Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

o 00 ~ .... 0.. < I-< King Floater meets the Wheelie King By Len Weed The wheelie is to motorcycling what the Darryl Dawkins Chocolate Thunder Flying, Robizine Crying, l.'eeth Shattering, Glass Breaking, Rump Roasting, Bun Toasting, Wham, Bam, I am Jam Destructo Dunk is to basketball. An oohh and aahh show stopper. It symbolizes - and requires - most of the sport's skills in one majestic burst - precision, balance, throttle control while seemingly flaunting good judgment in the face of impending disaster. 24 The history books say that Gottleib Daimler built the first motorized bicycle in 1885. But was Gottlieb the first wheel dancer? Here the archives and texts remain mute_ Obviously. some motor bike buckeroo invented the one-wheeler, cranking it up decades before Trigger, Smartest Horse in the Movies_ But whoever that first. wheelie freak was, he bequeathed quite a legacy to the crowd dazers. Within the past couple of years, two cyclists, on different types of machinery, spurred by dissimilar motivations, have become more prominent performing contrasting wheelie trickery. We saw Bernie Schreiber, now 21. become World Trials Champion in 1979 while simultaneously fashioning an undefeated record in international stadium trials. He's the King of the Floating Turn. Then there's Doug Domokos, 24. He too travels the competition circuit. Unlike Schreiber, whose talents are unleashed for the purpose of saving points and winning events, Domokos has honed his skills specificially to satisfy fans in the stands. His sudden popularity with motocross audiences across the nation, especially at the stadiums, seems to support his selfproclaimed tag - The Wheelie King. Like Muhammad Ali once said: It ain't braggin' if you can do it. There have been and still are other wheelie showmen. The grand old daredevil himself, the knight errant of erratic flights and shark figlJts, Evel Knievel, began with wheelies and he's still getting it up today. Right now, Domokos.is making his own mark as a showman. He has appeared on the covers of several publications here and abroad, and has travelled overseas to display his talents. At first, wheelies were just a fun thing for Doug, something to do between motos or while waiting for the trophy presentation at the local track. Then, just like Topsy, it growed. Schreiber's emergence was more deliberate. He didn't specifically set out to invent the wheelie turn. By unicycling over rubble or loose or slippery soil he eliminated front wheel traction problems. Other trials riders had done the same. thing. But Bernie took' his techniques further, and stimulated by the presence of a gifted rival in his SoCal playground, he worked doubly hard. The banked turns became float- ing turns that tightened the line tracked by the rear wheel. Today, Bernie Schreiber has developed his skill to the point he can approach a telephon.e pole lying on the ground at a right angle, lift up, track the rear up onto the top of the pole surface and then continue carrying the front wheel as he rides the length of the pole. Another trick is wheelieing on a railroad track. Just trying to ride along the length of a rail is freaky enough, but lifting and returning the wheel earns the Distinguished Service Cross for Bizarre Navigation_ Doug Domokos didn't develop his skill to best rivals in competition. His sole aim is to conquer a challenge he sets for himself while' simultaneously pleasing an audience_ Lack of belief in himself is not a pan of his character. He bubbles with self confidence. with bravado, with the unalterable opinion that there really is nothing he can't do if he puts his mind to it. The confidence of Bernie Schreiber is quieter, perhaps less immediately noticeable, but it is there. Normally, he isn't given to making bold statements. Yet after his first year in Europe he predicted he'd win the World Cham- pionship by age 22 - or ~r. Usually Bernie prefers to display his boldness. That's what has made him the most radical rider in trials today. After the nation sees him in On Any Sunday 1/ his prowess will no doubt be better known and more appreciated than it is today. And those movie goers will see Doug too. Domokos is a showman who must sell himself and his skills to promoters and organizers while Schreiber performs for official scorers and section watchers. Bernie goes for many cleans, riding sections without dropping a foot while Doug's goal is one big clean - a loop around a stadium track without dropping a front wheel. So, it seemed like an interesting idea. Get the King Floater and the Wheelie King together for a day of fun in the sun and unicycular merriment. Only it rained all day. And Doug was without his trick Kawasaki KX250, a victim of a bike thief. Even so, it was an ... uplifting day. A day well ... balanced between riding and raconteuring and maybe a little of that grand old American game called can-you-top-this? Here are some of the topics the

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