Knievels ride out! 50-strong group set to honour Golden Anniversary of stunt man's 1975 Wembley jump

A group of 50 riders dressed as Evel Knievel will be in London in late May to mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary stuntman’s 1975 Wembley Stadium motorcycle jump over 13 single decker busses.

Raising money for the NSPCC along the way, the visit to the capital will make up part of a special five-day riding celebration split across England and Wales, which will also include a visit from Evel’s eldest son Kelly, and his two daughters Tracey and Alicia.

The event has been organised by RIDE Cymru MCC, who have been dressing up as Evel on an annual basis since 2015. Founder Jason Lewis began the movement in a bid to raise £1000 for charity but has since gone on to raise around £280,000 for good causes.

“All of the riders raise sponsorship as a condition of entry,” Lewis told MCN ahead of the run. “We are currently on £26,000 for this year already.”

• Related: Triumph launch Evel Knievel Rocket 3 tribute

The group actually began in 2012 and first wore costumes to mark the 40th anniversary of the stunt riding spectacle in 2015.

Evel rode in front of 90,000 people at the old Wembley venue and failed to complete the jump, destroying his Harley-Davidson XR750, and fracturing his pelvis in the process.

“The first year of dressing up was so positive with the public that we had to keep this going,” he added. “We need to pack in as much as we can into our five days.”

Evel Knievel’s children will be flying into Wales for a week’s holiday ahead of the event, with the motorcycling celebrations officially starting on Friday, May 23 with a two-day, 760-mile perimeter ride of Wales.

The group will then leave Oswestry at 9.30am on Sunday, May 25 – heading to London via Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop in Chipping Norton, before a Q&A with the Knievel family at the Ace Café that evening.

The following day sees the group ride through London, before a visit inside Wembley stadium on May 27, accompanied by the family, and a period correct London bus like Evel jumped over 50-years-ago. For more, and to donate, visit their social media page today.

Video: Evel Knievel’s motorcycle collection explored