| Author | Message | ||
     Skyguy |
This is kinda about Buells and explains my introduction to them. It is a longish read but I hope you stick with it. I just thought I would share the memory of a flying buddy of mine who died a few years ago. I miss hanging out, drinking beer and watching him ride wheelies on his Buell. Slow, fast or in circles. Drunk, sober or hung over he could ride a wheelie like no other! I first met him while standing at a glider launch in Lake Elsinore CA. back in 1993. It was an unusual meeting. I thought I was alone and was checking the conditions to prepare for a paraglider flight. It was a quiet afternoon with barely a breeze when suddenly I hear what sounds like a bear crashing through the bushes below launch. I was just thinking about heading for the truck when I suddenly heard the bear snarling, words? To my great relief I suddenly realized that the bear had a rather colorful vocabulary..... Seems this big bear had just tossed his reserve in the paraglider about half an hour before I arrived. He had landed uninjured had spent half an hour grappling dense brush to get back up to launch. I offered him a nice cold beer which he drank while repacking his reserve. I was a paragliding instructor and of course asked a few questions about why he had to toss. Seems he had been hanggliding for years and was in the process of teaching himself to fly paragliders. He had a clear explanation of events and I explained to him what he might have done to avoid the problem and he listened carefully. Then? Off to launch to try again! He tossed his chute a couple of more times that summer..... He would pick my brain anytime we were hanging that summer . Always handing me a beer (or more) at the end of the flying day. Come late fall most of us are hanging out in the landing zone more than we are flying. This is just the way it is with soaring aircraft. Really good times though. Every once in awhile he would show up on a Buell and ride wheelies all over the darn place. This went on for almost ten years. One day we had a big Hangglider and Paraglider competition and I earned a first place in the masters class. This event was full with some of the biggest names in the sport including my friend. We had a great time that night. Big party under the old oak tree in the landing area, getting crazy telling stories and me on top of the world It felt so good to have earned the respect of him and some of the others. This was old school and they dont think much of todays pilots. The next day I will never forget. My phone rings and it is Dougs girlfriend. Doug and another fellow were out playing with the hangglider trike and Doug it seems was in rare form. During a very big wingover the trike folded and both Doug and Keith died on impact. Some of you guys may have already figured out that my friend was Doug Domokos AKA The Wheelie King. Funny but I flew with him for six months before somebody told me the he was The "Wheelie King". Never have I met such a crazy yet humble guy. To those that are a bit younger he was the guy that did the wheelie stunts in Cannonball Run and just about every other motorcycle movie of that era. He was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, post mortem. I hope he knows he left his mark. I miss him. | ||
| Ortegakid |
Man, how cool, we used to watch him ride wheelies on his his trike on the wires above Costa mesa speedway every year!He was the absolute best,didn't he wheelie a gold wing for some movie?!, sorry to hear of his passing, so very glad you got to know him, my sons have his autograph on a few years of cm programs! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Sorry you lost a friend, when did this happen? | ||
| Kdan |
http://www.thewheelieking.com/index.html Skyguy, you need to post this over on his site for posterity. | ||
| Court |
Doug actually came to the Buell factory one day and did an interesting (I would have said it was impossible until I saw it) demonstration through the R&D parking lot on Erik's S-2. Yes, you bet I saved the pictures. Fascinating guy. Court | ||
| Xb9ser |
Court lets see some of the pictures. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I saw Doug Domokos perform at the Atlanta Supercross, way back in the late 70's. | ||
| Kenb |
As a little guy I remember watching Doug ride a wheelie around the entire Unadilla race course back in the day when the Hurricane was still racing. | ||
| Buellfighter |
Yeah, I remember Doug back when he would ride a wheelie around the Dallas supercross track. Sorry to hear about your friends Skyguy. | ||
| 1stxb |
Kenb, I was at Unidilla also. On Sunday morning before the race Doug wheelied up the "Hill" through the campsites and turned around at our camp fire pit, still on the back wheel. Friends got some old 8MM film of the morning... Truly incredible guy, and sorely missed... KRMc | ||
| Mxer83 |
I can remember him wheeling the WHOLE motocross track at red bud Mich. during intermission , truly talented and cool guy, he is missed for sure | ||
| 1313 |
I would have said it was impossible until I saw it How true Court, how true! Unfortunately that was one day I didn't have my camera. I don't know whatever became of that scratched up tail section, but I know it was removed shortly after Doug's demonstration. Looking at it off the S2, one would swear that there would be no way to cause those scratches and 'save' the bike. Truly amazing! 1313 | ||
| Spiderman |
Didn't he pass a motorcycle test just on the rear wheel? | ||
| Ortegakid |
Click on the link shown on Kdan's post, amazing stuff, I ordered the dvd,and he(Doug),was the most genuine,true nice person,gentleman,honest,humble,yet talented person I've met in motorcycling for years!!! | ||
| Court |
>>>Looking at it off the S2, one would swear that there would be no way to cause those scratches and 'save' the bike. That's an accurate statement. And, to sweeten the deal, he marked the spot on the pavement where he was going to "put" the tail section. The S-2 is a funny bike. Draw a vertical line, tangent with the rearmost circumference of the rear tire, and all things say "can't put glass on the ground with being over backward". Well he did it effortlessly and precisely. Of interest, and quite dramatic in the photos, is that the parking lot was "crowned" and the tail section markings are all off to the left edge (he was headed South when he did it). Great stuff. Court | ||
| Skyguy |
Hi Guys, Doug was awesome. Kind of funny but he was one of my idols when I was younger and there I was flying with him without knowing. I feel privlaged to have shared the sky and more than a few beers with him. It is a shame he went out the way he did. He was playing (as usual) way to hard as was below an altitude that a reserve could be tossed at. His wife and son were standing 25 feet from the impact site. He was in the twilight of his career and knew it. Seems riding wheelies was not "extreme" enough anymore. He left a wife and a son behind and they are pretty darn poor. I encourage anyone that can afford to buy the video to add it to their collection. It is pretty cool stuff and goes to a very good cause. He would be so happy to know that people remember him. Damm I miss flying with him. | ||
| Mikerocket |
WoW. I never knew who he was till you mentioned it. Sorry to hear what happen. I do however remember him on some videos in the past. This guy is amazing!! At least in his death he went for what he loved. Let's all salute!! As for Skyguy, I wish I got to meet him. You were lucky to hang around that guy. Sounded like a down to earth person. http://www.thewheelieking.com/images/TWK_photo18.jpg |
