The Great Escape - jump proven.

[nsb22]

Apparently there had been some doubts about the great motorcycle jump where Steve McQueens character jumps a fence to cross the border. Well, it's been proven possible.


It wasn't so much that the jump wasn't possible, but the bike they supposedly did it on.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...cle5718912.ece

[MacLean]

Cool!

[nsb22]

I love the sound of that bike. Makes me wish I could get me one!

[mg32]

It does make a great sound. You probably could get one you just might have to skip the rifle, your kids education and any vacations for the next couple of years. But I am sure it would be worth it in the long run right?

[Garbage Man]

You do know that that scene was complete fiction though right? It was writen because Steve McQueen was into bikes and wanted to show off. The real version of the bike he was on had a top speed of abot 40 MPH and could not have done the jump so they gave him a modern bike and altered it to look like a WWII

Actually all the Americans in the movie were fiction. The Americans did help with the tunnel and the planning but tragically all the Americans were moved to a different camp weeks prior to the actual escape. The producers of the movie thought the American audience would hate seeing that, so it was written out.

I hope this isnt too common knowledge.

That said wouldn't you love seeing it on the big screen?

[Chomp]

The re-enactment was.. interesting. No helmet, no kevlar, just a dude in cargo pants and a T-shirt on a heavy bike, going for it.

[nsb22]

It doesn't really matter that it was fiction. The point was the jump could be done, which was the original question.

[moggsp98]

My dad and my uncle used to be riding buddies with Ekins and McQueen. They were both electricians and helped build McQueens ranch in SoCal. I can remember riding mini bikes in the hills around his house and eating hamburgers off the grill in the back yard. they used to talk for hours about stunts that they wanted to do and races that they wanted to go to. Good times, (un)fortunately my dad is the only one still around from those little planing sessions.

They sure had some kick ass bikes then. Triumph, BSA, Indian. That was about the time that we really got serious into desert racing with the Barstow to Vegas. My uncle was president of Orange County Motorcycle Club (OCMC) for years and they ran a portion of the race course. We were in a family club called Conejo Trail Riders (CTR). Did alot of riding until I got married. Sure miss it. Just went to my uncle's funeral couple of weeks ago. Over 600 people showed up mostly people we grew up riding with. It was awesome.