How to wheelie
Discussion
Friday afternoon bored question...
Now I know a few of you will be aware of my advanced biking skill
but I was wondering how one goes about learing to wheelie...is it just a case of a bit of power and jank on the bars (kind of like when you learned on a push bike)?
Or is there a 'recognised' safe way to learn...without trashing the bike?
And yes, I know "first buy a bike" is the best first step
Vir "ghost rider in the making" gil.
Now I know a few of you will be aware of my advanced biking skill
but I was wondering how one goes about learing to wheelie...is it just a case of a bit of power and jank on the bars (kind of like when you learned on a push bike)? Or is there a 'recognised' safe way to learn...without trashing the bike?
And yes, I know "first buy a bike" is the best first step
Vir "ghost rider in the making" gil.
Depends on the bike, most modern sportbikes are geared and geometry setup to prevent such horseplay. A supermoto will allow it from the word go.
If it is a sportsbike that you are going to attempt it on (and I am not suggesting that you do attempt any of the following, it is purely a guide), I would re-gear the bike (down one tooth on the front is normal) to overcome the normally long swingarms fitted to most bikes now.
In first gear take the bike up to the engine speed where the power starts really coming in, typically 7-8k. At this point by dipping and pulling the throttle you will feel the forks extending and compressing, get used to that feeling of the front lifting.
When you are confident in that feeling, try dipping the throttle for a millisecond and then with a small tug on the bars open the throttle, if it feels like it is coming up too high then back off or by covering the rear brake just dab to bring it back down again. Above all relax. Eventually you will become accustomed to the rate at which the front lifts in relation to how much throttle input you give.
After this, the same principal applies to wheelieing in higher gears, albeit at a higher speed.
Shifting up a gear I find upsets the bike too much, especially on the Blade as it just doesnt want to wheelie. I find myself just using second gear and running the power out. If you do upshift it needs to happen as you approach the balance point and typically will be a clutchless change. The balance point is where the bike feels like it is not fighting against you to come back down and doesn't feel like flipping. Again, the blade's balance point feels tiny in comparison to my friends Gixer 750.
Wheelie Schools cost a lot of money to learn something on a bike other than yours. When you try the same on your own bike you may feel out of your comfort zone. They tend to use Bandits or similar with wide bars, low gearing and anti flip devices, all of which do not come standard on most bikes. I suppose this is good to build to the initial confidence.
Also, with your front wheel in the air, you are officially not in control of your vehicle, so private roads are recommended for practice.
If it is a sportsbike that you are going to attempt it on (and I am not suggesting that you do attempt any of the following, it is purely a guide), I would re-gear the bike (down one tooth on the front is normal) to overcome the normally long swingarms fitted to most bikes now.
In first gear take the bike up to the engine speed where the power starts really coming in, typically 7-8k. At this point by dipping and pulling the throttle you will feel the forks extending and compressing, get used to that feeling of the front lifting.
When you are confident in that feeling, try dipping the throttle for a millisecond and then with a small tug on the bars open the throttle, if it feels like it is coming up too high then back off or by covering the rear brake just dab to bring it back down again. Above all relax. Eventually you will become accustomed to the rate at which the front lifts in relation to how much throttle input you give.
After this, the same principal applies to wheelieing in higher gears, albeit at a higher speed.
Shifting up a gear I find upsets the bike too much, especially on the Blade as it just doesnt want to wheelie. I find myself just using second gear and running the power out. If you do upshift it needs to happen as you approach the balance point and typically will be a clutchless change. The balance point is where the bike feels like it is not fighting against you to come back down and doesn't feel like flipping. Again, the blade's balance point feels tiny in comparison to my friends Gixer 750.
Wheelie Schools cost a lot of money to learn something on a bike other than yours. When you try the same on your own bike you may feel out of your comfort zone. They tend to use Bandits or similar with wide bars, low gearing and anti flip devices, all of which do not come standard on most bikes. I suppose this is good to build to the initial confidence.
Also, with your front wheel in the air, you are officially not in control of your vehicle, so private roads are recommended for practice.
Like mentioned above, depends on the bike.
If you're on a MX/Enduro/Supermoto, then go to KTMTALK.COM and do a search for 'wheelie'.... I think the member is called "Lippy" who has some great advice.
He suggests getting a couple of mates to hoist your bike up whilst you're on it stationary to get a feel for how high the balance point is. And to use the back brake to control the wheelie and stop flipping.
If you're on a MX/Enduro/Supermoto, then go to KTMTALK.COM and do a search for 'wheelie'.... I think the member is called "Lippy" who has some great advice.
He suggests getting a couple of mates to hoist your bike up whilst you're on it stationary to get a feel for how high the balance point is. And to use the back brake to control the wheelie and stop flipping.
mickylee said:
He suggests getting a couple of mates to hoist your bike up whilst you're on it stationary to get a feel for how high the balance point is. And to use the back brake to control the wheelie and stop flipping.
You could probably do the same to achieve the feel of how far the bike needs to be cranked over to get your knee down. Obviously the bike would have to be leant over on its side and not hoisted upwards.
Just a thought.
I find mid 2nd gear clutch in, power on and clutch out in the right manner is enough to prompt a wheelie out of most bikes, works a treat on my 06 r6 and my wr450 supermoto.
The trick is to find a quite, straight road to practice on, ride along 2nd gear at the point where the power starts to feel good, slip the clutch in and release at the same time apply some throttle and the 'mono' will be yours. Only practice on your chosen bike will give you the knowledge of how much clutch/throttle to use to bring the front up. Once youve cracked getting the front up balancing it with the throttle is your next trick, again only practice will enable this, when your able to carry the mono through 2nd gear you'll find a gear change or 2 will be required to keep it going. My R6 likes to come up at around 9000rpm 2nd gear and will carry throughout 2nd and 3rd gear, by that time its a touch to fast to be on the back wheel so i bring it down (and youve usually run out of road too!), how ever my supermoto will go through the gears on the back wheel from 1 st all the way up! All though i still use 2nd on the supermoto to get it started. I wouldnt recommend starting with 1st gear on any bike as you may not catch the front end quick enough, and that means you'll flip (you dont wanna do that). Also keep the rear brake covered and be alert and ready to shut throttle QUICK if it feels like its getting away from you.
Oh and dont power wheelie as its gay , clutch um up and you will learn to rule.
Last thing, plod dont like so be careful
The trick is to find a quite, straight road to practice on, ride along 2nd gear at the point where the power starts to feel good, slip the clutch in and release at the same time apply some throttle and the 'mono' will be yours. Only practice on your chosen bike will give you the knowledge of how much clutch/throttle to use to bring the front up. Once youve cracked getting the front up balancing it with the throttle is your next trick, again only practice will enable this, when your able to carry the mono through 2nd gear you'll find a gear change or 2 will be required to keep it going. My R6 likes to come up at around 9000rpm 2nd gear and will carry throughout 2nd and 3rd gear, by that time its a touch to fast to be on the back wheel so i bring it down (and youve usually run out of road too!), how ever my supermoto will go through the gears on the back wheel from 1 st all the way up! All though i still use 2nd on the supermoto to get it started. I wouldnt recommend starting with 1st gear on any bike as you may not catch the front end quick enough, and that means you'll flip (you dont wanna do that). Also keep the rear brake covered and be alert and ready to shut throttle QUICK if it feels like its getting away from you.
Oh and dont power wheelie as its gay , clutch um up and you will learn to rule.
Last thing, plod dont like so be careful
A nice, if rather lairy, find ......Paris ring road wheelies from the loco locals...
www.dailymotion.com/video/x2sx2_freerid-wheelie-stoppie-city-motobi
www.dailymotion.com/video/x2sx2_freerid-wheelie-stoppie-city-motobi
Edited by F.M on Sunday 7th January 00:21
Hmm, OK, two minds,
when i had my K1/CB900F2/Z1000 etc (many years ago) i found an old RAF site and spent many hours honing my wheelie/dohnut/writing my initials in rubber. very useful skills, and got me completely comfortable with each machine, just writing about it gets the adrenalin going.
however, and i'm sure you're not of the same persuasion...
we're all sat outside the red lion in hazel grove-A6 (not there anymore), it's a great sunny day, and two mates are pulling (long) wheelies on the main drag outside the pub, one of them slows, pulls up in the middle of the road to turn back and looks around, just to see the other hit him squarely in the face with the sump of the bike.
he died very quickly. we were stunned - i'll never forget that moment.
so good luck with it - practice - it should come easily. if it doesn't you shouldn't be riding...
when i had my K1/CB900F2/Z1000 etc (many years ago) i found an old RAF site and spent many hours honing my wheelie/dohnut/writing my initials in rubber. very useful skills, and got me completely comfortable with each machine, just writing about it gets the adrenalin going.
however, and i'm sure you're not of the same persuasion...
we're all sat outside the red lion in hazel grove-A6 (not there anymore), it's a great sunny day, and two mates are pulling (long) wheelies on the main drag outside the pub, one of them slows, pulls up in the middle of the road to turn back and looks around, just to see the other hit him squarely in the face with the sump of the bike.
he died very quickly. we were stunned - i'll never forget that moment.
so good luck with it - practice - it should come easily. if it doesn't you shouldn't be riding...
I feel for you scruffy.
It is the risk one takes, and can have a nasty out come if things go tits up (which they can quite easily).
If your gonna play then be alert.
My missus hates bikes, in my own mind i know how dangerous they are but i still ride because its in my blood. I started very early on crossers etc, at 7 my dad had me on the back of his bike. At 13 we were going places like the lemans 24hrs bikes etc. I just cant kick the habit, in equal measures i cant stop playing up when im riding. The only thing that keeps me from being an out and out loon (and probabley wind up in hostpital or worse) is the the thought of such instances that scruffy has pointed out and the fact that i dont want my little girl to have no daddy.
Its catch 22 for some people.
Ride aware and a safe as possible.
It is the risk one takes, and can have a nasty out come if things go tits up (which they can quite easily).
If your gonna play then be alert.
My missus hates bikes, in my own mind i know how dangerous they are but i still ride because its in my blood. I started very early on crossers etc, at 7 my dad had me on the back of his bike. At 13 we were going places like the lemans 24hrs bikes etc. I just cant kick the habit, in equal measures i cant stop playing up when im riding. The only thing that keeps me from being an out and out loon (and probabley wind up in hostpital or worse) is the the thought of such instances that scruffy has pointed out and the fact that i dont want my little girl to have no daddy.
Its catch 22 for some people.
Ride aware and a safe as possible.
momentofmadness said:
I've been to one his schools in May '06. Absolutely brilliant!!
He teaches you how to wheelie using a combination of the throttle, the clutch and the back brake as it gives a very controllable and repeatable wheelie. He is not a fan of the 'power wheelie' as it is very difficult to pull precisely the same wheelie time and time again.
Dare2Fail said:
momentofmadness said:
I've been to one his schools in May '06. Absolutely brilliant!!
He teaches you how to wheelie using a combination of the throttle, the clutch and the back brake as it gives a very controllable and repeatable wheelie. He is not a fan of the 'power wheelie' as it is very difficult to pull precisely the same wheelie time and time again.
Now that looks good!
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