The front page of a Doug Somokos promo folder.
Doug Domokos was a one-of-a-kind stunt rider. A one-trick pony if you will, Domokos’ claim to fame was his ability to wheelie a motorcycle, practically any motorcycle, and ride that bike on one wheel, even over the craziest of obstacles.
While “The Wheelie King” was one of the pioneers of motorcycle stunt riding what made Doug unique was that his routines were simply fun. Unlike the death defying stunts of Evel or others of that breed, Doug’s stunts would leave you with a smile on your face. You could take children to watch Doug with no fear of the kids being exposed to a terrifying, bone crunching crash.
Non-motorcyclist even enjoyed Doug’s routine. He appeared on numerous national television shows and was featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles during his heyday in the 1980s. The ever smiling Domokos presented a friendly side of motorcycling to the general public.
Rider Files 
Part of the problem with being a photojournalist and media guy, and being around as long as you have been around, Larry, is that eventually your work starts to fill up with with dead guys. There’s nothing you can do about that, it’s just that relentless human clock ticking, you know? I am grateful for your documentation over the years, though. Photos, press kits, news clippings, etc. It’s all golden to me, and I love it. Thanks again for posting up your stuff!
Indeed, back in the day wheelies were a simple thing that impressed everyone. No one didn’t like watching a wheelie, especially a long one. Doug made wheelies beyond cool — he turned them into a complete show. He was an awesome performer. RIP, Doug.
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Doug was a big part of motorcycling thru the 1980s thanks Larry.
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Two things i remember about DD.
The first was going to the NY Motorcycle show, which at the time was in the Nassau Coliseum for a couple years back in the early 80.s. There, they had a double tight rope setup for Doug to use with a Honda 3 wheeler. It was likely an ATC110 or 125. Only 2 ropes for the rear wheels. He rode up & across the tightropes. It took several minutes to go just 30 feet or so. Keep in mind that had he simply let off the gas, the front wheel would have dropped through, there would have been a big crash, unlike a failure to do a wheelie on flat ground. He had to maintain the wheelie up, across & down, stopping several times along the way while using the automatic clutch to keep a continuous load on the bike; enough to maintain it’s balance, yet not loop out. It was an exercise in concentration that i could never imagine i could get to.
The other time was a few years later. Maybe 1986 or so. They had a Honda 3 wheeler in a rounded cage. It was essentially a half circle roll bar. If he went fast enough & hit the brakes, he could do “rolls” with it. The record at the time was 3 consecutive rolls. At Unadilla, the huge, long downhill coming out of the back of the track (not the Gravity Cavity) is massive. He started at the plateau & hit the brakes, at speed, just as he dropped into the hill. He rolled seven times, like a giant wheel over & over. The crowd was going ballistic, as they had never seen anything like it. In the post-ride interview, he said he was scared out of his mind as he was rolling. It was good to see someone with that kind of talent push his own limits. He was incredibly skilled. R.I.P. Doug.
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