ambassadors
David Bost is a social media phenomenon. The German stunt rider has built up a huge following for his street riding and stunts and has attracted sponsorship from brands including Motul. We find out how his story started and what it takes to make it big on social.
David, how did your stunt riding career come about?
Everything started in 2012. I watched a couple of videos on YouTube from Chris Pfeiffer and Jorian Ponomareff, two of the best stunt riders in the world. I was astonished. They were so incredible. And I was asking myself “maybe I could do that?”. “Maybe I could do a wheelie just like these guys?”. It looked insane, but I was wondering how long it would take to get to a level like this. I picked one day, in October 2012. I remember it well. It was a really cold day in Germany, and I said to myself “I will start today, and I will practice every day for two hours, no matter what the weather’s like”. I was determined to get to the point I want to be at. And that was the start of everything.
Were you into bikes before this?
Yeah, since childhood. Early on, I had a 125cc Yamaha, but the engine blew up after six months and I had to buy a new bike. I bought another 125cc Yamaha and I just did some small practice sessions with it, not stunts just riding corners and trying to get my knee on the ground. Back then, I was more into racing. When I was 18 years’ old, it was the time for Supermoto. They’re pretty much made for wheelies.
What was that journey to becoming a professional stunt rider like?
It took a while. The first three years were really intense. During the week I was studying and practicing two hours a day. At the weekend I was practicing for four hours or more. Because I was a student back then, there wasn’t a lot of money in the bank. I had to put every penny into the bike, and it was all for the one, big goal. Some of my shoes were so damaged that you could see my toes, but I couldn’t afford to replace them because I needed the money for gas for my bike. It was a tough time but, in the end, it’s all worked out.
What was that big goal and how did you know when you got there?
My biggest goal was to do a figure of eight wheelie on the back wheel. At the time, it felt completely insane and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do this. I knew nobody who could do this trick. I think it took about two years to master. When I first did it, I screamed so loud. It was a great feeling.
You must have fallen off a lot along the way?
[Laughs]. Yeah, one day I crashed 15 times in 20 minutes. And every time it was the same place. I hit my leg on the left side really bad, but I needed to do this, to keep going. When you’re stunt riding, you normally don’t go over 50km/h. You’re riding really slowly, so the damage is low. I never broke a bone when practicing.
Was it worth all the effort?
Yeah, absolutely. I’ve learned a lot, especially when it comes to riding a bike. But also for my life and career. You need to live and breathe it and if you do that you can accomplish pretty much anything.
Is this your job now?
Yes, I do this full time. It was never planned. I always dreamed of something like this, being able to ride my motorcycle and earn enough money to live from that. Right now, it’s great to have sponsors like Motul who make it possible for me to live a life like this. I’m so proud of every sponsor and every person I know in this area. It’s a rollercoaster ride.
You’re most well-known for documenting your stunts on social media. How important is it to post regular content?
I’m posting pretty much a piece of content every day on Instagram and YouTube. And TikTok as well. TikTok is new but it’s fun and you can be really creative with it. The bottom line is, to be successful in social you need to produce content. Story is king. If you get that you will get big really fast. For me it wasn’t about getting more followers, it was about posting pictures and videos of something I love to do. It’s about a true story. People need to see, hear and feel that you really love what you do. And the more frequently you post and explain your passion, the more excited people get and the more authentic you become.
Aside from social content, do you perform stunts at shows?
Sometimes. I’ve performed stunts for the crowd at a couple of Motul events. The most important part is to show people the products behind the brand. Motul’s oils and other products are so incredible and most of the time people don’t know how the products are made and why it’s so important to have the best oil in your engine. So, I try to build awareness of that. That’s why the partnership is so successful. It was also a dream of mine to work with Motul. When I was a child, I played GranTurismo, and I came across a Nismo with huge Motul branding on it and I’ve been a big fan ever since.
What’s in your garage?
The garage is packed with a lot of fun things. I’ve got an Enduro, a Supermoto and a Naked bike from Husqvarna. I really love its bikes, and they sponsor me, too. I also have a little kids’ bike that’s a lot of fun to ride. And right now, I’ve got two cars, a VW T5 to transport my bikes and a Lotus Exige Sport 350. That’s a really exciting car.
