Robbie Knievel, a Motorcycle Daredevil Like His Father, Dies at 60 - The New York Times

Robbie Knievel, a daredevil performer who soared into the entity connected motorcycles, pulling disconnected a bid of spectacular airborne stunts similar his father, Evel Knievel, died connected Friday astatine his location successful Reno, Nev. He was 60.

The origin was pancreatic cancer, according to his older brother, Kelly Knievel.

Known arsenic Kaptain Robbie Knievel, Mr. Knievel followed his begetter into the high-flying, bone-shattering satellite of motorcycle stunt performances, landing much than 350 jumps implicit his death-defying, 30-year career.

In 1 of his champion known jumps, successful 1989, Mr. Knievel, decked retired successful a star-spangled, white-leather suit, vaulted 150 feet implicit the fountains astatine Caesar’s Palace successful Las Vegas. It was a benignant of tribute to Evel Knievel, who had cleared the aforesaid fountains successful 1967, lone to onshore successful a bone-breaking clang that horrified viewers.

“When I made the leap and said, ‘That was for you, Dad,’ helium ran up and hugged me, with tears successful his eyes,” the lad recalled years later. “I had ne'er seen him truthful emotional.”

In 1998, Mr. Knievel soared more than 200 feet implicit 30 limousines astatine the Tropicana Hotel successful Las Vegas. The adjacent year, helium jumped between the 2 Jockey Club edifice towers successful Las Vegas with nary nett below, arsenic pinkish and greenish fireworks exploded astir him.

“This is brainsick ’cause beingness is crazy,” Mr. Knievel told reporters afterward, a thumb hanging from his leather “RK” loop buckle, The Las Vegas Sun reported.

Mr. Knievel hurtled implicit portion of the Grand Canyon successful 1999, breaking respective ribs connected the landing, 25 years aft his begetter had tried to wide the Snake River Canyon successful Idaho connected a steam-powered rocket, lone to acquisition a parachute malfunction that sent him tumbling into the rocky chasm below.

Mr. Knievel besides jumped implicit an oncoming steam bid seconds earlier it struck his takeoff ramp and helium flew implicit a enactment of subject planes connected the platform of the U.S.S. Intrepid successful New York.

Robbie Knievel’s jumps, similar his father’s, resulted successful galore cracked bones, including respective vertebrae. “I americium fortunate I americium inactive capable to walk,” helium wrote successful a 2019 effort astir his narration with his father, connected fatherly.com.

Robert Edward Knievel was calved connected May 7, 1962, successful Butte, Mont. He was the second-oldest of the 4 children of Linda Bork and Evel Knievel, who gained worldwide fame arsenic a motorcycle stunt performer successful the 1960s and ’70s.

Evel Knievel died successful 2007, astatine property 69, aft years of failing wellness that included diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung condition.

Enthralled by his father’s derring-do, Robbie Knievel started riding motorcycles “when helium was aged capable to bent connected to the handlebars,” his member said.

His archetypal motorcycle was a Honda mini, which his begetter taught him to thrust by putting him successful a ditch, tying a enactment astir him and past yanking him disconnected the spot if helium accidentally twisted the throttle excessively far.

Before long, helium was jumping implicit 10-speed bicycles and hanging a motion connected the gross extracurricular the family’s location that read, “See Evel Knievel Junior leap for 25 cents,” helium wrote connected fatherly.com.

At property 8, helium performed his archetypal amusement with his begetter astatine Madison Square Garden and the 2 toured crossed the United States and Australia together. Robbie Knievel would entertain crowds with “wheelie shows,” helium wrote successful the essay, riding astir connected his backmost tyre earlier his father’s jumps.

Mr. Knievel tried different jobs, specified arsenic laying tile and moving successful a sawmill and a motorcycle shop, but ever returned to motorcycle jumping.

“I bash it for the excitement and the speedy money,” he erstwhile said, adding, “I deliberation I was born” to beryllium a motorcycle stuntman.

As a teen helium argued with his father, and near location astatine 19 to statesman a solo career. But Evel Knievel remained an enduring power successful his life.

Before 1 of his archetypal large jumps, implicit 10 parked vans, Mr. Knievel wrote that helium became truthful anxious that helium developed a fever, but helium remembered his father’s advice: “It’s mean for you to beryllium nervous. The bigger the crowd, the amended you’ll do.”

In summation to his brother, Mr. Knievel, who was divorced, is survived by his daughters, Maria Collins, Krysten Knievel-Hansson and Karmen Knievel.

Mr. Knievel wrote that during the past years of his father’s life, the 2 reminisced astir “the brainsick lives we’d lived, and however fortunate we’d been clip and clip again.”

“My dada struggled with the thought of passing the baton to me,” Mr. Knievel wrote. “He saw maine arsenic 1 of the galore competitors who were trying to outjump him, but successful world I was his biggest fan.”