Triumph Motorcycles joined the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Evel Knievel’s legendary Rocket Jump at Twin Falls, Idaho on September 1. 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 31, 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.
Kelly Knievel said: “This bike is painted up just like ‘Color me Lucky’ the Triumph he used, it looks great! 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.”