Everyone,
My name is Dan X. McGraw. I am a staff reporter at the Dallas Morning News. I am working on a story about the culture of motorcycle stunting, and I am trying to get in touch with riders who could talk me through the thrills and motivations.
If you would, please contact me as soon as possible at 214-977-7619 or at dmcgraw@dallasnews.com.

Thank you,

Dan X. McGraw

 

what is the perspective of this story going to be???

 

The story will be follow up story from last week about two L.D. Bell High School students who died after wrecking their motorcycles. Some people have suggested these two 18-year-olds were doing tricks 10 minutes before their accident.
We aren't sure, and frankly, it isn't a major element to the story. It would also be hard to prove.
Right now, we are trying to put together a story that will show both sides: stunt motorcyclist and police. However, to do that, we need to talk to people that stunt motorcycles.
On some other threads, some people have said the media is framing stunt motorcycling wrong. I don't want to do that, but if no one talks to us, we won't have your perspective, which is what we want.

 

my email is rollinretarted636@hotmail.com

 

the majority of stunt riders do not ride the streets anymore! stunt riding is done in parking lots in controlled environments away from the general public. stunt bikes are brought to the lots on trailers or in trucks. and you can quote me on that! hard to protray stunters in a negative light with a quote like that!
-Milt

R.I.P. to the fallen riders.

 

for the record people who speed around city streets doing power wheelies and side skitching are not stunters. They are just reckless motorcycle riders. We refer to them as SQUIDS

Stunt riders ride in closed off area's ie Parking lots and at local raceways.

Try to make that point clear. Stunters get a bad rep. because of Wanna be Squids who do reckless **** on the streets and crash and kill them selfs and other people.

 

im gonna talk to him about it on the phone in a little bit...

 

make us look responsible.:YEAH
thats what i was tryin to do.

 

oh ill do what i can

 

goddamnit.. I should check the other ongoing threads before flying off the handle next time. Tell this guy to eat a dick. He's going to make you look like a dumbass. This is going to be a sensationalist piece on those two 18 year old jokers that died in the streets the other day.

 

i haven't talked to him yet... i just figured that maybe i could show the more responsible side of stunting

 

Yeah, that will be edited out.

last week.. two kids dead on bikes... they posted street footage and I quote "they may have been riding with this group of riders"

LOL! How many more times?

 

yeah i emailed him and told him that i wouldn't talk unless he promised he could portray it in a good light.... he said he couldn't promise anything

 

see..

 

post that in the thread he posted in general sportbike discussion.

 

We never used street footage or said they were riding with a group. We are trying to get both sides of the story, but you guys get to decide how you want to show your sport. Police will say what they will say.

Here is what we reported:

Robert Wright bought his beloved high-performance motorcycle a few months ago. It seemed only fitting when his longtime friend Derek Smith bought a bike, too.

The recent L.D. Bell High School graduates set off for a ride together Thursday night, but their plans ended in tragedy when both 18-year-olds were killed after crashing one after the other and falling about 34 feet off a highway overpass in Irving.

According to Irving police, Mr. Wright of North Richland Hills and Mr. Smith of Bedford were riding south on State Highway 161 about 10:30 p.m. and took the exit ramp to go west on State Highway 183 when Mr. Smith lost control of his 2008 Suzuki GSX-R 600 bike and hit a wall. The impact threw him over a retaining wall.

Mr. Wright, traveling behind him on his 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 636, hit Mr. Smith's motorcycle, and also was thrown over the wall.

Robbie Wright, Mr. Wright's father, on Friday described his son as an experienced and safe motorcyclist.

"They were just having fun," he said. "They weren't doing the crazy bike crap."

Alex Levee, 17, who went to high school with both men, said Mr. Smith bought his bike just four days before the crash. She saw him working on the bike Thursday afternoon.

"Derek was like a teddy bear," she said. "He was so sweet and so nice."

Irving police spokesman David Tull said Friday that speed may have been a factor in the accident, but he didn't know how fast the men were traveling. He said Mr. Wright may have been too close to Mr. Smith's motorcycle to react quickly when Mr. Smith hit the wall.

Robbie Wright said his son, known as Brad, was wearing a helmet, but it could not protect him after he fell from the overpass.

"He was an experienced rider that just got stuck in a bad place," Robbie Wright said.

Mr. Smith's family could not be reached for comment.

Robbie Wright said his son and Mr. Smith had been high school classmates and became friends years ago.

L.D. Bell principal Jim Bannister said Friday that they were well-liked in the senior class. He described Mr. Smith as a reserved student who also had a comical side. Mr. Wright was more outgoing, he said.

"They were great kids," Mr. Bannister said. "They will be sorely missed. They were just enjoying post-high school life."

Friends said Mr. Smith was attending classes at Tarrant County College. Robbie Wright said his son also was taking classes there and eventually planned to open an automobile repair shop.

"He loved working on cars," Robbie Wright said. "He loved horsepower. He loved cars. He had his whole life in front of him."

We aren't trying to produce a slanted story.

 

hey.. is thefront wheel on his 636 still good. i need one...



screw the media.

 

haha!!

 

Do your story on the statistics of motorcycle deaths. Not stunt riding.

People don't die stunt riding. They get hurt.

 

..... 2008 GSXR 600..... " Mr. Smith bought his bike just four days before the crash " i don't know what stunt rider has ever learn how to wheelie in four days probably hit the front brakes coming to hot into a turn or didn't know how to counterstreer