The Ives Brothers are Motorcycling’s chillest death-defiers
Kyle and Cody Ives have been riding the Wall of Death since they were kids. Later this month, they’re bringing one of motorcycling’s oldest stunts to the inaugural Harley-Davidson® Homecoming™ Festival.
While Wall of Death would make the perfect name for a band, Florida-raised siblings and stunt performers Kyle and Cody Ives have been putting their own spin on the century-old stunt for nearly two decades. Riding vertically at speeds of up to 40mph, the duo scale the walls of a 20-foot tall wooden drum thanks to their gravity-defying skills and the power of centrifugal force.
It’s a stunt that’s been around for over 100 years, first appearing at Coney Island in 1911, but the pair have made it their own over the years. “We added rock and roll, we added new bikes. We made it a show and not a demonstration of how other people did it years ago,” Kyle Ives explained. “We did things our way all the way down to the tools and forklifts. We’re trying to expose this show to people that never had the opportunity to see something like it, so we not only have to preserve the history of the show, but we have to do the same for ourselves.”
This month, the pair are set to perform at the inaugural Harley-Davidson® Homecoming™ Festival—a 4-day food, music, and moto-culture festival in Milwaukee with live performances from headliners Foo Fighters and Green Day, and more events in venues across the city.
Having worked with the iconic motorcycle brand at events across North America for years, Kyle says it's the interpersonal connections they value the most. “I would say our favorite part of working with the motor company is all of the amazing people we have met thru the company,” Kyle explained. “The bonds and family we have gained because of a two-wheel machine is mind-blowing.”
Getting their start as pre-teens, showmanship runs in their blood. “Our father was a showman and traveled with the circus when we were really young,” Kyle explained, adding that the family took a break from traveling to set up a South Florida tire shop once they reached school age. “When Cody and I got to the age to really show our asses and ride motorcycles, they were cool enough to sacrifice everything and let us go live our dreams.”
Since then, they’ve appeared at motorcycle shows and rallies across the country, setting up and tearing down the drum with each stop. The secret to staying calm inside the drum? “Confidence, skill, and ability. Believing in yourself is enough to make you do a lot of amazing things," Kyle explained.
The inaugural Harley-Davidson® Homecoming™ Festival kicks off on July 13. You can buy tickets here.
