Daredevil Doug Danger has succeeded where his hero Evel Knievel failed to do, jumping over a record 22 cars at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, South Dakota.
Danger’s incredible leap to the record books was a long time coming but for what it’s worth, he made all that waiting worth it. Riding the same 1972 Harley-Davidson XR-750 model that Knievel used back in his heyday, Danger made the record-setting jump look elementary, easily clearing all 22 cars with plenty of real estate for the landing.
Such was the ease of Danger’s attempt that he actually almost overshot the landing slope, hitting the part of the slope that was already close to the ground. If you think about it, the man could’ve probably cleared 25 cars and still had enough space to make a comfortable landing.
It’s undoubtedly an incredible achievement for a man who has planned this jump for years. The preparation and training to make the jump wasn’t easy and Danger is the first to tell that the road to the record didn’t come easy. But the man who has built a career from stunts like this will also tell you that this was a stunt he had to do, not just for himself but for the man he considered his mentor of sort.s
Its no accident that Danger also used a 1972 XR-750 for the jump, the same model Knievel used in his own attempt back in 1972. While it’s the same bike for all intents and purposes, Danger’s bike did have the advantage of weighing only 200 pounds, compared to Knievel’s 1972 bike that weighed 350 pounds.
People will likely point to that as the biggest reason why Danger succeeded where Knievel couldn’t. I’m here to say that’s a short-sighted way of looking at Danger’s incredible achievement. Jumping over 22 cars, no matter what you’re using, is an incredibly risky proposition.
There’s a reason why not everybody does it. Doug Danger did, and he beat the odds. That, by itself, is an achievement nobody’s going to take away from him.
Continue reading to read more about Doug Danger’s incredible leap to the record books.
Why it matters
If the great Evel Knievel couldn’t do it, you know it’s a big deal. That was the overwhelming sentiment behind Doug Danger’s attempt to jump over 22 cars.
Through sheer will and determination, Danger succeeded where his mentor failed. Danger didn’t even take any shortcuts in his attempt. Every aspect of the jump was similar to Knievel’s own attempt 43 years ago, including the rig configuration, specifically the inclusion of a ramp that covered the last three cars.
If anything, the biggest difference between the two jumps is in the 1972 XR-750 that both used to attempt the stunt.
Now about that bike. Danger’s 1972 XR-750 did come with a few small modifications, but for the most part, the changes were mostly of the reconfiguration and suspension varieties. The footpads were relocated from their standard position to accommodate his frame. It’s a subtle change, but crucial for Danger to be comfortable for his record-setting attempt. The more important difference between Knievel’s bike and Danger’s bike was the suspension, specifically the size of suspension travel. Whereas Knievel’s old Harley only had three inches of travel, Danger’s came with a good 12 inches of suspension travel, enough to make for a more comfortable landing.
As the video shows in all its glory, Danger did have a comfortable landing. It might have even been too comfortable. But whatever people might think of his record-breaking jump, nobody can deny that Danger pulled it off, jumping his way to the record books and to immortality.
Congratulations, Doug Danger! Well done!