Growing up in the 1970s he was a real life superhero.

He had a cape, a rocket powered bike and seemed to survive anything. That summer we waited for him to come to London to jump thirteen buses. I can remember kids making jumps from planks of wood and seeing how far they could get on their bikes.

Despite him failing to land the bike safely and with a broken hand, a broken pelvis, and a compression fracture of a vertebra he insisted on leaving the arena on foot.

With then-ABC announcer Frank Gifford helping him out of the arena, Knievel was overheard saying, “I’m hurt awful bad, and I think I’m going into shock.” Gifford proceeded to plead with Knievel that he has proved enough and to use the stretcher, Knievel refused again, insisting, “I walked in, I want to walk out!”

It says on Evel’s website, “For every adversity there is an equivalent seed of benefit. You only have to look for it. Believe in yourself and get up if you fail”. That sums up the man who fought a terminal illness for many years and finally lost the fight today.

As his long time friend and promoter Billy Rundel said :

EVEL KNIEVEL MAKES HIS FINAL JUMP

“It’s been coming for years, but you just don’t expect it. Superman just doesn’t die, right?”