Luke Duke is one of the few professional riders out of the Northeast. Battling winter weather and long drives to every stunt event, Luke still finds the time to work his 9-5 and practice enough to keep him on the podium at every stunt event in the country. We caught up with him after his victory at Stuntwars, check out what he has to say about working, training and keeping his stuntbikes tight for competition. 

Location: Plainfield, CT
Bike/s: 01 f4i, (3) moto doc 636s
Years stunting: 8
Favorite stunt: Flow
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite place on the earth: Home
Weirdest thing that has ever happen to you while riding: I won
Why do you stunt, in one word: Proelio

StuntBums: How did you get into stunting?

Luke Duke: I started riding when I was a young snap. I was on an XR 80 when I was nine and drove my parents insane. They thought I was going to kill myself because I didn't care about anything. They tried to stop me from even getting my driver license because they thought I'd go too buck - it didn't stick though. I'd always had an adrenaline addiction and finally got off the dirt into the street. I watched a Starboyz video tape and it was all over.

After that I got a Drew Stone Urban Streetbike Warriors DVD and learned how to ride by watching the video over and over. I could 12 and had never seen anyone do it live. I made my first cage by bending a piece of black pipe in between two trees and drilling through the frame of my 98 zx6. 

StuntBums: What is your daily schedule like to fit in practice around your professional career?

Luke Duke: I ride at least 6 days a week during the competition season. A typical day includes me waking up in typical slacker fashion at about 7:30. Making coffee and stumbling to the computer to check email, Facebook, and Stuntride (but rarely posting anything lol). I then head out to work as a title searcher and work until my number of searches have been finished. I could be home by 1 or I could be home by 6.

If I have to go to any competitions I always end up working till 6 if I'm leaving that night it never fails. The lot I ride is a rider safety course so if I'm out of work early I'll either try to book shows or work on my bike. I ride from about 6 to 8 on workdays and longer on the weekends. I come home eat watch TV and am in bed by 10:30. Wake up and do it again.

StuntBums: What is the most challenging aspect of competing and working all summer (travel, practice, bike maintenance, etc.)?

Luke Duke: The most challenging aspect of riding is trying to get sponsors. It's very difficult and being on the east coast doesn't help a thing. Travel gets tough too but it's always fun to go to a new place and even better once you get back home again. Maintenance is what it is just a pain in the @ss, but a necessary evil if you ride like a pro, compete like a pro and get paid like an amateur.

StuntBums: Your bike is always looking tight - what are your three favorite parts you currently run?

Luke Duke: Thanks for saying it looks good. It really looks good from far - but it's far from good. The plastics usually only look really good about 2 weeks after they are painted. The 905 Cages work great, the Hohey triple and handbrake are good, and the Shinko tires rip the verge is one of the best stunt tires I've ever ridden on. I start at 36 psi in the front and 29 in the rear. As the tire wears I bump it to about 44.

StuntBums: We know you can't reveal any big secrets, but what can fans look forward to from you this season? 

Luke Duke: I am building the most "ultimate extreme stunt bike" of all time. Due to the XDL schedule I may not be able to ride it yet because I'll need a bike on each coast. This bike will be a full one-off custom stunt bike with motor and tranny work and super light weight.

Video: DoctorMotoKawi