FOREVER YOUNG Yes it`s true, our very own Rodney

Volume 14 Number 86
Yes it’s true, our very own Rodney, has disgracefully decided to attempt to break
American stuntman “Evil Knievel’s” world record of 433 bone fractures while
riding motorcycles. (I have included an expose on Evil for those of you who
have not heard of him. Although come to think of it, if you don’t know who
he is, then you haven’t lived! Scribe.)
While taking part in an adventure ride to Nieu Betesda for the “Pielkop
(Dick-head) Rally,” he took a tumble while riding his GS and suffered multiple
fracture to his “tib-fib”. At the time they were riding on a mountain, which
made rescue very difficult. Fortunately there was cell phone coverage (which
is remarkable as my youngsters living on the West Rand don’t even have coverage
where they live.) and an emergency Medevac helicopter was dispatched to fetch him
and take him to his second home-St Dominic’s Hospital in East London.
Fortunately for Rodney and Michele they were riding with fellow bikers John Quinn
and Julian Pretorius, who helped make Rodney comfortable and wait for the rescue
helicopter to arrive. Fortunately Michelle was riding with Julian, and was thus spared
from taking a tumble as well.
When the helicopter arrived the medics stabilised Rodney, gave him some wonderful
stuff for the pain and flew him back to East London. Michelle was rescued by a
handsome farmer (Her words not mine) Brad Emslie, who took her off the mountain
and waited with her until our very own Michelle Theron was able to drive through to
Katberg to fetch her.
Unfortunately the next morning John on his way back home skidded round a corner
and wiped out. He suffered a sprained ankle, a scraped elbow and a blue finger.
Unfortunately I have not had any reports on how the “Pielkop Rally” was, but back in
East London Rodney underwent an operation on Sunday morning and is said to be on
the mend. When approached about his world record attempt, all I got was a broad
smile and some sign language which I can’t repeat.
Rodney from all of us, we love you and we wish you a speedy recovery and great
success with your record attempt.
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Rodney, down but not out!
“All that glitters is not Gold.
Rodney playing “Candy-Crush.”
Rodney eating a “Candy-Bar.”
The Medi-vac arrives.
Trying to find that vein.
Moving that fractured leg,
OWWWWW!!!!!!!
Some curious locals came to watch.
This beats walking. . . . .
Before the opp.
The “happy juice” kicks in.
The nurses are cute!
Michelle would like to thank the guys for their assistance, the para-medics for fetching
Rod, the handsome farmer who took her off the mountain, Michelle for coming all the
way from East London to Katberg to fetch her and the hospital staff at St Dominic’s
for repairing Rodney and putting up with his nonsense.
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Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel (October 17, 1938 – November
30, 2007) was an American daredevil, painter, entertainer,
and international icon. In his career, he attempted more
than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and
1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River
Canyon in the Sky-cycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket. He
suffered more than 433 bone fractures in his career, thereby earning an entry in
the Guinness Book of World Records as the survivor of "most bones broken in a
lifetime". Knievel died of pulmonary disease in Clearwater, Florida, aged 69. In his
obituary in British newspaper The Times, Knievel was described as one of the greatest
American icons of the 1970s. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in
1999.
Born in Butte, Montana in 1938, Bobby Knievel was the first of two children born to
Robert E. and Ann Marie Keough Knievel. His surname is of German origin; his greatgreat-grandparents on his father's side immigrated to the United States from
Germany. Robert and Ann divorced in 1940, after the birth of their second child,
Nicolas, known as Nic. Both parents decided to leave Butte. Bobby and Nic were raised
by paternal grandparents, Ignatius and Emma Knievel. At the age of eight, Bobby
attended a Joie Chitwood Auto Daredevil Show, to which he gave credit for his later
career choice to become a motorcycle daredevil.
Knievel ended high school after his sophomore (second) year and got a job in the
copper mines with the Anaconda Mining Company as a diamond drill operator.
However, he preferred motor biking to all this "unimportant stuff", as he put it. He was
then promoted to surface duty where he drove a large earth mover. Knievel was fired
when he made the earth mover do a motorcycle-type wheelie and drove it into Butte's
main power line. The incident left the city without electricity for several hours.
Without work, Knievel began to find himself in more and more trouble around Butte.
After a police chase in 1956 in which he crashed his motorcycle, Knievel was taken to
jail on a charge of reckless driving. When the night jailer came around to check the roll,
he noted Robert Knievel in one cell and William Knofel in the other. Knofel was well
known as "Awful Knofel" ("awful" rhyming with "Knofel") so Knievel began to be
referred to as Evel Knievel ("Evel" rhyming with "Knievel"). He chose this misspelling
because of his last name and because he didn't want to be considered "evil".
Always looking for new thrills and challenges, Knievel participated in local
professional rodeos and ski jumping events, including winning the Northern Rocky
Mountain Ski Association Class A Men's ski jumping championship in 1959. During the
late 1950s, Knievel joined the United States Army. His athletic ability allowed him to
join the track team where he was a pole vaulter. After his army stint, Knievel returned
to Butte where he met and married his first wife, Linda Joan Bork.
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He joined the motocross circuit and had moderate success, but he still couldn't make
enough money to support his family. During 1962, Knievel broke his collarbone and
shoulder in a motocross accident. The doctors said he couldn't race for at least six
months. To help support his family, he switched careers and sold insurance for
the Combined Insurance Company of America, working for W. Clement Stone. Stone
suggested that Knievel read “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude,” a book that
Stone wrote with Napoleon Hill. Knievel credited much of his success to Stone and his
book.
Knievel was successful as an insurance salesman (even selling insurance policies to
several institutionalized mental patients) and wanted recognition for his efforts. When
the company refused to promote him to vice-president after a few months on the job
he quit. Wanting a new start away from Butte, Knievel moved his family to Moses
Lake, Washington. There, he opened a Honda motorcycle dealership and promoted
motocross racing. During the early 1960s, it was difficult to promote and
sell Japanese imports and the Moses Lake Honda dealership eventually closed. After
the closure, Knievel went to work for Don Pomeroy at his motorcycle shop
in Sunnyside, Washington. It is here where Jim Pomeroy, a well-known motocross
racer, taught Knievel how to do a "wheelie" and ride while standing on the seat of the
bike.
While trying to support his family, Knievel recalled the Joie Chitwood show he saw as
a boy and decided that he could do something similar using a motorcycle. Promoting
the show himself, Knievel rented the venue, wrote the press releases, set up the show,
sold the tickets and served as his own master of ceremonies. After enticing the small
crowd with a few wheelies, he proceeded to jump a twenty-foot-long box
of rattlesnakes and two mountain lions. Despite landing short and having his back
wheel hit the box containing the rattlesnakes, Knievel managed to land safely.
Knievel realized to make any amount of real money he would need to hire more
performers, stunt coordinators and other personnel so that he could concentrate on
the jumps. With little money, he went looking for a sponsor and found one in Bob Blair,
owner of ZDS Motors, Inc., the West coast distributor for Berliner Motor Corporation, a
distributor for Norton Motorcycles. Blair offered to provide the needed motorcycles,
but he wanted the name changed from the Bobby Knievel and His Motorcycle
Daredevils Thrill Show to Evil Knievel and His Motorcycle Daredevils. Knievel didn't
want his image to be that of a Hells Angels rider, so he convinced Blair to allow him to
use Evel instead of Evil.
The debut of Knievel and his daredevils was on
January 3, 1966, at the National Date Festival in Indio,
California. The show was a huge success. Knievel
received several offers to host the show after their
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first performance. The second booking was in Hemet, California, but was cancelled due
to rain. The next performance was on February 10, in Barstow, California. During the
performance, Knievel attempted a new stunt where he would jump, spread eagle, over
a speeding motorcycle. Knievel jumped too late and the motorcycle hit him in
the groin, tossing him fifteen feet into the air. He was placed in the hospital as a result
of his injuries. When released, he returned to Barstow to finish the performance he
had started almost a month earlier.
Knievel's daredevil show broke up after the Barstow performance because injuries
prevented him from performing. After recovering, Knievel started traveling from small
town to small town as a solo act. To get ahead of other motorcycle stunt people who
were jumping animals or pools of water, Knievel started jumping cars. He began adding
more and more cars to his jumps when he would return to the same venue to get
people to come out and see him again. Knievel hadn't had a serious injury since the
Barstow performance, but on June 19 in Missoula, Montana, he attempted to jump
twelve cars and a cargo van. The distance he had for take-off didn't allow him to get
up enough speed. His back wheel hit the top of the van while his front wheel hit the
top of the landing ramp. Knievel ended up with a severely broken arm and several
broken ribs. The crash and subsequent stay in the hospital were a
publicity windfall.
With each successful jump, the public wanted him to jump one more
car. On May 30, 1967, Knievel successfully cleared sixteen cars
in Gardena, California. Then he attempted the same jump on July 28,
1967, in Graham, Washington, where he had his next serious crash.
Landing his cycle on a panel truck that was the last vehicle, Knievel
was thrown from his bike. This time he suffered a serious concussion. After a month,
he recovered and returned to Graham on August 18 to finish the show; but the result
was the same, only this time the injuries were more serious. Again coming up short,
Knievel crashed, breaking his left wrist, right knee and two ribs.
Knievel first received national exposure when actor Joey Bishop had him on as a guest
of The Joey Bishop Show. The national attention brought both a larger pay check and
larger fan base.
While in Las Vegas to watch Dick Tiger successfully defend his WBA and WBC light
heavyweight titles at the Convention Center on November 17, 1967, Knievel first saw
the fountains at Caesars Palace and decided to jump them. To get an audience with the
casino's CEO Jay Sarno, Knievel created a fictitious corporation called Evel Knievel
Enterprises and three fictitious lawyers to make phone calls to Sarno. Knievel also
placed phone calls to Sarno claiming to be from ABC-TV and SportsIllustrated inquiring about the jump. Sarno finally agreed to meet Knievel and the deal
was set for Knievel to jump the fountains on December 31, 1967. After the deal was
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set, Knievel tried to get ABC to air the event live on Wide World of Sports. ABC
declined, but said that if Knievel had the jump filmed and it
was as spectacular as he said it would be, they would consider
using it later.
Knievel, 29, used his own money to have actor/director John
Derek produce a film of the Caesars' jump. To keep costs low,
Derek used his then-wife Linda Evans as one of the camera
operators. It was Evans who filmed Knievel's famous landing. On the morning of the
jump, Knievel stopped in the casino and placed his last 100 dollars on
the blackjack table (which he lost), stopped by the bar and had a shot of Wild
Turkey and then headed outside where he was joined by several members of the
Caesars staff, as well as two showgirls. After doing his normal pre-jump show and a
few warm up approaches, Knievel began his real approach. When he hit the take-off
ramp, he felt the motorcycle unexpectedly decelerate. The sudden loss of power on the
take-off caused Knievel to come up short and land on the safety ramp which was
supported by a van. This caused the handlebars to be ripped out of his hands as he
tumbled over them onto the pavement where he skidded into the Dunes parking lot.
As a result of the crash, Knievel suffered a crushed pelvis
and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist, and both ankles and a
concussion that kept him in the hospital. For marketing
reasons, he had a 29 day coma during his stay in hospital.
The Caesars Palace crash was Knievel's longest attempted
motorcycle jump at 141 feet (43 m). After his crash and
recovery, Knievel was more famous than ever. ABC-TV bought the rights to the film of
the jump; paying far more than they originally would have had they televised the
original jump live. Ironically, when Knievel finally achieved the fame he had always
wanted and fortune now a distinct possibility, his doctors were telling him that he
might never walk without the aid of crutches, let alone ride and jump motorcycles
again.
Before the Caesars' jump Knievel asked his friend Matt Tonning, a Combined Insurance
sales agent, to sell him ten accident policies. Combined's underwriting policies allowed
for only one of these policies be written, since the policy covered any accident and
was non-cancellable for the life of the insured. Tonning agreed and was fired by
Combined when Knievel filed the claims on all ten. Upon hearing that Tonning had
been fired, Knievel contacted Combined's Vice President Matt Walsh. He agreed to
return nine of the policies and be paid full benefits on only one, if Combined allowed
Tonning to return to work. Walsh agreed and Tonning was reinstated.
In a 1971 interview with Dick Cavett, Knievel stated that he was uninsurable following
the Caesars' crash. Knievel said he was turned down 37 times from Lloyd's of London,
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stating, "I have trouble getting life insurance, accident insurance, hospitalization and
even insurance for my automobile...Lloyd's of London has rejected me 37 times so if
you hear the rumour that they insure anybody, don’t pay too much attention to
it." Four years later, a clause in Knievel's contract to jump 14 buses at Kings
Island required a one-day $1 million liability insurance to the amusement park. Lloyd's
of London offered the liability insurance for what was called a "laughable $17,500".
Knievel eventually paid $2,500 to a U.S.-based insurance company.
To keep his name in the news, Knievel started describing his biggest stunt ever, a
motorcycle jump across the Grand Canyon. Just five months after his near-fatal crash
in Las Vegas, Knievel performed another jump. On May 25, 1968, in Scottsdale,
Arizona, Knievel crashed while attempting to jump fifteen Ford Mustangs. Knievel
ended up breaking his right leg and foot as a result of the crash.
On August 3, 1968, Knievel returned to jumping, making more money than ever before.
He was earning approximately $25,000 per performance, and he was making
successful jumps almost weekly until October 13, in Carson City, Nevada. While trying
to stick the landing, he lost control of the bike and crashed again, breaking his hip
once more.
By 1971, Knievel realized that the U.S. government would never allow him to jump the
Grand Canyon. To keep his fans interested, Knievel considered several other stunts
that might match the publicity that would have been generated by jumping the
canyon; ideas included: jumping across the Mississippi River, jumping from one
skyscraper to another in New York City and jumping over 13 cars inside the Houston
Astrodome. While flying back to Butte from a performance tour, Knievel looked out the
window and saw Snake River Canyon. After finding a location just east of Twin Falls,
Idaho that was wide enough, deep enough, and on private property, Knievel leased
300 acres (1.2 km2) for $35,000 to stage his jump. He set the date for Labour
Day (September 4), 1972.
On January 7 and January 8, 1971, Knievel set the record by selling over 100,000
tickets to back-to-back performances at the Houston Astrodome. On February 28, he
set a new world record by jumping 19 cars with his Harley-Davidson XR-750 at
the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. The 19 car jump was also filmed for
the movie Evel Knievel. Knievel held the record for 27 years until Bubba
Blackwell jumped 20 cars in 1998 with an XR-750.
On May 10, Knievel crashed while attempting to jump 13 Pepsi delivery trucks. His
approach was complicated by the fact that he had to start on pavement, cut across
grass, and then return to pavement. His lack of speed caused the motorcycle to come
down front wheel first. He managed to hold on until the cycle hit the base of the ramp.
After being thrown off he skidded for 50 feet (15 m). Knievel broke his collarbone,
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suffered a compound fracture of his right arm and broke both legs.
On March 3, 1972, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, after making a successful
jump, he tried to come to a quick stop because of a short landing area. Knievel
reportedly suffered a broken back and a concussion after getting thrown off and run
over by his motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson. Knievel returned to jumping in November
1973, where he successfully jumped over 50 stacked cars at the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum. For 35 years, Knievel held the record for successfully jumping the most
stacked cars on a Harley-Davidson XR-750 (the record was broken in October
2008). His historic XR-750 is now part of the collection of the Smithsonian's National
Museum of American History. Made of steel, aluminium and fiberglass, the customized
motorcycle weighs about 300 pounds.
Although Knievel never attempted to jump the Grand Canyon, rumours of the Canyon
jump were started by Knievel himself in 1968, following the Caesars Palace crash.
During a 1968 interview, Knievel stated, "I don't care if they say, 'Look, kid, you're
going to drive that thing off the edge of the Canyon and die,' I'm going to do it. I want
to be the first. If they'd let me go to the moon, I'd crawl all the way to Cape
Kennedy just to do it. I'd like to go to the moon, but I don't want to be the
second man to go there." For the next several years, Knievel negotiated
with the federal government to secure a jumping site and develop various
concept bikes to make the jump, but the Interior Department denied
him airspace over the northern Arizona canyon. Knievel switched his
attention in 1971 to the Snake River Canyon in southern Idaho.
In the 1971 movie, Evel Knievel, George Hamilton (as Knievel) alludes to
the canyon jump in the final scene of the movie. One of the common
movie posters for the film depicts Knievel jumping is motorcycle off a (likely) Grand
Canyon cliff. In 1999, son Robbie Knievel jumped a portion of the Grand Canyon owned
by the Hualapai Indian Reservation.
ABC Sports was unwilling to pay the price Knievel wanted for the Snake River
Canyon jump, so he hired boxing promoter Bob Arum's company, Top
Rank Productions, to put the event on closed-circuit television and broadcast to movie
theatres. Investors in the event took a substantial loss, including promoter Don E.
Branker, as well as Vince McMahon, Jr., who declared personal bankruptcy a few years
later before taking over and expanding his father's World Wrestling Federation. Arum
partnered with Invest West Sports, Shelly Saltman's company, to secure from Invest
West Sports two things: first, the necessary financing for the jump, and second, the
services of Saltman, long recognized as one of America's premier public relations and
promotion men, to do publicity so that Knievel could concentrate on his jumps. Knievel
hired subcontractor and aeronautical engineer Doug Malewickito build him a rocketpowered cycle to jump across the Snake River, and called the X-1 Sky-cycle.
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Malwecki's creation was powered by a steam engine built by former Aero
jet engineer Robert Truax. On April 15, 1972, the X-1 was launched to test the
feasibility of the launching ramp. The decision was then made to have Truax build
the Sky-cycle X-2 and have it take off and fly more
like a rocket than a motorcycle.
West of Shoshone Falls, the launch at the south rim of
the Snake River Canyon (42.597°N 114.423°W) was on
Sunday, September 8, 1974, at 3:36 p.m. MDT. The
steam that powered the engine was superheated to a
temperature of 500 °F (260 °C). The drogue parachute
prematurely deployed as the Sky-cycle left the launching rail and induced significant
drag. Even though the craft made it all the way across the canyon to the north rim,
the prevailing northwest winds caused it to drift back into the canyon. By the time it
hit the bottom of the canyon, it landed only a few feet from the water on the same
side of the canyon from which it had been launched. If he had landed in the water,
Knievel likely would have drowned, due to a jumpsuit/harness malfunction which kept
him strapped in the vehicle. He survived the jump with only minor injuries.
Since the 1974 launch, seven daredevils have expressed interest in recreating the
jump, including Knievel's two sons Robbie and Kelly. Robbie announced he would
recreate the jump in 2010. Stuntman Eddie Braun announced he is working with Kelly
and Robert Truax's son to recreate the jump using a replica of the X-2 Sky-`cycle. To
date, no official jump has been announced or attempted.
After the Snake River jump, Knievel returned to motorcycle jumping with ABC's Wide
World of Sports televising several jumps. On May 26, 1975, in front of 90,000 people
at Wembley Stadium in London, Knievel crashed while trying to land a jump over
thirteen redundant single-deck AEC Merlin buses (the term "London Buses" used in
earlier publicity had led to the belief that the attempt was to be made over the higher
and more traditional Route-master double-deck type). After the crash, despite
breaking his pelvis, Knievel addressed the audience and announced his retirement by
stating "ladies and gentlemen of this wonderful country, I've got to tell you that you
are the last people in the world who will ever see me jump. Because I will never, ever,
ever jump again. I’m through." Near shock and not yielding to Frank Gifford's (of ABC's
Wide World of Sports) plea to use a stretcher, Knievel walked off the Wembley field
stating, "I came in walking, I went out walking!"
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After recuperating, Knievel decided that he had spoken too soon, and that he would
continue jumping. On October 25, 1975, Knievel successfully jumped
fourteen Greyhound buses at the Kings Island theme park near Cincinnati, Ohio.
Although Knievel landed on the safety deck above the 14th bus, his landing was
successful and he held the record for jumping the most buses on a HarleyDavidson for 24 years (until broken by Bubba Blackwell in late 1999). The Kings Island
event scored the highest viewer ratings in the history of ABC's Wide World of
Sports and would serve as Knievel's longest successful jump at 133 feet (although
the Caesars Palace jump was longer, it ended in a crash). After the Kings Island jump,
Knievel again announced his retirement.
Again, his retirement was short lived and Knievel continued to jump. However, after
the lengthy Kings Island jump, Knievel limited the remainder of his career jumps to
shorter and more attainable lengths. Evel jumped on October 31, 1976, at the Seattle
Kingdome. He only jumped seven Greyhound Buses but it was a success. Despite the
crowd's pleasure, Knievel felt that it was not his best jump, and apologized to the
crowd.
In the winter of 1976, Knievel was scheduled for a
major jump in Chicago, Illinois. The jump was
inspired by the film Jaws. Knievel was scheduled
to jump a tank full of live sharks and would be
televised live nationally. However, during his
rehearsal, Knievel lost control of the motorcycle
and crashed into a cameraman. Although Knievel
broke his arms, he was more distraught over a
permanent injury his accident caused to the cameraman (who lost his eye). The
footage of this crash was so upsetting to Knievel, that he did not show the clip for 19
years until the documentary Absolute Evel: The Evel Knievel Story.
Afterward Knievel retired from major performances and limited his appearances to
smaller venues to help launch the career of his son, Robbie Knievel. His last stunt
show, not including a jump, took place in March 1980 in Puerto Rico. However, Knievel
would officially finish his career as a daredevil as a touring "companion" of his son,
Robbie, limiting his performance to speaking only, rather than stunt riding. His last
appearance with Robbie (on tour) was in March 1981 in Hollywood, Florida.
The Last Gladiator is an honorific title or nickname for Evel Knievel. The term Last
Gladiator was coined and attributed to Knievel circa 1971. The term refers to the
Roman gladiator, who entered an arena to fight numerous foes to which he may
vanquish death with skill and bravery.
The term was made popular in the 1971 eponymous movie starring George Hamilton. In
the movie, Hamilton (as Knievel) states, "I am the last gladiator in the new Rome. I go
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into the arena and I compete against destruction and I win. And next week, I go out
there and I do it again."
Evel Knievel's 1988 self-produced documentary was entitled, "Last of the Gladiators".
"Evel Knievel . . .may be the last great gladiator" is a quote from an article by David
Lyle about Knievel that appeared in the January 1970 issue of Esquire Magazine.
Motorcycles
Knievel briefly used a Honda 250cc motorcycle, using it to jump a crate of rattlesnakes
and two mountain lions, which was his first known jump. Knievel then used a Norton
Motorcycle Company 750cc. He used the Norton for only one year during 1966.
Between 1967 and 1968, Knievel jumped using the Triumph Bonneville T120 (with a
650cc engine). Knievel used the Triumph at the Caesars Palace
crash on New Year's Eve 1967. When Knievel returned to
jumping after the crash, he used Triumph for the remainder of
1968.
Attempting his stunts on motorcycles without modern
suspension was a primary factor in Knievel's many disastrous
landings. The terrific forces these machines passed on to his body is well-illustrated in
the super slo-mo of his Caesars' landing.
Between December 1969 and April 1970, Knievel used the Laverda American Eagle
750cc motorcycle. On December 12, 1970, Knievel would switch to the HarleyDavidson XR-750, the motorcycle with which he is best known for jumping. Knievel
would use the XR-750 in association with Harley-Davidson until 1977. However, after
his 1977 conviction for the assault of Shelly Saltman, Harley-Davidson withdrew their
sponsorship of Knievel.
On September 8, 1974, Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon on a rocket
propelled motorcycle designed by former NASA engineer Robert Truax dubbed
the Sky-cycle X-2. The State of Idaho registered the X-2 as an airplane rather than a
motorcycle.
At the tail end of his career, while helping launch the career of his son, Robbie Knievel,
Knievel returned to the Triumph T120. However, he only performed wheelies and did
not jump after retiring the XR-750.[7]
In 1997, Knievel signed with the California Motorcycle Company to release a
limited Evel Knievel Motorcycle. However, the motorcycle was not built to jump, but
was rather a V-twin cruiser motorcycle intended to compete with Harley-Davidson
street bikes. Knievel promoted the motorcycle at his various public appearances. After
the company closed in 2003, Knievel returned to riding modern street HarleyDavidson motorcycles at his public appearances.
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Evel's son, Robbie Knievel, sold limited-edition motorcycles from his company, Knievel
Motorcycles Manufacturing Inc. Although two of the motorcycles refer to Evel (the
Legend Series Evel Commemorative and the Snake River Canyon motorcycle), Evel did
not ride Robbie's bikes.
Throughout his daredevil career, Knievel was known for his sensational leather
jumpsuits that were compared to the jumpsuits worn by Elvis Presley. When Knievel
began jumping, he used a black and yellow jumpsuit. When he switched to the
Triumph motorcycle, his jumpsuit changed to a white suit with stripes down the legs
and sleeves. In interviews, he said the reason for the switch was because he saw
how Liberace had become not just a performer, but the epitome of what a showman
should be, and Knievel sought to create his own variation of that showmanship in his
own jumps. Two variations of the white suit appeared (one with three stars across the
chest and one with the three stars on his right chest). The latter was worn at the
Caesars Palace jump. When Knievel switched to the Laverda motorcycle in 1969, he
switched his leathers to a white jumpsuit with Confederate stars on blue stripes. The
Confederate stars jumpsuit was used in the beginning and ending of the 1971 film, Evel
Knievel. Following the Confederate stars, Knievel adjusted the blue stripes to a Vshape (the first version of the V-shape was also used in the 1971 film's final jump). For
the remainder of his career, variants of the V-shaped white-starred jumpsuit would be
a constant, including a special nylon/canvas flight suit that matched his white
leathers for the X-2 jump. Each variant would become more elaborate, including the
addition of the red-white-blue cape and the Elvis-styled belt-buckled with his initials
“EK”. In 1975, Knievel premiered the blue leathers with red stars on the white stripes
for the Wembley jump. Both the blue leathers and white leathers were featured
in Viva Knievel!.
During the 1980s, Knievel would drive around the country in a recreational vehicle,
selling works of art allegedly painted by him. After several years of obscurity, Knievel
made a significant marketing comeback in the 1990s, representing Maxim
Casino, Little Caesars, Harley-Davidson, and other firms. In 1999, Knievel celebrated
the 25th anniversary of the Snake River Canyon jump at the Twin Falls mall. His
memorabilia was then stored at Kent Knigge's farm in Filer, Idaho, seven miles west of
Twin Falls. During the same year, Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of
Fame. Knievel once dreamed of housing all of his career memorabilia in an Evel Knievel
Museum to be located in his home state of Montana. Those dreams
were unfulfilled, and his artefacts are spread throughout
transportation museums and private collections around the world.
Knievel's original blueprints and handwritten notes about his desired
museum are currently displayed at the Route 66 Vintage Iron
Motorcycle Museum in downtown Miami, Oklahoma. The Route 66 site
also houses Evel's Snake River Canyon Jump Mission Control Super Van.
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On October 9, 2005, Knievel promoted his last public "motorcycle ride" at
the Milwaukee Harley-Davidson dealership. The ride was to benefit victims
of Hurricane Katrina. Although he was originally scheduled to lead a benefit ride
through Milwaukee, Knievel never rode the motorcycle because he suffered a mild
(non-debilitating) stroke prior to the appearance and limited his visit to a signing
session.
On July 27, 2006, on The Adam Carolla Show, Knievel said that he had idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis, and required supplemental oxygen therapy 24 hours a day. The
following day, Evel appeared on stage with Robbie at Evel Knievel Days in Butte,
marking the last performance the two would appear together. Robbie jumped 196 feet
in a tribute to his father. Shortly before his death, Knievel was saluted by Top
Gear presenter Richard Hammond in a BBC2 Christmas special. The 60-minute
program Richard Hammond Meets Evel Knievel aired on December 23, 2007, less than
a month after his death. The documentary was filmed in July 2007 around the annual
"Evel Knievel Days" festival in his old home town of Butte. Knievel was clearly in
severely declining health, but he still displayed the same spirit and showmanship that
had driven his career.
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IT’S THE LAW
Here in South Africa, laws for some people are more like a suggestion than a rule. But in some countries, the law can border on the
ridiculous. Here are some laws from around the world that still actually exist. Not that anyone abides by them...
In Britain it is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the monarch’s head upside down on an envelope.
In France, it is stated as illegal to marry a dead person. (Yeah, there wouldn't be a very lively reception...)
In Singapore chewing gum is a fine of $1000. Spitting is also illegal and could result in arrest. (So whatever you do don't spit your
gum in front of the police.)
In Thailand it is illegal to step on money.
In Iowa USA, it is illegal for a man with a moustache to kiss a woman in public. (What the...?)
In Britain it is illegal to herd cows while intoxicated. (If drunk people manage to lose their cars, who knows where the cows could
end up!)
In Samoa it is illegal to forget your wife’s birthday. (And many women would make it illegal anywhere else too if they could.)
Bangladeshi children of 15 and older can be sent to jail for cheating on their final exams. (Cheating is bad you hear, BAD!)
In France, it is illegal to name an animal Napoleon. (Apparently this is a slight to the great French general and emperor.)
In Tennessee it is legal to carry a loaded firearm into a bar. (Seems perfectly safe.)
In China, it is a law that a person must be intelligent to go to college. (Hey, no fair! High school dropouts make the best
neurosurgeons!)
In Argentina, there is a law that states that Argentine nightclubs must play the same amount of Latino music as all other forms of
music combined. (Got to keep that culture alive. Come on, shake your body baby, do the conga!)
In Switzerland, it is illegal to flush a toilet after 10pm. (This one confounds me.)
In Victoria, Australia, it is illegal to change a light bulb unless you’re a licensed electrician. (Too risky! Getting that delicate glass
bulb out of that flimsy packaging could result in a serious paper cut. Only trained electricians know how to do it.)
In England it is illegal to die in the House Of Parliament. (Something tells me that if someone did do this, they wouldn’t face many
repercussions?)
The mind boggles!
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Food for thought: The 10 Most Dangerous Prison Gangs in the World
Some correctional facilities have been described as hellish “monster factories.” In the face of long-term
imprisonment, some inmates can become detached from reality, and a darker side to their personalities
may emerge. Violence becomes a way of life – perhaps even more so – and for some incarcerated gang
members, prison doesn’t stop them from still carrying out crime. From drug and weapon trafficking to
extortion, intimidation, and murder, these gangs still control criminal empires, despite being behind bars,
and prison authorities can feel powerless to stop them. While the following gangs may differ in political
beliefs, ethnic makeup and location, one thing they all share is that, in some way, they’re all by-products of
the criminal justice system. “I laugh at this system because there ain’t a damn thing that it can do to me
except to deal with the monster it has created,” said 26-year-old New York prisoner
Willie Bosket in 1988.
Meet the world’s 10 most dangerous prison gangs…
10. Brödraskapet – Sweden
The Brödraskapet gang originated at a Kumla high security prison in 1995. Members of Brödraskapet, or
“The Brotherhood,” are known to be responsible for criminal activities including drugs and arms
trafficking, extortion, and murder. Despite being a relatively small gang that includes between 60 and 70
active members, The Brotherhood has a strong presence in Swedish prisons and has developed a reputation
for violence. The gang is also involved in a wide range of criminal activities beyond prison walls. In 2007,
during a party at a Brotherhood clubhouse in Göteborg, an ex-member of another gang was murdered after
he allegedly made an insult about a Brotherhood member’s tattoo. While a number of individuals were
arrested, just one member and one supporter were found guilty.
9. Mexican Mafia – USA
The Mexican Mafia, also known as La eMe (Spanish for “M”), has been operating in US prisons since
1957, when 13 members from Hispanic street gangs teamed up in a youth correctional institute in the city
of Tracy, California. Currently, the Mexican Mafia is believed to be the most powerful gang in Californian
prisons, with up to 400 official members and around 990 associates who are involved with its criminal
work and aspire to become official members. In the 1970s, its first killing outside the prison walls
occurred. A member of the gang, Alfonso “Pachie” Alvarez, was murdered for keeping drug-dealing
“taxes” without distributing profits to others in the Mexican Mafia. Their network also extends to the
outside world, as some smuggle drugs behind bars to sell to prisoners. It is regarded as America’s most
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active gang, as far as number of incidents caused by members goes.
8. Aryan Brotherhood – USA
The Aryan Brotherhood is a white supremacist gang and organized crime group that operates both in and
outside of prison across the US. It is thought to have been founded in 1964 by Irish bikers at San Quentin
State Prison as a response to the racial desegregation of American prisons. Also known as AB, The Brand
or Alice Baker, it is thought that the Aryan Brotherhood has around 20,000 exclusively white male
members, some behind bars and some on the outside. The gang’s prison activities include smuggling
contraband, distributing drugs, murder, and prostitution. It also takes part in drug trafficking, pressure
rackets, extortion and even dog fighting. Despite comprising only one percent of the US prison population,
the gang is believed to be behind about 20 percent of all prison murders. Mafia boss John Gotti allegedly
turned to the Aryan Brotherhood for help dealing with an attacker, and the threat was so great that
protective custody was arranged for Gotti’s assailant immediately.
7. Nazi Low-rider’s – USA
The Nazi low-rider’s, or NLR, is another white supremacist gang and is found primarily in the prisons of
southern California. NLR is estimated to have between 1,000 and 5,000 members and, unlike other racist
white gangs, the group has become notorious for being violently proactive rather than reactive. The NLR
has grown in strength and influence since government crackdowns on the better-known Aryan
Brotherhood. One particularly notorious crime committed by the gang was the beating to death of a black
teenager in April 1996 by gang members Danny Williams and Eric Dillard, who followed up the incident
by assaulting two black men in July of that year. During a 2001 raid, 73 guns, hand grenades, body armor
and more were found in the home of NLR members Scott Kuhn and Marcello Castellano. While the NLR
uses its white supremacist ideology for the recruitment of new members, its main objectives are drug
trafficking (especially speed), robbery and extortion. NLR leaders appear to run the gang in a particularly
organized and aggressive way, making it a major threat within California prisons.
6. The Ñeta Association – Puerto Rico
Founded in Puerto Rico in the 1970s, The Ñeta Association, or just Ñeta, has gone on to become the major
controlling force of the Puerto Rican drug trade. Ideologically, the gang aligns itself with the Puerto Rico
independence movement, and members regard themselves as oppressed by the US government. It is
estimated that there are 40,000 gang members in Puerto Rico, a further 20,000 in the US, and 30,000
spread out across the rest of the world. It rose to prominence after a brutal attack against the leader of rival
gang G27. Using spoons and their hands to dig, Ñeta members broke into his cell, stabbed him more than
150 times and chopped him up into 84 pieces. Allegedly, parts of the body were sent to various people,
including his mother and G27’s second-in-command. Ñeta has a reputation for secrecy, and members are
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often unwilling to admit their membership. This makes the group particularly difficult to identify, hard to
control and even more dangerous.
5. Nuestra Familia – USA
The Nuestra Familia was established in California in 1968, primarily to protect rural Latinos from the
Mexican Mafia during their time in prison. These days, the gang’s main activities involve smuggling and
distributing drugs into the prisons in which it operates. The Nuestra Familia are fierce adversaries of the
Mexican Mafia, and this rivalry is considered the longest-running gang war in California. It’s also
estimated that the Nuestra Familia was responsible for at least 600 murders within a 30-year period.
Imprisoned Nuestra Familia gangsters have strong links on the outside, and use gang members who have
been released to smuggle drugs and contraband into the prison system.
4. Black Guerilla Family – USA
Ex-Black Panther gang member George Jackson founded the Black Guerrilla Family with W.L. Nolen in
San Quentin State prison in 1966. With a list of stated aims that includes removing racism and toppling the
American government, it is acknowledged as the most political of the largest US prison gangs. The BGF’s
aggressive anti-authority beliefs make them a serious threat to prison officials, who represent the
government that the gang aims to eliminate. The BGF is known for recruiting members from other black
street gangs when they are imprisoned, and has strong relationships with many of these external gangs.
According to estimates, there could be as many as 300 full BGF members and up to 50,000 associates.
Their activities include drug trafficking, car theft, and murder.
3. Trinitario – US and Dominican Republic
The Trinitario gang was founded in New York prisons in 1989. Originally, the organization was started to
offer help and safety to Hispanic prisoners incarcerated in New York. Trinitario translates into “Trinity
Brotherhood,” and gang members are Hispanic – predominantly from the Dominican Republic. Trinitario
has been described as New York’s fastest-growing gang. It has spread to the surrounding areas (as well as
overseas) and is believed to have 30,000 members around the world, with most of these in the US and
Dominican Republic. The gang makes its money through drug and weapons trafficking, witness
intimidation, robbery, and murder. Their use of machetes, combined with their strength of numbers and
rapidly-increasing membership, makes Trinitario one of the most dangerous gangs out there.
2. Primeiro Comando da Capital – Brazil
Primeiro Comando da Capital (Portuguese for “First Command of the Capital”) is a Brazilian prison gang
based primarily in São Paulo. The gang began on August 31, 1993, when eight Taubaté Penitentiary
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inmates met up at a soccer match. Since then, the PCC has grown to a position where it controls most of
São Paulo’s organized crime. The gang’s reach is thought to be spreading throughout Brazil and spilling
over into neighbouring countries, where its influence is used to facilitate drug-smuggling operations.
Within prisons, it is known to be responsible for riots, escapes and murder. In May 2006, attempts by São
Paulo police to find out who was responsible for killing 40 police officers erupted into a bloody battle
between members of the PCC and the authorities, with more than 150 people killed over the course of a
few days. The violence has been described as the worst of its kind in the history of São Paulo and Brazil.
Allegedly, imprisoned gang members used cell phones to mastermind the attacks.
1. The Numbers Gang – South Africa
The Numbers Gang is believed to control most of South Africa’s prisons. Established in 1911, the gang is
divided into three factions: the 26s, the 27s and the 28s. Each arm of the gang serves a different purpose.
The 26s are responsible for getting cash, the 27s are the law-keepers and the 28s are the warriors. The
Numbers Gang is particularly dangerous because of its influence in the prison system and the level of
violence the gang demands of their members, being notorious for attacks on prison guards and warders. In
Pollsmoor Prison, up to 50 percent of warders have been stabbed or cut. The gang often demands these
attacks of new members to prove their loyalty. The leader of the Pollsmoor
Prison 28s is John Mongrel. Mongrel is thought to be responsible for as many
as 1,000 killings. The gang is extremely organized, and if members violate
the rules, then it will conduct an investigation and “trial”. If the verdict is
death, the member is often asphyxiated or has their throat slit. For less serious
crimes, the member will have a cut made in their anus in order to let blood, and will then be raped by an
inmate who is HIV positive. The transfer of prisoners between South African jails allows the gang’s
influence and control to spread.
So tell me pilgrim, do you really want to go to prison? Kindly behave when you ride
with us or your future could be negative with a positive effect if you know what I
mean!
FOREVER YOUNG
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February
March
27-28th Great Fish Rally Port
Alfred Jenny 084 8297591
6-8 Kwagga Rally, Ruby River Resort
Semona 083 610 2076
st
27-1 March Impala Rally
Hartebeespoort Dam near
Pretoria.
6-8 Beehive Rally, Greytown. Lee
078 186 8968
Bike SA 011 782 5521
20-22 Buffalo Rally, Mossel bay.
Nomads 082 559 7729
27th Shavathon. See add below.
April
17-19 Harley Davidson Black Rock
Rally, Gonubie.
23-26th Harley Bike Africa week.
Margate. Tammy 082 697 0047.
Pictured on left is Pedro,
Daniela’s uncle and
Michael, her father and
Pedro’s “little” brother
FOREVER YOUNG
19
MARCH
1st Egbert Oosthuizen (G)
27th Wharton Smith (G)
29 th Rae Hensberg (G)
30th Dalene Kerr (S)
Memo to our new and old farts
It is up to you to send me your Birth Dates. It is also up to you to inform me when you move from (S) silver to (G) Gold and (P)
platinum. (I do not have time to cut off your legs and count the rings.) If you are (P) Platinum, you don’t have to do anything you have
reached the top. Yay!
FOREVER YOUNG
20
Four old retired guys are walking down a street in Yuma,
Arizona. They turn a corner and see a sign that says, "Old Timers Bar – ALL drinks 10
cents." They look at each other and then go in, thinking, this is too good to be true.
The old bartender says in a voice that carries across the room, "What'll it be,
gentlemen?"
There's a fully stocked bar, so the men order a Martini each.
In no time the bartender serves up four iced Martinis -- shaken, not stirred -- and says,
"That'll be 10 cents each, please."
The four guys stare at the bartender for a moment, then at each
other. They can't believe their good luck. They pay the 40 cents,
finish their martinis, and order another round.
Again, four excellent martinis are produced, with the bartender
again saying, "That'll be 40 cents, please." They pay the 40
cents, but their curiosity gets the better of them.
They've each had two martinis and haven't even
spent a dollar yet. Finally one of them says, "How can you afford to
serve martinis as good as these for a dime apiece?"
"I'm a retired plumber from Phoenix," the bartender says, "and I always
wanted to own a bar. Last year I hit the Lottery jackpot for $125 million
and decided to open this place. Every drink costs a dime. Wine, liquor,
beer -- it's all the same."
As the four of them sip at their martinis, they can't help noticing seven other people at
the end of the bar who don't have any drinks in front of them and haven't ordered
anything the whole time they've been there.
Nodding at the seven at the end of the bar, one of the men asks the
bartender, "What's with them?"
The bartender says, "They're retired folk from Scotland, and they're
waiting for Happy Hour when drinks are half-price!"
Some Scottish “EyeCandy”, for the ladies.
FOREVER YOUNG
21
A Brit's response to Zuma's Jan van Riebeeck statement
After President Jacob Zuma’s statement two weeks ago that all the problems in
South Africa started with the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck in 1652…..I know, I
know... We had the same problems in England, you know...
First we had the Picts and the Scots. And then came the Romans who stuck
around for about four centuries. Then we had the Angles and the Saxons and all
those other Germanic tribes. Oh ho! Then came the Danes and their Viking mates, a nauseating bunch of
horny helmeted rapists and looters they were. Nevertheless, the Danes were eventually displaced by
the Normans, who turned out to be Frenchmen in disguise - but we were a bit slow to recognise the fact
until it was too late; anyway, they were led by the Duke of Normandy, who was a real bastard, and who
gave our wimpy king a right one in the eye. (The bloody French are still hanging around with their
cheese and their bread and their wine and their accordion music and their fancy restaurants, seducing
our people away from our culture of slap chips with custard.) And then, and then, came the Dutch when
King William and Queen Mary of Orange popped over and started causing nonsense with the Irish at the
Battle of the Boyne. The Irish have never completely forgiven us, so they came over and settled all our
building sites. Then the Germans came back again, surreptitiously, and occupied the top of the Mall in
Buckingham Palace...
And where are we now...? Now we have Arabs, Pakistanis, Indians, Caribbean’s, Syrians, Ozzies, Italians,
Americans, Canadians, Poles, Portuguese, Saudis, Kuwaitis, Moroccans, Egyptians, Iranians, Palestinians,
Israeli Jews, Ethiopians, Somalis, Nigerians, Rhodesians, Scots (to run the government)...and (whoa!)
South Africans...
It has been going on for two thousand years. It's an outrage...
And yet, and yet... All of these people (well most!) have contributed to make England and the English a
great and democratic nation. And yet, I have never felt the slightest inclination to bomb Rome, to
shatter the Pyramids, to close a Pakistani restaurant, to nuke the Ka'aba in Mecca, to blow up a bus in
Jerusalem, to chop off the head of a Nigerian etc. (And even if I have, I have controlled myself from
saying so.) I have few words for Mr Zuma and his depraved ANC: Grow up, or piss off. You stand in the
way of civilisation.
Sometimes it DOES take a Rocket Scientist!! (true story)
Scientists at Rolls Royce built a gun specifically to launch dead chickens at the windshields of airliners
and military jets all travelling at maximum velocity.
The idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the
windshields.
American engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the Windshields of their new high
speed trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the American engineers. When the gun
was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the
shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the
engineer's back-rest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin like an arrow shot from a
bow..
The horrified Yanks sent Rolls Royce the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of
the windshield and begged the British scientists for suggestions.
Rolls Royce responded with a one-line memo: Defrost the chicken."
FOREVER YOUNG
22
Hi guys! Welcome to your extra length edition
of your favourite free toilet paper.
Unfortunately young Rodney now back at
home is becoming quite a problem for Michele
to handle. His finds “Candy Crush” boring, so I
was requested to send him something to read
to keep him out of mischief. Hence the long
newsletter.
Rodney, hopefully you will have some time to
plan your assault on Evel’s record. Get well
soon.
Ken.
Scribe: Ken Heath
Tel: 082 710 2534 for verbal abuse.
E-Mail: [email protected] for any
contributions, comments etc. (Please….please …please!!!!)
Lawyers: Legal Wise: “Don’t talk to me, talk to my
Lawyer!”
Ulysses Office
E-Mail: [email protected]
‘Disclaimer’
The opinions of the Scribe are not necessarily the product
of a sound mind and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions or values of Ulysses East London or any “Sane”
person!
FOREVER YOUNG
23
Mainstream Media is finally catching on to what we've
already known. Motorcycles are a ladies best anti-aging
formula! The gal on the right is 64, the awesome lady on the
left 68.
Not sure about the term "Blue Rinse bikers" but here's the
article from the Daily Mail: As sales of motorbikes soar
among women over 60, what’s behind the remarkable rise of
the blue rinse bikers? Christine Langton, 64, from London,
took up the hobby when she turned 60. Since 2011 she's
travelled thousands of miles and owned seven bikes. Joy
Smith, 68, from London, rides four times a week with her
husband. She has spent over £20,000 on her hobby and owns a Harley Sportster.
My only regret is that I didn’t start ten years earlier. I’d encourage all older women to
have a go — it opens up a whole new world.
Since turning 60, Christine Langton has been taken aback by the new group she’s
fallen in with. There’s solid and fiery Ruby, quick little Rosie and flashy but reliable
Annie. Now, Christine can barely believe she managed for so long without them all.
But Ruby, Rosie and Annie aren’t kindred 60-something souls brought together by the
WI or shared a love of bridge, they are — in order of appearance — a £3,500 Moto
Guzzi Breva, a £2,750 Kawasaki ER6 and a £8,000 Triumph Thruxton 900. In other
words: motorbikes — and fast ones at that. Christine, 64, a slim, blonde Harley Street
practice manager, mother-of-three and grandmother-of-eight from London started
motorcycling after her 60th birthday and hasn’t looked back.
Joy Smith (left) and Christine Langton (right) both took up riding motorbikes later in
life. The only person in her family to take up the sport, she passed her motorcycle test
first time in January 2011, has chalked up thousands of miles and ripped through
seven (rather expensive) bikes, which she affectionately names after family members
or their colour. ‘I remember waiting to board a ferry in Southampton in July last
summer,’ says Christine. ‘I spotted a petite elderly woman on a huge Harley Davidson
bike in front of mine with a sticker across the back that said: “I’m riding my
grandchildren’s inheritance”. ‘I looked at my bike and thought, yes, that’s about right.’
Christine is part of a growing breed of sensible 50 and 60-somethings who are
shunning free bus passes in favour of two wheels and a lot of leather.
Last year, almost 3,000 over-50s passed motorcycling tests — 8 per cent of all new
passes — while a report for Saga this month has found over-50s are behind nearly 30
per cent of all spending on bikes, up 17 per cent from seven years ago. It’s also little
coincidence that Saga, looking to capitalise on this new interest, has just bought
motorbike insurers Bennetts, 43 per cent of whose clients are north of 50.
More surprising, perhaps, is that it’s women fuelling this spike, not men.
FOREVER YOUNG
24
Christine Langton started motorcycling after her 60th birthday four years ago
and has ridden thousands of miles since then. Karen Cole, a director at the Motorcycle
Industry Association, says: ‘Of all over-50s gaining a licence in 2013, nearly half were
women. This represents a steep rise for women, up from 268 in 2012 to 2,588 in
2013.’
Then there are all the groups. Women-only bike gangs are two a penny — just ask the
Curvy Riders, a 300-strong gang run ‘by lady bikers, for lady bikers’; Hells Belles
(whose membership is strictly invitation-only); or Lippy Ladies, a Yorkshire group ‘for
ladies with attitude’ who document the best places to ride to for tea and cake.
For Christine, learning to ride a motorcycle was a way to finally take some me-time. ‘I
reached 60 and realised that my life was absorbed by family, and I was always doing
things for them but never myself. My only regret is that I didn’t start ten years earlier.
I’d encourage all older women to have a go — it opens up a whole new world.
Christine Langton, 64
‘I’d secretly loved bikes for years, ever since I rode on the back of a friend’s boyfriend’s
bike when I was 16. It was thrilling and something about it stuck. I never bought one
but now I could.’ Her ex-husband, though
encouraging, assumed it was a mad phase that
would wear off and she didn’t tell her children
initially, for fear they would put her off.
He helped her research and to buy a £175
second-hand bike from eBay, which she took
to a nearby field for its first ride and spent
most of the time falling off.
‘I knew I needed lessons but I wanted to have a
go first and see how it felt. My family thought
I was crazy but I wasn’t scared. I was excited; I
think the adrenaline took over. I’d made a
decision that I wanted to bike and that was
that.’ By the day of her CBT (compulsory basic training) test four weeks later, which
every motorcyclist must pass, she’d spent hundreds of pounds on lessons and training.
‘The night before I couldn’t sleep; I was terrified of
failing,’ she says. Happily, she passed and, since then,
Christine has toured France, Spain, Switzerland and
roamed all over the UK to see its beauty spots.
Christine bought her first bike for £175 from eBay and
says she spent most of her first ride falling off the bike
‘It’s not about the speed; it’s the feeling of freedom,’ she
says. ‘I’ve met some new friends, too. My age is not a
problem — most riders are of a similar age,’ she says.
‘Zipping through the countryside on a sunny day is the
most wonderful feeling in the world. At first, my family
thought I was being selfish and that I’d hurt myself.
‘Now, when I turn up on my bike I can tell they are
FOREVER YOUNG
25
proud. I take my 14 and 20 year-old grandsons to motorcycle shows and my 86-yearold mother Anne has sat on each of my bikes. She loves that I ride and has pictures of
me on all of my bikes in her house.’ The only downside? ‘I’m 5ft 3in, so most bikes are
too tall. I have to lower the suspension and wear boots with thick soles to touch the
ground. With shorter legs, even the width of the seat can be a problem. But slowly
motorbike companies are recognising more women are riding and making bikes to
suit.’
Grandmother-of-four, Joy Smith, 68, retired five years ago after fifty years working as
a nurse. She says that after such a demanding job, she needed a new focus
‘My only regret is that I didn’t start ten years earlier. I’d encourage all older women to
have a go — it opens up a whole new world.’ Hugo Wilson, editor of Bike magazine, the
biggest-selling UK motorcycle magazine, thinks it makes sense that women are drawn
to motorcycling later in life. ‘As the rest of the biking demographic gets older, it
becomes a less testosterone-based and a more welcoming environment,’ he says.
‘The level of commitment necessary in terms of time and money to get your license —
it can cost up to £1,000 — means it’s one older people are more inclined to make.’
Joy now goes out on her bike with her husband up to four times a week and says her
favourite journey was a three-day ride through America’s Smoky Mountains two
years ago
Dr Almuth McDowall, a professor in psychology at Birkbeck University and member of
the British Psychological Society, agrees. ‘It’s not a case of a mid-life crisis, it’s the
opposite. As people get older they take stock and start to think differently. There’s a
sense that time is precious and if they don’t do something now, they never will.’
Attitudes to female bikers are also far more accepting than decades ago. ‘Women now
can buy their own bike, and make it part of their identity in an empowering way.
There’s not the same idea that a woman shouldn’t do something for fear of appearing
unfeminine.’
Grandmother-of-four Joy Smith, 68, from London, is another to join the biker gang
late. It keeps your brain active, as you have to concentrate so hard when you’re
riding. Plus, moving the bike around, though heavy, is exercise.
Joy Smith, 68
After 50 years working as a nurse, she retired five years
ago and needed new focus. ‘The challenge of motorcycling
appealed to me,’ says Joy. ‘After such a demanding job I
needed something else. I’d ridden on the back of
motorbikes, as my husband Robin has always been keen on
them, but never on my own. ‘He was really happy I wanted
to take it up, as it meant we could go on lovely trips.’
To get up to speed she began lessons, practising U-turns
and figures of eight on the local school playground at
weekends. ‘It was extremely difficult to get the hang of. I
had one or two tumbles but got back up and on with it. I
was extremely determined.’
Now Joy and Robin, 70, a retired local government officer,
FOREVER YOUNG
26
ride up to four times a week together. They make a half-day of it, planning a stop for
lunch and can cover more than 75 miles on a trip. ‘If the weather permits, we go
further afield and stay the night,’ says Joy. Her favourite journey was a three-day ride
through America’s Smoky Mountains two years ago. ‘We flew to Washington, drove to
Tennessee and picked up two Harleys, and off we went. The scenery, the roads and the
people were fantastic. That’s where I got my love of Harleys from, and I bought one for
£5,000 when we got home.’
Joy is adamant that taking up motorcycling has been good for her health, saying the
concentration it involves keeps her brain active. Joy’s now spent well over £20,000
on her new hobby and owns a Harley Sportster (‘a relaxed laid back cruiser’) and a
Kawasaki Z800 (‘a much nippier sporty bike’). ‘Friends who don’t ride are quite
impressed, but some tell me I am mad,’ she says.
From her three sons’ points of view — whom she discouraged from motorcycling from
a young age — it’s a strange turn of events.
‘I worked in A&E and saw a lot of motorcycle accidents,’ explains Joy. ‘Young men can
be especially cavalier on bikes. I worried for their safety so put them off it. I appreciate
it’s a dangerous sport. ‘You have to make yourself as safe as possible by doing lots of
training and advanced courses. They make fun of me for changing my tune, but they
are proud, too.’
Joy has spent over £20,000 on her new hobby and Christina (right) has already gone
through seven bikes since she started riding four years ago. She’s also adamant
motorcycling has been good for her health. ‘It keeps your brain active, as you have to
concentrate so hard when you’re riding. Plus, moving the bike around, though heavy,
is exercise.’ Dr Peter Swinyard, chairman of the Family Doctor Association, is
pragmatic about the health implications of the new blue-rinse bikers.
‘It depends what type of bike you ride, but it’s not that physical a sport. If you’re a
slim-built lady and you drop a 300kg bike, of course, it’s wise to get someone else to
pick it up. Motorcycling is great for 100 or 150 miles at a time, then having a walk
around and enjoying the countryside. I’d thoroughly recommend it.’
Christine and Joy are not the only ones, there has been a noticeable increase in the
number of over-50s gaining their motorbike licenses recently Roger Coleman, 70, from
Gloucestershire, is what the motorcycling community call a ‘BAB’: a born again biker.
He learned aged 40 but, after moving to a new house, had to sell his bike to make
space. Six years ago, he retired as
an engineer and the desire to put
the pedal to the metal was
reignited. ‘I was at a stage in my
life where I had disposable income
and could afford a new toy,’ he
says. ‘I missed motorcycling. I’ve
got the maturity and the
appreciation that this could go
wrong quite quickly so I’m careful.’
Despite the odd hairy moment, he’s
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27
only suffered one bruising incident outside a garden centre. ‘I pulled up and leaned too
far over. My bike weighs almost 200kg and if it starts to topple, there’s nothing you
can do. It came crashing down and I dived and got out of the way.’
Christine says she has secretly loved motorbikes for years but never bought one
Roger is one of the reasons his wife Philomena, 57, a part-time bookkeeper, started
motorcycling two years ago. ‘I loved the idea of whizzing around a Greek island
together,’ she says. ‘Growing up, my father had always let my brother’s motorcycle,
but never me. He said it wasn’t something a girl should do.’ Charging about above a
160 horse power engine aged 57 must be some retribution then? She agrees: ‘In a
helmet, no one knows your age. People do stare when they see it’s me underneath, but
I don’t mind.’
Last year, the Colemans went on an 18-day tour of Europe. They planned where to
stay for the first few nights, and then rode though France, Germany, Austria and Italy
and back again. ‘It was so exciting and gave us both the most incredible sense of
freedom,’ she says. ‘The only problem was packing — I had to buy a miniature
hairdryer and part with most of my make-up.’ Although they’re equals on the road, in
this biker couple’s world, usual marital codes still apply.
‘Roger’s bike is more expensive than mine, but he has to keep his outside under an
awning,’ laughs Philomena. ‘My Honda CBR250 is stored nice and dry in the shed.’
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