Triumph celebrate 50 years since Evel Knievel's Rocket Jump with pair of custom painted motorcycles

Triumph commemorated the 50^th anniversary of Evel Knievel’s legendary ‘Rocket Jump’ with the creation of two custom painted machines which went on to feature in a celebratory parade. 

Knievel’s son, Kelly, rode a custom-painted Bonneville T120, alongside stunt rider Robbie Maddison, who rode a Rocket 3 – chosen in tribute to the one-off Skycycle X-2 Rocket used for the original quarter-mile wide Snake River Canyon Jump. 

The original Skycycle X-1 (and its successor – Skycycle X-2) was built around a heavily modified motorcycle chassis, but instead of a conventional combustion engine, it utilised a jet engine and featured sleek rocket like bodywork. 

Six-time gold medal X Games champion Colby Raha also took part in the festivities aboard a Triumph Speed 400. 

The custom paint jobs commissioned for the event resembled Evel’s famed ‘Colour Me Lucky’ Bonneville T120-TT – which the daredevil used to perform his 141-foot jump over the Caesar’s Palace Fountains on December 31, 1967. 

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, [he] 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 COO, 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.”