GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel cleared a sliver of the Grand Canyon on Thursday, breaking his world record of 223 feet with room to spare.
Fireworks erupted and a crowd of about 500 cheered as Knievel soared 55 feet into the air over the 200-foot-wide gorge at 90 mph on an ordinary 500-cc motorcycle.
Officials said Knievel traveled 228 feet, eclipsing the record he set in Panama City, Fla., in the early 1990s.
If he had failed, Knievel risked plunging 2,500 feet to the canyon floor on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, west of Grand Canyon National Park.
Knievel tumbled off the bike after clearing the landing ramp, coming to rest in a cloud of dust in hay bales set up to cushion a fall.
“I’m wiped out in the head a little,” Knievel said.
He was examined by paramedics, who applied a neck brace and placed him on a gurney. He was flown by helicopter to University Medical Center in Las Vegas for an examination.
The extent of any injuries was unclear.
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