THERE’S a chance to soak up a rare piece of American history at the inaugural Battistinis California Dreamin’ Expo in Bournemouth this weekend.

On show are historic artefacts from the career of the legendary stuntman, Evel Knievel.

Speaking to the Daily Echo from his Las Vegas home, Evel’s son Kelly said: “It’s very rare and one of a kind.

“There was only one Evel Knievel on the planet and these are one-of-a-kind items that he used throughout his life, they will never see anything like it again.”

Exhibits include the Harley Davidson XR 750 that Evel attempted – and failed – to jump a shark tank in Chicago with, the rocket-powered Skycycle that ended up at the bottom of a canyon, torn leathers and a prototype bike built for Evel.

Among the more curious of exhibits is a medical skeleton that Evel used to mark up the bones he had broken – all 433 of them.

Although he attempted many feats in the USA, a jump at Wembley Stadium in 1975, where he tried to clear 13 buses, was one of his most famous failed stunts.

Kelly added: “He made more than 200 jumps in his career and the Wembley one is one of his most famous.

“He crashed, but the point about my dad is after he crashed he got back up, especially at Wembley when he broke his back. He said, ‘I walked in here and I’m going to walk out’.

“The thing about Evel Knievel is he was an inspirational character.

“The response to Evel Knievel is not something that I have anything to do with really, it’s a natural phenomenon and a form of respect to what he accomplished and what he was.”

As well as the True Evel exhibition, Saturday and Sunday’s custom bike show at the BIC will feature suppliers from all over the world, Ace Café London showcasing a replica of the Husqvarna bike ridden by Steve McQueen in the cult film On Any Sunday, which is marking its 40th anniversary, and a 57-year-old chopper on loan from the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.

It will also host the UK round of the AMD World Championship and feature many expert airbrushers.