By making three iconic Knievel jumps in one night.
https://youtu.be/Lmnqp0Ws4BI
With modern equipment and his extraordinary skill set, there was never any doubt that that he was going to make it. But I fully support anything that encourages kids to jump over stuff on their bikes.
In reply to Woody :
True, although it was cool that he rode a bike closer in type to what Evel rode rather than one based on a dirt bike like Robbie usually rode. It was said he did all three jumps on the same bike, which is cool.
I definitely built ramps and jumped over stuff on my bike back in the 70's thanks to Evel Knieval. And like the motorcycles Evel had, the bikes we had weren't made for those kind of shenanigans either, so I broke a couple of them...
I watched some of it. Mostly time filling BS, but the jumps were still cool. I'm sure everything was simulated down to the millimeter before he even did a practice jump. After the third one, my wife said "That was easy". I told her it only looked easy because of the amount of preparation that went into it.
Back when Evel was doing it in the 70s, they didn't have the benefit of all this knowledge and technology, so things could and did go wrong a lot more often. Which is why it was so compelling, of course.
I highly recommend the documentary "Being Evel", by the way, for more insight into one of the more unique characters you'll ever encounter.
That Indian motorcycle was pretty cool. I understand they are going to put one in production that is at least visually similar.
The show was a bit of a snooze, though - hours of filler surrounding about 90 seconds of action.
I too broke my bike when I was a kid, jumping it off whatever I could find. 
I had to have my dad weld up the frame one time, he couldn't figure out how it 'just broke' while I was riding down the street.
I read elsewhere that he had an Indian Bike because HD and Triumph would not either sponsor it nor endorse it.
It's no longer the '70s and everyone sues (or is afraid to be sued) these days.
stuart in mn said:That Indian motorcycle was pretty cool. I understand they are going to put one in production that is at least visually similar....
I suspect it will have a rear suspension though. I can't imagine there is much of a market for a butt buster in the modern world.
"but it's hard core man!"
"you're an idiot"
In reply to John Welsh :
If true, that sounds pretty stupid on H-D's part. They need to do anything they can to make themselves relevant to Pastrana's fans.
While I'm sure the suspension is heavily customized for the jumps with far better technology than was available in the 70's, it's still a classic look:
But did he drink a 5th of Wild Turkey before he did the jumps?
I watched the entire show... nothing else on the tube.
Goldberg, Pawn Star crew, Count Danny and other experts. Lotta hype, lotta filler there but it is TV. I wouldn't have paid a nickel to see it live.
Commentary said 340, 350 and 400 lb bike, I dunno, how light can ya get that bike. 4" rear suspension travel. Miles ahead of a 70's HD anyway.
Congrats to Travis anyhow, he's the showman.
My guess is that it will be just a visual package for the scout, which I'm fine with. The scout is a killer bike. I am still waiting for a 120 hp stripped version with sportier suspension and 17s. That would be something. An American (Ducati) monster.
Tom_Spangler said:Back when Evel was doing it in the 70s, they didn't have the benefit of all this knowledge and technology, so things could and did go wrong a lot more often. Which is why it was so compelling, of course.
There was still basic math, and it would have been easy to calculate how fast he had to go and how big a ramp was needed, but Evel didn't pay attention to any of that. He was doing it all by the seat of his pants, which was something I never understood.
aircooled said:stuart in mn said:That Indian motorcycle was pretty cool. I understand they are going to put one in production that is at least visually similar....
I suspect it will have a rear suspension though. I can't imagine there is much of a market for a butt buster in the modern world.
"but it's hard core man!"
"you're an idiot"
They haven't released photos of it yet but it will be similar to the concept bike that was going around to shows. Cycle World has some information on it. https://www.cycleworld.com/indian-confirms-ftr-1200-tracker-is-slated-for-production
stuart in mn said:
...but Evel didn't pay attention to any of that. He was doing it all by the seat of his pants, which was something I never understood.
Which is why he's Evel Kinevel, and you're not. 
I watched the film on Evel a couple weeks ago,
Really did not put him in a good light , a lot had to do with being a mean drunk...
But I guess if being daredevil is your job you need to keep doing jumps.....
The bigger problem seemed to be the landings , he could jump the distances , but crashed on the landings too many times !
How would Evel be on modern machines ???
My brother met Evel once. Evel was golfing at a private country club, when nature called. My brother was playing at his buddy's house (they lived on the course) when there was a knock on the door. It was Evel---- needing to use the toliet. He did his business, met everyone, and then jumped back into his cart to continue his round.
They didn't notice him jumping anything with the golf cart.....
My suspicion is that Evel knew that half of his appeal was the crashes and thus did not put too much effort into assuring a good landing...
...plus, he was pretty f'd up in the head....
SANTA MONICA, CA. November 15, 1977 (AP) — Motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel has been given one week to get his affairs in order before he begins serving six months in jail for beating his former press agent with a baseball bat.
Superior Court Judge Edward Rafeedie compared Knievel’s actions to a primitive form of “frontier justice.” He also said Knievel would spend there years on probation.
Knievel admitted he attacked Sheldon Saltman because he didn’t like a book Saltman wrote about him.
Knievel attacked Saltman with the baseball bat Sept. 21 while an unidentified man held the victim. Saltman suffered compound fractures of both wrists and has begun action on a civil suit case against Knievel.
“I’ve not been perfect and I have never claimed to be,” Knievel said Monday just before sentencing.
Rafeedie scolded Knievel, 39, for setting a bad example for his young fans around the world.
“We long ago abandoned frontier justice in California,” said Rafeedie. “No affront justifies such retaliation. It sets a terrible example.”
Saltman, 46, now a vice president of the telecommunications division of 20th Century-Fox Studios, was the press agent for Knievel’s 1974 attempt to jump Idaho’s Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered motorcycle. He wrote of that association in the book, “Evil Knievel on Tour.”
Knievel said the book depicted him as a drug addict, adulterer, anti-Semite and “an immoral person.” However, he acknowledged that 85 to 90 per cent of the book is truthful.
As I remember from the documentary, one of the reasons he did real time was because his response to the question if he had any remorse was something like: "Hell no, I would do it again"
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