This guy was pure bad ass

mxer146
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mxer146
Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 5:22am
Too bad I never witnessed him ride. Would have been a treat.





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ridge
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ridge 4/13/2010 12:40pm
4/13/2010 12:40pm
I never got to meet him but I've heard nothing but good things about the guy...on and off the track.
Torco1
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Torco1 4/13/2010 12:43pm
4/13/2010 12:43pm
I remember seeing him during a supercross intermission back in the 80's. He wheelied the whole track......whoops and all.
Ramrod
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Ramrod 4/13/2010 1:10pm
4/13/2010 1:10pm
I saw him wheelie the entire Red Bud national track ... crazy!
SCIENCE
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SCIENCE 4/13/2010 1:12pm
4/13/2010 1:12pm
Saw Domokos wheelie the entire Unadilla track (including the scew-U) at the early 250 USGP's ( '78-80). Very Cool. Recall a fan on stilts (w/plastic hooters) attempting to walk beside him in the back section. He was totally cool in the pits as well. Still have one of his signed pics in my shop

The Shop

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DanDunes818 4/13/2010 1:14pm
4/13/2010 1:14pm Edited Date/Time 4/13/2010 1:17pm
Yeah--I remember watching him wheelie that street on that show "That's Incredible" with Fran Tarketon.I loved that show on Monday nights.

I always looked forward to watching Doug wheelie the whole SX track . He'd always wheelie out of the tunnel and into the stadium in his Red White and Blue leather (evil kenivel style) jump suit with the #1 and wheelie king printed on his back. The crowd would go crazy when he would wheelie the whoops. I remember if he messed up the wheelie the guy would always try again and every time I saw him it never took him more then twice to get it done.

Although he did kind of cheat a little..He had a little motor hooked up to his front tire that kept the front wheel spinning. It would be allot easier to keep the front wheel up like that but still damn hard.
oldschoolmxr203 4/13/2010 1:15pm
4/13/2010 1:15pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 10:06pm
I seen him wheelie the track @ the St.Pete.,Fla round of the Nationals
I think he was known as the wheelie king, definatly a bad ass stunt man
Yaya
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Yaya 4/13/2010 1:17pm
4/13/2010 1:17pm
Now that was just plain cool!
neverwasfastenuf 4/13/2010 1:28pm
4/13/2010 1:28pm
I saw him wheelie several complete tracks too, great balance, but that front wheel motor didn't hurt things either.
glattime
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glattime 4/13/2010 1:34pm
4/13/2010 1:34pm
Thanks for the link. I used to ride with him a bit back in 83/84 and he was a really cool guy. Fast on two wheels as well. Always trying to talk you into hang gliding, various rental car stunts or jumping some crazy stuff on bicycles. A really interesting guy that was always exploring the edge.

500guy
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500guy 4/13/2010 1:40pm
4/13/2010 1:40pm
Yes he was, total baddass front wheel spinner and all. That gyro didn't come until later, I saw him do some impressive stuff without the Gyro.
Paul1PA
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Paul1PA 4/13/2010 1:43pm
4/13/2010 1:43pm
Yep, Doug is a legend and I remember seeing him perform at Mid-Ohio, High Point, etc. In the photo below, he is doing a wheelie on a Kawasaki KZ1300 (a 6 cylinder, 700 pound beast). Funny he's still wearing his moto garb! Grinning

DoctorJD
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DoctorJD 4/13/2010 1:49pm
4/13/2010 1:49pm
Saw him several times at the Atlanta SX, but the most memorable was at the Road Atlanta Trans USA race. Amazing to watch.
BobbyM
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BobbyM 4/13/2010 1:55pm
4/13/2010 1:55pm
he wheelied across lake ponchatrain i believe too
Tiki
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Tiki 4/13/2010 2:24pm
4/13/2010 2:24pm
Torco1 wrote:
I remember seeing him during a supercross intermission back in the 80's. He wheelied the whole track......whoops and all.
Yep.
Hank_Thrill
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Hank_Thrill 4/13/2010 2:26pm
4/13/2010 2:26pm
Torco1 wrote:
I remember seeing him during a supercross intermission back in the 80's. He wheelied the whole track......whoops and all.
X2! I was just about to say that.

I also remember he eventually put a device on his front wheel to keep it rolling, so he could use the gyroscopic forces. Anyone ever try to wheelie once your front wheel is stopped? balancing by steering the handlebars becomes practically useless.
Hank_Thrill
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Hank_Thrill 4/13/2010 2:30pm
4/13/2010 2:30pm
WOW, him going over that car was AMAZING!

Pit Row

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project racer 4/13/2010 2:34pm
4/13/2010 2:34pm
oldschoolmxr203 wrote:
I seen him wheelie the track @ the St.Pete.,Fla round of the Nationals I think he was known as the wheelie king, definatly a bad ass...
I seen him wheelie the track @ the St.Pete.,Fla round of the Nationals
I think he was known as the wheelie king, definatly a bad ass stunt man
I remember in 1975 I believe, at St.Pete, Domokos was doing it on a Maico, along with two other guys. I think one was Gene Ritchie's son, the Red Bud promoter. I heard Bill West paid Doug $50 to wheelie the track that day in St. Pete.

When West first saw Domokos, he was wheelieing down the dragstrip, and as he came to the end, he set the front wheel down right on top of the hood of the van West was sitting in, pivoted , and rode off. West hollered at him to come back, and the $50 deal was made to wheelie the track that day.
JohnnyO_57
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JohnnyO_57 4/13/2010 4:43pm
4/13/2010 4:43pm
project racer wrote:
I remember in 1975 I believe, at St.Pete, Domokos was doing it on a Maico, along with two other guys. I think one was Gene Ritchie's...
I remember in 1975 I believe, at St.Pete, Domokos was doing it on a Maico, along with two other guys. I think one was Gene Ritchie's son, the Red Bud promoter. I heard Bill West paid Doug $50 to wheelie the track that day in St. Pete.

When West first saw Domokos, he was wheelieing down the dragstrip, and as he came to the end, he set the front wheel down right on top of the hood of the van West was sitting in, pivoted , and rode off. West hollered at him to come back, and the $50 deal was made to wheelie the track that day.
Doug was entered in the support class at the Unadilla Trans AMA in 1976. While I don't remember how he placed that day in the event, I remember seeing him practice his wheelies on his Maico, early on Sunday morning.

He was amazing on his full race bike. Even without the motor spinning the front wheel he could wheelie for ages... was fortunate enough to see him many times during the early 1980's always was in awe of the guy.

czernik
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czernik 4/13/2010 7:39pm
4/13/2010 7:39pm
Seen the King wheelie Redddddd Buddddd in the 70s during the Trans Am...it was awesome...I believe it was Gene "The Dude "Richie"s idea on a bet....
FastEddy
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FastEddy 4/13/2010 7:58pm
4/13/2010 7:58pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 10:06pm
Yes Doug was bad ass!
I met him back when I was 7 years old, he let me hold his helmet for him before he wheeled the entire Washougal track back in the day.
No matter how many years had gone by,every time I seen him at an event he always remembered me & my name.
One of the nicest guys you could ever meet....
Was bummed out when I heard he passed away.
It was also very cool when they paid tribute to him at A1 that year and started up his bike for the last time.


Here are some old pics of him I have on this hard drive....
They were from the King Dome early 80's.
stumpjumper
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stumpjumper 4/13/2010 7:58pm
4/13/2010 7:58pm
Saw him at Red Bud many times,Heard one time he had a bet with the Ritchie's to ride a wheelie around the track for alot of money,A couple of years ago they had a display at Red Bud, Got pics somewhere!
olds cool
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olds cool 4/13/2010 8:09pm
4/13/2010 8:09pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 10:06pm
Saw him wheelie around Lake Sugar Tree back in the '70s. The epitome of control & balance, totally awesome.
TerryK
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TerryK 4/14/2010 4:45pm
4/14/2010 4:45pm
Paul1PA wrote:
Yep, Doug is a legend and I remember seeing him perform at Mid-Ohio, High Point, etc. In the photo below, he is doing a wheelie on...
Yep, Doug is a legend and I remember seeing him perform at Mid-Ohio, High Point, etc. In the photo below, he is doing a wheelie on a Kawasaki KZ1300 (a 6 cylinder, 700 pound beast). Funny he's still wearing his moto garb! Grinning

Dude! I've been looking for that picture for about 30 years! Thank you thank you thank you! lol

I remember the story went something like this: Doug had been at the Cycle World (or one of the other street mags) offices and someone asked if he could wheelie the KZ13. he proceeded to stand the thing on it's tail, breaking the tailight in the process.
JustPuttinAround 4/14/2010 6:08pm
4/14/2010 6:08pm
Paul1PA wrote:
Yep, Doug is a legend and I remember seeing him perform at Mid-Ohio, High Point, etc. In the photo below, he is doing a wheelie on...
Yep, Doug is a legend and I remember seeing him perform at Mid-Ohio, High Point, etc. In the photo below, he is doing a wheelie on a Kawasaki KZ1300 (a 6 cylinder, 700 pound beast). Funny he's still wearing his moto garb! Grinning

With Scott boots and all! (not the most "sensitive" boots ever made...looks like he is modulating the rear brake just fine!) KZ 1300...wow...That bike was/is huge and heavy! I don't see a gyro on that front wheel!

I saw him at the Super Bowl of Motocross in LA...he went up the peristyle out of the stadium and then came back down the other side and completed the whole track...I was blown away!

Wasn't he killed in a hang gliding (ultralight?) accident in So. Cal. (Perris? Sun City?) a few years back? RIP...Long live the King!
Digger437
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Digger437 4/14/2010 6:26pm
4/14/2010 6:26pm
I got to meet him in 1981 at a Hillclimb National and I think even got to sit on that bike in the video. He was pretty amazing on that bike.
GuyB
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GuyB 4/14/2010 6:34pm
4/14/2010 6:34pm
That's Incredible...
Bermshot
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Bermshot 4/14/2010 7:52pm
4/14/2010 7:52pm
dude used a ramp to get up onto the trunk of the car
saw him wheelie around the San Diego SX and he actually had to set the wheel down
AdamB
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AdamB 4/14/2010 9:04pm
4/14/2010 9:04pm
Awesome post. Very cool dude. We need someone like him nowadays

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