if you believe that stunters only stunt in enclosed/ limited access areas and never do that kind of thing in a public right -of-way, then I got some ocean front property in AZ to sell you....  
seriously though, if they did than it would be cool that they do what they do. but they don't - even the highest paid ones will do the interstate stuff just for the thrill and that's why they get hated on.  because they are out there fking it up for the rest of us, giving ALL riders a bad name. you don't see the headline "member of starboyz stunt team while off duty wearing just a helmet died in an at fault accident on local interstate while preforming unsafe manuvers."   instead it's " motorcyclist dies in tragic accident today running several cars off the road. more to fallow after the commercial break........      ... today, a young 20year old male died on I-() while preforming "stunts" on his motorcycle (sobbing mother of some other kid who just bought a bike, "blaw blaw blaw" "motorcycles are so bad, i wish they were never invented"  "blaw blaw blaw"  related to this story is a study on local riding habits of motorcycles, we found that riders are evil, blaw blaw blaw.......  
does that help clarify why everyone hates on stunters?

Quote from: davipu
does that help clarify why everyone hates on stunters?

I understand....thnx for clarifying.

Still not sure if I totally agree with hating on stunters - though I certainly understand where you are coming from.  From your clarification, I think age and perspective play a large part in this as well. My age and position are probably decidedly different than yours.

I can see how stunters projecting the image they do to the general populus would be detrimental to the image many riders might wish to portray.  However, that "bad ass" image is the sort of image that others are seeking and is therefore useful to them.

Heh, I never realized riding was so political - though I guess it makes sense that it is. =)

I point and laugh, and I don't see any problem with doing so.

I would also point and laugh if these guys were bungee jumping and hurt themselves, or their equipment.

Likewise, if I engage in an activity that is considered stupid and risky, I'd expect to hear some snickers when I got hurt. That's life.

Doesn't mean I won't appreciate seeing stunts done, or hanging out with stunters, or even maybe try them myself occaisionally.

It just means I'm not gonna coddle someone who has decided to take a risk and messed up.

just for the record, I would stunt. I hope to one day and everyone takes a risk honestly. if you want to talk stupid you can name anything to be stupid really, why do people eat to much? why do people drive cars and get in gridlock traffic, hell why do people ride motorcycles at all "seems kinda dangerous" to the general population.

while some bikers may say stunting is stupid, alot of non bikers say riding a motorcycle in general is stupid, all levels of risk . its all the same thing.

i guess when a guy breaks his arms and ribs at a moto-cross  event he was stupid for riding a dirt bike?  

and as far as having fun on public streets. id say go for it. life is all a risk anyways. cant walk on eggshells.

Quote from: Susuki_Jah
and as far as having fun on public streets. id say go for it. life is all a risk anyways. cant walk on eggshells.

Ever heard the saying "your right to swing your fist ends at my nose"?  Stunting on public streets puts other people at risk for nothing more than the sake of your adrenaline addiction or desire to look cool.  Yes, they're taking a chance just getting on the road anyway, but that chance shouldn't include having to deal with anyone trying to prove they've got a pair by riding wheelies at 80mph in the middle of traffic, traveling at triple-digit speeds, or any other quote-unquote unsafe behavior.  Reckless op is a felony in most states for a reason.

I have no problem at all with people stunting on private roads, parking lots, airstrips, or what have you.  But when I get passed by a pack of squids doing wheelies and jumping off their bikes to catch air while some guy in an SUV tails them to get it all on camera, my blood pressure shoots through the roof.  If you aren't worried about hurting yourself, fine -- better to burn out than fade away or however you want to justifty it -- just have the common courtesy to not involve any unwilling participants in your shenanigans.  I don't want to be the guy driving the car that's in your bike's way when you put your front end down in a wobble and flip it into my lane.

Jazzzzz, I think I may have to agree with you.  In addition, let me give some more pointers on various activities that a few people do (and shouldn't) : "Smoking 15 cigars a day is bad."  "Drinking a lieter of Vodka a day can kill you,"  "Sprinting down a construction zone with a blindfold on is dangerous."

Now before you say "those are extream, ridiculous examples" I want you to look at your post.  What examples did you give? Popping a wheelie "in the middle traffic" at 80MPH?  Ok, not only have I never seen that, but no one, not even a stunter is going to tell you that you should pop a wheelie while lane-splitting and doing 80mph.  Like I said, that is an extreame, borderline absurd, example.

What else did you say? A "pack" doing wheelies and "jumps" while they are being recorded by a speeding SUV?  Oh, I see that every freakin' day.

What I'm trying to say is; if you use the extreams of a behavior to discredit the entire behavior, you are being disengenuos.  Especially since the topic started about a guy falling over doing a stopie.  How dangerous is a stopie to you as a car driver?  I suppose a burnout would be a little dangerous to you nose and lungs, but I seriously doubt it would have you calling 911.

Sure, a wheelie in anything but the lightest traffic is stupid, and if a cop sees it, the person WILL get pulled over.  But, uh, going 80mph in trafic is stupid too, and if a cop sees it, he'll pull you over.

I don't think it's necessary to equate "stunting on public roads" as categorically evil and dangerous.  To be sure, if executed at the wrong time, in the wrong way, it can be severly hazardous - but to imply that all stunters are squids and posers is a gross generalization and does not take into account numerous factors that are involved.

Quote from: Susuki_Jah
and as far as having fun on public streets. id say go for it. life is all a risk anyways. cant walk on eggshells.

That's fine when YOU are walking on eggshells.  Don't involve other people in YOUR risks.

This is why the general public tends to have a distaste for 'bikers'.  When some moron goes up the highway at 130mph inbetween traffic they are endagering people, people's kids, etc.  that is TOTALLY different from these stunters on private roads or whatnot

themaffeo, I have several times been witness to groups of stunters doing exactly what I described  (only saw the chase van once).  If you live in a metropolitan area you'll run into it eventually.  There aren't many people "riding to the exxxtreme" out there, but they are there.  The vast majority of motorcyclists don't ride that way, but they aren't the ones the public focuses on, as was pointed out earlier in the thread.  

There's no valid reason to do a wheelie on a public road, period.  There is no valid reason to do a stoppie on a public road, period.  If you like riding wheelies and stoppies, riding "superman" or whatever it's called, etc. that's fine -- I'm not saying you shouldn't ever do it (they're fun).  I 'm just saying don't do it on public roads where other people could get hurt if there's a mishap.  

For reference, I don't have a problem with what the guy featured in the video that started this thread was doing -- he accepted the risks of what he was doing, as did everyone else present, and they were all in a confined area with no one else around.  The majority of the stunter videos that I have seen were filmed on public highways where traffic can be clearly seen in the background, and THOSE are the guys I have a problem with.

Quote from: JazzzzzIf you like riding wheelies and stoppies, riding "superman" or whatever it's called, etc. that's fine -- I'm not saying you shouldn't ever do it (they're fun).  I 'm just saying don't do it on public roads where other people could get hurt if there's a mishap.  

Sounds good to me =)