Learning to wheelie.
Discussion
Well after MTB's thread and so many people saying they have never tried pullinh a wheelie I thought this may be appropriate.
Now as we all know wheelies aren't big or clever, which is what those who can't wheelie say, because they definitely are.
My main reason is because I'd like to be able to wheelie properly so any advice welcome.
I can lift the front on both my CRM and the blade however haven't managed to grow the cahonies on the blade to clutch it yet.
My school of thought wss, "plenty of people (BN mainly) can wheelie and I bet they didn't pay for some rip off school" so how did you guys learn?
For me it's been getting confident pulling the bars over a crest then onto winding more and more power on in lower gears to finally just giving it a little clutch.
For now I can get it up but can't keep it up (aren't there pills for tha7t?) And I haven't had it up long enough to think about changing gear.
DISCLAIMER- Any advice given is up to you to choose to do it or not.
Now as we all know wheelies aren't big or clever, which is what those who can't wheelie say, because they definitely are.
My main reason is because I'd like to be able to wheelie properly so any advice welcome.
I can lift the front on both my CRM and the blade however haven't managed to grow the cahonies on the blade to clutch it yet.
My school of thought wss, "plenty of people (BN mainly) can wheelie and I bet they didn't pay for some rip off school" so how did you guys learn?
For me it's been getting confident pulling the bars over a crest then onto winding more and more power on in lower gears to finally just giving it a little clutch.
For now I can get it up but can't keep it up (aren't there pills for tha7t?) And I haven't had it up long enough to think about changing gear.
DISCLAIMER- Any advice given is up to you to choose to do it or not.
Does it matter how you get it up in the first place?
Twist of throttle in lower gears on a big bike or slipping the clutch gives the same effect.
Reaching the balance point and keeping it there is something you can only learn with practise I reckon.
I can't do it over any length (although I've had my wrist slapped in the past on track for trying) - cover that back brake is my only advice!
Twist of throttle in lower gears on a big bike or slipping the clutch gives the same effect.
Reaching the balance point and keeping it there is something you can only learn with practise I reckon.
I can't do it over any length (although I've had my wrist slapped in the past on track for trying) - cover that back brake is my only advice!
From my limited experience and what I have gathered from the internet clutching it up is easier/safer to control or something.
It certainly feels nicer clutching the CRM than pinning the throttle.
I do need to adjust the brake lever so I can get to it easier mind!
Also interested in how some of the time served guys learnt.
It certainly feels nicer clutching the CRM than pinning the throttle.
I do need to adjust the brake lever so I can get to it easier mind!
Also interested in how some of the time served guys learnt.
Fair enough - my 'wheelies' normally consist of crack-handed throttle control followed by some hastily applied chopping of the throttle and/or stamping the rear brake.
I've always been more comfortable cracking the throttle to get it up (04 ZX10's were brilliant for this - second gear, 70-ish mph, crack the throttle and up she comes - snick into third and ride the midrange - almost convinced a newbie that I knew what I was doing at one point!).
Clutching up just doesn't feel natural to me.
I've always been more comfortable cracking the throttle to get it up (04 ZX10's were brilliant for this - second gear, 70-ish mph, crack the throttle and up she comes - snick into third and ride the midrange - almost convinced a newbie that I knew what I was doing at one point!).
Clutching up just doesn't feel natural to me.
We went to a school couple years back , used their bikes . They had cut out switch things too .
Best way to learn ! On someone else's bike with someone telling you what to do .
I'm sure they still have courses like this . We did it as a group of friends too so was cheaper and more fun
Edited to say that I know you referred to schools as "rip off" but I had a terrible concern of dropping my pride and joy . That was my main reason for going to a school . Id still recommend it , the environment , the fact that it's someone else's bike , proper tuition and lack of wear and tear on my headstock etc ( some of the early attempts are incredibly ham fisted ) not only taught us quicker but actually turned out to be a very fun day out with a group of friends .
Best way to learn ! On someone else's bike with someone telling you what to do .
I'm sure they still have courses like this . We did it as a group of friends too so was cheaper and more fun
Edited to say that I know you referred to schools as "rip off" but I had a terrible concern of dropping my pride and joy . That was my main reason for going to a school . Id still recommend it , the environment , the fact that it's someone else's bike , proper tuition and lack of wear and tear on my headstock etc ( some of the early attempts are incredibly ham fisted ) not only taught us quicker but actually turned out to be a very fun day out with a group of friends .
Edited by wtdoom on Tuesday 26th May 19:42
I learned it when younger on scooters and the sports bikes. I could always do a good long single gear wheelie, but didn't really perfect it until I got enduro bikes which you can wheelie forever and not worry about breaking them etc. As they lack power, but have torque, they pop up easily but you have to get them high. Then as they don't rev, you have to go through the box.
My advice - buy an enduro bike and find a quiet road... I mean bit of private land and practice. It's actually quite hard to loop the bike... until you do
I've only looped it twice - one caught on camera caused by the rear spinning and hooking up early in the wheelie, looping me with a closed throttle.
What I've found is that big torque makes wheelies easy to pop, but once up, a soft and accurate throttle response and slick gearbox along with a good rev range are all key to carrying long wheelies.
Hence, my Ducati 1198 wheelies everywhere, but is not the easiest to do long long wheelies on. My Blade is less prone to wheelie, but once up feels like it could wheelie for ever.
Once you can carry a long wheelie, things get more interesting as you learn the art of steering around shallow bends whilst on the rear wheel and the art of very high speed wheelies where lots of other factors start to become...interesting.
Can't really post many of the antics for obvious reasons, but here are a few.
A choppy 10 second one on my KTM 525EXC on a farm track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP-IKh4rrk
A 55mph - 125mph video in an indeterminate country - starts 44 seconds in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrFPo6ly56M
Looping my DRZ400S on a practice enduro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobGZRPk7fU
A couple of gratuitous shots
High speed blade one on a circuit access road...
Waving to an oncoming motorcyclist
My advice - buy an enduro bike and find a quiet road... I mean bit of private land and practice. It's actually quite hard to loop the bike... until you do
I've only looped it twice - one caught on camera caused by the rear spinning and hooking up early in the wheelie, looping me with a closed throttle.What I've found is that big torque makes wheelies easy to pop, but once up, a soft and accurate throttle response and slick gearbox along with a good rev range are all key to carrying long wheelies.
Hence, my Ducati 1198 wheelies everywhere, but is not the easiest to do long long wheelies on. My Blade is less prone to wheelie, but once up feels like it could wheelie for ever.
Once you can carry a long wheelie, things get more interesting as you learn the art of steering around shallow bends whilst on the rear wheel and the art of very high speed wheelies where lots of other factors start to become...interesting.
Can't really post many of the antics for obvious reasons, but here are a few.
A choppy 10 second one on my KTM 525EXC on a farm track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP-IKh4rrk
A 55mph - 125mph video in an indeterminate country - starts 44 seconds in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrFPo6ly56M
Looping my DRZ400S on a practice enduro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobGZRPk7fU
A couple of gratuitous shots
High speed blade one on a circuit access road...
Waving to an oncoming motorcyclist
3DP said:
A 55mph - 125mph video in an indeterminate country - starts 44 seconds in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrFPo6ly56M
Nice cone placement at 1:10!!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrFPo6ly56M
I went to wheelie school last week, with a young chap who's one of the front runners in British super stock 600 class....
Obviously he's pretty handy on a bike, but even he didn't have the confidence to just grab the throttle, and nail it...
The young chap I went with is only 17, but there were guys there that must have been in their late 50's or even early 60's..
The day started pretty steadily, with a few minutes just getting a feel for the bikes (fazer 600's) and after that the instruction began..
By the end of the day, every single participant, was pulling half decent wheelies, obviously some were better than others, but everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed it...
Obviously he's pretty handy on a bike, but even he didn't have the confidence to just grab the throttle, and nail it...
The young chap I went with is only 17, but there were guys there that must have been in their late 50's or even early 60's..
The day started pretty steadily, with a few minutes just getting a feel for the bikes (fazer 600's) and after that the instruction began..
By the end of the day, every single participant, was pulling half decent wheelies, obviously some were better than others, but everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed it...
Some bikes are a doddle, others less so.
As Pete says, MX or Enduro bikes a re a good starting point as are trials bikes.
The key once she's up is to get up the gears as quickly as possible. The lower the gear, the snatchier the throttle response, the harder to maintain balance.
My old Fireblade was a peach to wheelie, nice linear power and great balance. The RSV4 however is a pig. Nigh on impossible balance point and just a nightmare to modulate on the gas.
The Ducati is a doddle. No clutch needed. !00mph and gun the gas and up she comes. The torque is immense, just loves to hoist the front.
Always be ready to get off the gas or dab the rear brake as the front can come over very quickly once you're beyond the balance point. That's the beauty of learning on an off roader. Plastics are cheap to replace when(and you will) loop it. But it gives you the feeling needed to carry over to bigger bikes
As Pete says, MX or Enduro bikes a re a good starting point as are trials bikes.
The key once she's up is to get up the gears as quickly as possible. The lower the gear, the snatchier the throttle response, the harder to maintain balance.
My old Fireblade was a peach to wheelie, nice linear power and great balance. The RSV4 however is a pig. Nigh on impossible balance point and just a nightmare to modulate on the gas.
The Ducati is a doddle. No clutch needed. !00mph and gun the gas and up she comes. The torque is immense, just loves to hoist the front.
Always be ready to get off the gas or dab the rear brake as the front can come over very quickly once you're beyond the balance point. That's the beauty of learning on an off roader. Plastics are cheap to replace when(and you will) loop it. But it gives you the feeling needed to carry over to bigger bikes
Edited by bass gt3 on Tuesday 26th May 21:32
3DP said:
I learned it when younger on scooters and the sports bikes. I could always do a good long single gear wheelie, but didn't really perfect it until I got enduro bikes which you can wheelie forever and not worry about breaking them etc. As they lack power, but have torque, they pop up easily but you have to get them high. Then as they don't rev, you have to go through the box.
My advice - buy an enduro bike and find a quiet road... I mean bit of private land and practice. It's actually quite hard to loop the bike... until you do I've only looped it twice - one caught on camera caused by the rear spinning and hooking up early in the wheelie, looping me with a closed throttle.
What I've found is that big torque makes wheelies easy to pop, but once up, a soft and accurate throttle response and slick gearbox along with a good rev range are all key to carrying long wheelies.
Hence, my Ducati 1198 wheelies everywhere, but is not the easiest to do long long wheelies on. My Blade is less prone to wheelie, but once up feels like it could wheelie for ever.
Once you can carry a long wheelie, things get more interesting as you learn the art of steering around shallow bends whilst on the rear wheel and the art of very high speed wheelies where lots of other factors start to become...interesting.
Can't really post many of the antics for obvious reasons, but here are a few.
A choppy 10 second one on my KTM 525EXC on a farm track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP-IKh4rrk
A 55mph - 125mph video in an indeterminate country - starts 44 seconds in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrFPo6ly56M
Looping my DRZ400S on a practice enduro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobGZRPk7fU
A couple of gratuitous shots
High speed blade one on a circuit access road...
Waving to an oncoming motorcyclist
Cracking post and I'll watch all those when I can do them justice rather than on my phone. My advice - buy an enduro bike and find a quiet road... I mean bit of private land and practice. It's actually quite hard to loop the bike... until you do
I've only looped it twice - one caught on camera caused by the rear spinning and hooking up early in the wheelie, looping me with a closed throttle.What I've found is that big torque makes wheelies easy to pop, but once up, a soft and accurate throttle response and slick gearbox along with a good rev range are all key to carrying long wheelies.
Hence, my Ducati 1198 wheelies everywhere, but is not the easiest to do long long wheelies on. My Blade is less prone to wheelie, but once up feels like it could wheelie for ever.
Once you can carry a long wheelie, things get more interesting as you learn the art of steering around shallow bends whilst on the rear wheel and the art of very high speed wheelies where lots of other factors start to become...interesting.
Can't really post many of the antics for obvious reasons, but here are a few.
A choppy 10 second one on my KTM 525EXC on a farm track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP-IKh4rrk
A 55mph - 125mph video in an indeterminate country - starts 44 seconds in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrFPo6ly56M
Looping my DRZ400S on a practice enduro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oobGZRPk7fU
A couple of gratuitous shots
High speed blade one on a circuit access road...
Waving to an oncoming motorcyclist
I have the CRM 250 but it's a 2 stroke so no lugs of torque. I very nearly looped it on the thottle in first.
As for schools rip off was an off the cuff comment, more I thought they didn't have schools 30-40 years ago (did they?).
Quinny said:
I went to wheelie school last week, with a young chap who's one of the front runners in British super stock 600 class....
Obviously he's pretty handy on a bike, but even he didn't have the confidence to just grab the throttle, and nail it...
The young chap I went with is only 17, but there were guys there that must have been in their late 50's or even early 60's..
The day started pretty steadily, with a few minutes just getting a feel for the bikes (fazer 600's) and after that the instruction began..
By the end of the day, every single participant, was pulling half decent wheelies, obviously some were better than others, but everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed it...
Where did you go?Obviously he's pretty handy on a bike, but even he didn't have the confidence to just grab the throttle, and nail it...
The young chap I went with is only 17, but there were guys there that must have been in their late 50's or even early 60's..
The day started pretty steadily, with a few minutes just getting a feel for the bikes (fazer 600's) and after that the instruction began..
By the end of the day, every single participant, was pulling half decent wheelies, obviously some were better than others, but everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed it...
t. It's my greatest failing in life
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