Louis “Rocket” Re: An Evel Knievel Tribute

By Motorcycle Classics Staff
Published on December 5, 2011
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Louis “Rocket” Re flies through the air on his 1970 American Eagle Laverda 750 last June, jumping nine Jeeps at the AMCA Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Louis “Rocket” Re flies through the air on his 1970 American Eagle Laverda 750 last June, jumping nine Jeeps at the AMCA Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
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That’s Lou with the Laverda, which, not surprisingly, he keeps in perfect condition.
That’s Lou with the Laverda, which, not surprisingly, he keeps in perfect condition.

Cycle jumper Louis “Rocket” Re of Long Island, N.Y., got the motorcycle jumping bug after seeing the late, great Evel Knievel jump 13 buses (Knievel didn’t get enough speed and hit the last bus) at London’s Wembley Stadium live on ABC’s Wide World of Sports in 1975. 

Lou became a friend and protégé to Knievel, and in a tribute to the great jumper Lou’s been making jumps riding a stock 1970 American Eagle Laverda 750 — the same model Knievel jumped with back in the day in an arrangement with American Eagle’s Jack McCormack. Lou presently owns three of the bikes.

Ernie Copper snapped these photos of Lou at last June’s AMCA Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in Rhinebeck, N.Y., where Lou jumped ramp-to-ramp over nine Jeeps on his Laverda. Knieval’s granddaughter Krysten Knievel sang the National Anthem. Very cool. MC

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