69. RIP EK.

 

[Gokul43201]

He sure looked a lot older than 69 (and he should).

 

[FredGarvin]

He may not have died during a stunt, but his death was surely a direct result of them.

The coolest toy I had growing up, next to my Six Million Dollar Man with the zoom vision bionic eye, was my Evel Knievel wind up motorcycle with Evel action figure. I used to take that thing everywhere.

I remember when he would do a stunt, they would devote tons of prime time TV to him. His Snake River stunt seemed to go on for weeks.

 

[turbo]

Turbo, you mean to say you miss used your velocipede, chuckle.

Oh yeah. I had a Yamaha RD 350 with an incredible power-to weight ratio. Both times that I've been down on a bike it was because I wheelied over backward without intending to. Once was at noon-time in front of the town's only bank on payday - I couldn't have gotten together a bigger crowd if I tried.

 

[Kurdt]

The guy certainly was brave, and 69 isn't a bad age really.

I've had a similar experience to Turbo on a Yamaha. When learning in the UK you're only allowed upto a 125cc and for good reason. When I passed my motorbike test I decided a Yamaha R6 was my next bike and nearly killed myself instantly.

 

[wildman]

He may not have died during a stunt, but his death was surely a direct result of them.

His death is directly linked to the case of hepatitis C was get contacted due to a blood transfusion after a stunt.

 

[scorpa]

Well, maybe 90% risk-taker, 9% showman, and the rest insane. I've come through some stuff on bikes that I didn't deserve to, and None of them were as well-planned or thought-out as his stunts, though some were as crazy.

Haha that is true. It's amazing some of the stuff you can come out of without a scratch. Last summer I hit a hidden trench (about 4-5 feet deep) in a field on my bike cruising along at about 80km/h through the hay field...I nailed the trench and pretty soon my bike was 6 feet in the air and i was above the bike holding my handlebars by my fingertips "superman style". I hit the ground hard and came down hard on my handlebars but somehow rode it out and didnt even crash...didnt have so much as a scratch.