Evel Knievel 1972. On January 7 and 8, 1971, Knievel set the record by selling over 100,000 tickets to back-to-back performances at the Houston Astrodome. On February 28, he set a new world record by jumping 19 cars with his Harley-Davidson XR-750 at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. The 19-car jump was filmed for the movie "Evel Knievel." Knievel held the record for 27 years until Bubba Blackwell jumped 20 cars in 1998 with an XR-750. In 2015, Doug Danger surpassed that number with 22 cars, accomplishing this feat on Evel Knievel's actual vintage 1972 Harley-Davidson XR-750. On May 10,
World records for fastest motorcycle ride around Australia World records for fastest motorcycle ride around Australia World records for fastest motorcycle ride around Australia The official route for the record around Australia is via Highway 1, visiting every capital city (except Hobart) starting at any point travelling clockwise or anti-clockwise. This official route was deemed necessary due to the great discrepancy in the distances covered by the riders. The first motorcycle ride around Australia was originally a US$20,000 bet made in 1972 between two Americans, Entrepreneur Frank Wheeler (AKA Big Frank) and record producer Julian Grant. Big Frank began the records riding on a 125 cc Hodaka motorcycle