You wouldn’t have to look hard to find motorcyclists who don’t know the name Evel Knievel.
It might take a little longer to find those among that same group of people who know the name, Gary Wells. I know I didn’t, until I came across a great vintage book about Wells and Knievel.
That book can get you up to speed on both names and how they had a rivalry that I never knew existed. The book is The Cycle Jumpers by Marshall Spiegel.
Spiegel’s book reveals that even as Knievel was cultivating his legend as the greatest motorcycle jumper in the world, a fearless upstart 15-year-old named Gary Wells aimed to jump ahead of him. What is so interesting about the book is that it was written as this dramatic competition was unfolding.
At the time, Knievel had been jumping for six years and Wells less than two. That said, Wells had already racked up several impressive jumps. Knievel had not yet made his Snake River Canyon jump, though he had been promoting it, had his Sky Cycle X-2 built, and had secured a location to make the attempt.
Spiegel’s book brings you up close and personal with both men, with extensive interview material and detailed coverage of their careers not generally provided in the media at the time.
Spiegel covers Knievel back to his days as a restless roustabout in his hometown, Butte, Montana. Exactly when Knievel seriously began considering cycle jumping as something more than a one-off act is unclear. Still, Spiegel sheds unique light on what drove him once he got started:
To Knievel, flying a motorcycle wasn’t the act of an adventurous kid diving from the top of the highest cliff or climbing the tallest tree; it was the exploration of a whole new frontier, a science, a calculated risk. It was the search for an answer to a question he himself had raised: just how far could a man leap on a motorcycle? Since his very first jump, he has devoted his life to finding the answer. And he seeks it yet today.
By the time of the book’s publication in 1973, Knievel had been at it for seven years and had performed more than 200 jumps. He had built up his repertoire to include riding through flaming walls, 100-mph seat-stands and high-speed wheelies, and ever-improving showmanship. Knievel was being hailed as the King of the Stuntmen, inspiring imitators and competition. Perhaps the most surprising of them was 15-year-old Gary Wells.
Spiegel revealed Wells’ remarkable story, which had his engagement in powersports starting at the tender age of three-and-a-half years old when he began racing quarter midget cars near Las Vegas.
Note to readers: Many of the books we feature in Rider’s Library may be out of print, and some may be difficult to find. That could be half the fun. The Internet should make the search relatively easy. However, none of the books currently scheduled for eventual retro-review for the Rider’s Library section were found with the help of the Internet. They were all found at bookstores, used bookstores, antique shops, motorcycle shops, yard sales, and so on.
After the Wells family moved to Phoenix from Nevada, the by-now 14-year-old Gary was quickly becoming well-known for his motorcycle racing skills, having swept aside all the local competition to capture the #1 plate in only three months! On August 18, 1971, the local fans witnessed something new from Wells—the start of his cycle jumping career.
That night, Wells leaped his Montesa over a dozen American Motors Gremlins. He did it twice, a strategy that not even Knievel had thought of. It was an achievement likely to dispel any thoughts of his jumps merely being beginner’s luck.
Eighteen days later, Wells returned to the same venue to do it again—this time over 16 cars. He overestimated the speed necessary, overshot the entire landing ramp, and crashed hard. Though Wells was transported to the hospital, he quickly returned to a hero’s welcome, having suffered only minor injuries. To top it off, the measured distance was 155 feet, 10 inches. An announcement at the event touted the distance as a new world record.
That was based on the distance of 144 feet, 6 inches Knievel reached in 1967, when he cleared the fountain at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, only to famously crash horribly on landing. Knievel’s ill-fated attempt was aboard a Triumph, and the British company recently announced a special edition Evel Knievel commemorative Rocket 3 model.
How did Knievel take the news of Wells attaining a world record for a motorcycle jump? Defensively, to say the least. Spiegel quotes Knievel:
“This kid, Gary Wells, never jumped no 156 feet like they claim. He had part of his cars under a safety ramp. It was all a big phony, a big publicity thing. He has a 54-foot landing ramp and 15 cars with four or five cars covered by a safety ramp—the cars are about six feet wide when set—that’s not nearly 156 feet…I never even use a safety ramp.”
Spiegel’s book is a great read, providing insights that weren’t generally covered at the time. The book is definitely a collectible bit of motorcycle history and literature.
The Cycle Jumpers Fast Facts
- Title: The Cycle Jumpers
- Author: Marshall Spiegel
- Publisher: Berkley Publishing Corp.
- Published:
- Format: 174 pages. 4.5 x 7 inches. 55 black-and-white images.
- ISBN: 425-02362-095
- Original cover price: 95¢
