Evel Knievel Rides Again!

I’m a very nostalgic person. I am always looking back, fondly, of my past, most especially my youth.

I have A LOT of wonderful memories playing with my cousins. My cousin John grew up living next door to me for some time. He was more of a brother to me than a cousin. Sadly, he passed away last year due to lung and brain cancer. My heart will never be the same.

I was a bit of a “Tom boy” growing up. I did play with Barbies and dolls, but I also really loved playing with my Tonka trucks (all metal – the great ones), and my cousin John’s G.I. Joe doll (the one with the fuzzy hair on his beard).

There were only a few kids on the road where I lived. The closest was a boy named Tommy who lived across the street. Me, John and Tommy always had fun playing together and going on adventures.

Tommy had a really cool toy – an Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle. If you are around my age (fifty something) you probably remember it. It was the infamous daredevil, Evel Knievel, as a doll. He rode is motorcycle. You could set the doll up in different positions (stunts) and set him on a special base. When you crank the dial on the base, it revs up Evel’s bike. The bike then hops off and zooms across the room or driveaway. It was a lot of fun to watch.

It was super fun in Tommy’s driveaway. His driveaway went up a hill. The woods were across the street. His Evel doll would zoom down hill, across the road, and into the bushes across the street. Sometimes it was hard to find him. It was awesome!

I haven’t thought about Tommy and that Evel Knievel doll/motorcycle in decades. That is, until a friend of mine on Facebook (a friend from high school) mentioned that the doll was making a comeback. How cool was that, I thought.

I was lucky to received one of the Evel Knievel dolls and motorcycles to check out for myself.

Everything about the new version reminds me of the one from when I was a kid. The look, how it works… it’s all the same!

I found a video of a vintage 1970’s Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle Toy. Check it out first, then I’ll show you the 2020 version.

Vintage

 

2020 Version

 

As you can see they are identical in every way. I love that! Its like holding a piece of my history in my hand. I love it!

The doll looks pretty much the same as the one from my youth. I don’t think the newer version is as “bendy,” but that might come with use.

Here are some of it’s features;

• Roll, jump, and flip Evel Knievel to new heights!
• Crafted from the original molds for a truly authentic dose of pure nostalgic play
• Low tech design does NOT require batteries, apps, or wifi access
• Build ramps, set up obstacle courses, and send it flying
• Fun for kids (and adults) of all ages!
• Comes with the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle, signature Red Energizer, and Evel Knievel Action Figure

It took me a bit to remember how to set the bike up on the base. I couldn’t figure it out! Thankfully my husband also had the toy when he was a kid, and he remembered how to set it up.

The doll and bike work the same. Dial the bike up on the base and it takes off on it’s own. I don’t remember the bike taking off on it’s own as a kid. I thought there was another step to releasing the bike, but I guess I’m mistaken.

We played with the bike in our living room for a bit, just to get an idea of how it works. We couldn’t get it to do any stunts, and often it would fall over before it got to the other end of the living room. Having cats chase it and knock it over didn’t help either.

I took the toy to work with me, where we’d have the blacktop and most of the gym to play with it.

Just like me, it took a bit for the kids to figure out how to set the bike on the base. The older kids picked up on it right away.

It’s been “hit or miss” with the toy. Sometimes it zooms a way (it goes really far on the gym floor compared to the blacktop). We have yet to have it do any stunts at work. We haven’t been able to figure out how to do handstands or position the doll in other ways on the bike without it falling off.

Honestly, the kids don’t seem to mind. Even just zooming it around the gym or blacktop is good enough for them. They seem to really enjoy it. They have had it for a few weeks now and they still enjoy playing with it.

The only thing is they lost the helmet. I’m hoping we’ll find it, but it doesn’t matter because it still works without it.

I can’t take photos of the toy being enjoyed with my “work kids,” for obvious reasons.

I did take a video of my husband playing with it in our living room. It’s not the best video quality, but at least you can get an idea.

You can see one of our cats hoovering around. My husband was not dialing it up as much as he could (the faster you dial it up, the faster it does, at least that is how it seems). Because he was dialing it sort of slow, the bike didn’t go that far. He was afraid it would go too fast and hurt one of our cats.

This is a very brief video.

 

Overall I think this is a great toy. It would make a wonderful gift for someone in your life who had this toy as a kid. It’s also a fun gift for children. I know that my “work kids” (grades K-5th grade) have been having fun with it.

If you would like to learn more about this toy, please visit EvelKnievelToys.com. You can purchase the toy on this website. I have also seen it available at other retail locations.

Did you have this toy as a kid? Would your child/grandchild enjoy this toy? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.

I should note that the base I have is red, just like the one from when I was a kid. On the website it shows it being blue. I’m not sure why.

Kimberly

*I received a free sample product in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.