I created Evel Knievel, and then he sort of got away from me.

I've always lived by the creed that you're never a failure in life when you fall as long as you try and get up.

Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it

I know that I'm very lucky to be alive. For 35 or 40 years I've spilt my blood and broke my bones and spent years in hospitals.

If I'm out trailriding, I have a favorite motorcycle. Riding on the road, I've got a favorite. If I'm jumping, I have a favorite, and if I'm racing, I have a favorite.

But you come to a point in your life when you can't pull the trigger anymore.

You can't ask a guy like me why [I performed]. I really wanted to fly through the air. I was a daredevil, a performer. I loved the thrill, the money, the whole macho thing. All those things made me Evel Knievel. Sure, I was scared. You gotta be an ass not to be scared. But I beat the hell out of death.