Triumph Rocket 3 Evel Knievel Limited Edition First Look

His later career might have been tied to Harley-Davidson but Evel Knievel’s earlier stunts including his most famous jump—the 1967 Caesars Palace leap that put him into both the public eye and a hospital bed—were made on Triumphs. It’s a partnership that spanned Knievel’s career from obscurity to becoming arguably the most famous motorcyclist on the planet, and it’s marked by a new limited edition of 500 Rocket 3s for 2025.

Both the Rocket 3 GT and Rocket 3 R are being offered in Evel Knievel Limited Edition form, each accounting for half that total of 500 bikes. While a Bonneville T120 might have been a more accurate representation of Evel’s old Triumph jump bikes, his approach was always to attract as much attention as possible, and that’s precisely what the Rocket 3 achieves.

The limited-edition models are differentiated by their paintwork, with chrome fuel tanks finished with red, white, and blue graphics to mimic Knievel’s jumpsuits, with the same theme continuing onto the black rear bodywork. The seats are leather with Evel’s signature embroidered into them in gold thread, and matching logos on the front fender and side panels. The same signature and a stars-and-stripes “EK” appear on the start-up screen of the circular TFT instrument panel.

“Evel Knievel performed many stunts on Triumph motorcycles during the ‘60s, but his jump at Caesars Palace on a T120 TT, was the moment he created a legend that has inspired generations of fans,” Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer Paul Stroud said. “Working with the Knievel family, we have created two striking Limited Editions that are as spectacular on the road as Evel Knievel was in his heyday. With just 250 of each model available globally featuring beautiful Knievel design touches and with a specially commissioned book celebrating his achievements with Triumph, these Rocket 3 Limited Editions will appeal to collectors, fans and the thrill seekers among us.”

Customers don’t just get the bikes, but also a hardback book, also limited to 500 examples and signed by Triumph CEO Nick Bloor, recounting the story of Knievel and Triumph. Written specifically for the project by Stuart Barker, author of Knievel biography Life of Evel, the books will be individually numbered to match the bike they accompany.

The book focuses on Triumph’s connection with Knievel. He exclusively rode the British bikes in 1967 and 1968, right as he rose to fame, including his first televised jump over 15 cars at Ascot Park Speedway in Gardena, California, in March 1967 and, of course, the bone-crunching Caesars Palace fountains jump on December 31 that year. He stuck with Bonnevilles when he made his return to jumping the following May before switching brands, initially to Honda, then American Eagle (Laverda) before adopting Harley-Davidson XR750s from 1970. However, he returned to Triumph at the end of his career, riding a Bonneville T140 in his final stunt riding appearances in 1979 and 1980.

Another of Knievel’s famous jumps (and failures) was the Snake River Canyon attempt in 1974, aboard the X-2 Skycycle, a steam-powered rocket. However, the original Skycycle was intended to be a rocket-boosted Bonneville, complete with wings, and the jump was to be across the Grand Canyon back in 1968. That idea was nixed by the National Park Service, hence the move to Snake River and a six-year delay that saw the development of the X-2.

Other than the Knievel visuals, the Rocket 3 R and Rocket 3 GT Evel Knievel Limited Editions are technically identical to the standard Rocket 3 Storm R and GT production models, with the same 180 hp, 2,458cc three-cylinder engine and cast aluminum chassis, paired to a Showa inverted fork and a piggyback shocks, and are expected to reach production in March next year.

Related: The Sum of All Evel