...at the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas

[Daniel Kalal]

You might not expect the Evel Knievel Museum to be in Topeka, Kansas.
 
Kansas
 
The museum shares the same building as Topeka Harley-Davidson, which must be one of the older HD dealerships around.  It (the museum) is far more extensive and comprehensive than I would have expected.
 
It's all here: the motorcycles, the outfits, the (mostly battered) helmets, thousands of photographs, videos, his Mack Truck that hauled the jumps and bikes around the country and thousands of artifacts from the life of a pretty remarkable man.
 
“I'd do it all the same...
except I'd go faster on a few jumps.”
 - Evel Knievel
 
 
 
It's your chance to have your picture taken next to Evel.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
He used several different brands of motorcycles through his career.   Some were better than others.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You can sit on an XR-750, put a VR headset on and make a jump in Topeka Kansas as was recorded by the rider who made the jump--constrained by camera equipment attached to his head!  The museum guide is there to make sure you don’t fling yourself off the motorcycle.  It's pretty realistic, and that means your instincts might take over.

The projected screen (in the photograph) is just for the onlookers; the VR headset gives you a full 360-degree view that is little different from what the real jumper was seeing (and feeling).  Look up; look down; it’s you that’s making the jump.
 

 
There's small theater playing Evel Knievel movies (none good, but perhaps that’s not the point).
 
   
 
The man broke some bones...
 
 
 
It wasn't just the jumps, of course.  The man was marketed everywhere.
 
   
 
The Snake River jump didn't go as planned, but I give him credit for doing it.  There's nothing about any of this that could ever have been made safe.
 
 
 
 

[zebraranger]

I had the Evil Knievel stunt cycle when I was a kid. Grew up watching his stunts in amazement, built a few ramps and jumped my bicycles.....

[Daniel Kalal]

...built a few ramps and jumped my bicycles....

The museum has an open request that if you have photographs of your bicycle jumps from the early-seventies to send them in.

I, too, made some pretty crazy jumps on my own bicycle, but there are no photographs--my parents never knew.

I saw Evel do a jump at the Sacramento Mile in 1970 (it might have been the last event at the old grandstands).  That was one of his Laverda jumps that was successful.

[Guzzistajohn]

Dude, I WAS Evil Knivevel  on my BMX bike (w/o the red, white and blue outfit) I was catchin' some SWEET AIR in the 70's. I see a Topeka road trip in my near future  Thanks for posting, Daniel!

[wirespokes]

When I bought a house in Salem Oregon 20 years ago, the realtor saw I was a rider and started talking about growing up in Butte and that crazy Robert Knievel. Always getting into trouble and racing around like a mad man. I don't recall the stories, but guess he was a real hell raiser.

[Kiwi Dave]

I came across one of his bikes in a bar in Deadwood, South Dakota a few years back.  It was a Harley Sportster from memory.

I wonder if it's still there, or is now with the collection in Topeka, Kansas?

[Chuck in Indiana]

I missed a golden opportunity. Dorcia and I were at bike week many years ago, and I (who doesn't normally recognize people) said,  "That's Evel Knievel.." Walked over, and he put his arm around Dorcia.. and I didn't have my camera with me. 
Actually he was never a hero of mine, and not a particularly good person from what I've read.. but.. talk about cajones. People diss his rocket jump, but he got in that sucker and lit it off.

[Lannis]

I always liked him even though he was a bit "over the top" in more ways than one.   He was a PT Barnum-level showman, but he'd back it up with everything he had.

I'd like to see how that "virtual reality" thing works, and if it's really as realistic as they say where'd you'd be pulling handlebars and stomping brakes under its influence!

Lannis

[Chuck in Indiana]

I always liked him even though he was a bit "over the top" in more ways than one.   He was a PT Barnum-level showman, but he'd back it up with everything he had.

I'd like to see how that "virtual reality" thing works, and if it's really as realistic as they say where'd you'd be pulling handlebars and stomping brakes under its influence!

Lannis

I "flew" a virtual reality flight simulator at Oshkosh this year, and yes, the sensations are there.

[Ncdan]

I thought he was cool when I was a kid but as an adult I can definitely see the stupidity in his life's choices. However the guy had guts or was simply bat $#|+ crazy!

[Texas Turnip]

I had the pleasure of watching him jump over (can't remember number) of Mack trucks in Hutchinson, KS many years ago.
 Thanks for the post. I need to put the museum on my growing bucket list.

Tex

[Stephen]

I saw him jump in Dallas at the Autorama.

[wirespokes]

... he put his arm around Dorcia.. and I didn't have my camera with me. 

From what I heard, he went a lot farther with other wives than putting an arm around them. Not that they were resisting or anything...

His wife knew and put up with it.

[twowheeladdict]

Cool!  I had ever Evel knievel toy I could get my hands on when I was young. 

Jumps were mandatory for a young daredevil want-to-be.  We worked our way up to 6 foot high ramps, and had a construction area with 20 foot high mounds with a nice downhill approach that if you did it just right you glided down the other side with your tire just a foot or so off the dirt with a hopefully smooth landing!  We wore football helmets.  Most of the time. 

[Bulldog9]

My last assignment had me with a Combat Aviation Brigade (Army Helicopters) while flying between Joint Base Lewis/McChord and a Training Center in Oregon, we few over the Snake River Canyon..... Was Surreal......... I knew what it was before the pilot mentioned it over the head sets..... Evel was white the guy............

[Chuck in Indiana]

From what I heard, he went a lot farther with other wives than putting an arm around them. Not that they were resisting or anything...

His wife knew and put up with it.

Yeah, he was a dawg all right..

[Guzzistajohn]

My last assignment had me with a Combat Aviation Brigade (Army Helicopters) while flying between Joint Base Lewis/McChord and a Training Center in Oregon, we few over the Snake River Canyon..... Was Surreal......... I knew what it was before the pilot mentioned it over the head sets..... Evel was white the guy............

Spell checker strikes again! ^^

[Sasquatch Jim]

She didn't care where he got his appetite so long as he ate at home.