Triumph Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Evel Knievel’s Rocket Jump
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.
