Wheelies

[Rough Customer]

OK, I do not ride like a madman in the slightest but I want to learn how to wheelie. I have a GS500 and a Honda 919.

I clutched the GS500 in to some very small wheelies one time (in a back lot) and have had the front tire up on the 919 from some hard acceleration but not for very long (got out of it). I have not clutched the 919 because I have had it less than a week and I paid to much for it to screw up. It wouldn't be the end of the world or anything. It would just really suck.

I was thinking of buying a little dual sport, like maybe a 250 to ride around town and play with. What do you guys think? Learn on a dual sport motard kind of thing, learn on the GS500 or learn on the 919? The GS500 is for sale so I do not know how long I will have it.

I used to ride blocks on a mountain bike and know how to ride a unicycle so I understand point of balance pretty well.

/ramblings
Thoughts?

[Txstang1]

I learned on a bike, then dirtbike, litre bike.

[Ratt]

OK, I do not ride like a madman in the slightest but I want to learn how to wheelie. I have a GS500 and a Honda 919.

I clutched the GS500 in to some very small wheelies one time (in a back lot) and have had the front tire up on the 919 from some hard acceleration but not for very long (got out of it). I have not clutched the 919 because I have had it less than a week and I paid to much for it to screw up. It wouldn't be the end of the world or anything. It would just really suck.

I was thinking of buying a little dual sport, like maybe a 250 to ride around town and play with. What do you guys think? Learn on a dual sport motard kind of thing, learn on the GS500 or learn on the 919? The GS500 is for sale so I do not know how long I will have it.

I used to ride blocks on a mountain bike and know how to ride a unicycle so I understand point of balance pretty well.

/ramblings
Thoughts?

I, too, have mastered the art of the unicycle. That is all.

[BradM]

I, too, have mastered the art of the unicycle. That is all.

I tried to ride a unicycle once...... once.

[noshine4mine]

I started out wheelieing from hard accelleration in 1st from a stop, As I got comfortable with it coming up and not surprising me by going up real fast. I moved onto Goosing it, riding at about 35-40 in first and just twisting it until you have the point it wants to come up (been pulled over doing this). Then I easily started doing clutch wheelies in first and second, for me starting out before I had any wheelie expierence I would try to clutch it up and inadvertantly jerk up on the handle bars and make the wheel wobble....that scared the shit out of me.

06 ZX6r


Problem is, once it is easy to pop one you will want to do it all the time...until you get pulled over. I wish I had some industrial area around me to jack around at.

[dsrtuckteezy]

too easy to wheelie a hornet...learn on that

[dville_gt]

buy a fiddy and learn what balance point is/feels like and how important back brake control is. some folks don't think it transfers over but i assure you it does. the most dangerous wheelies are power wheelies (non-clutched, acceleration based) as the wheel rises very slow until the front gets light then you are way to hard on the gas. you can't be afraid to clutch it hard and get it straight up to balance point, and the only way to not be afraid is to know you can rely on the back brake (and rely on yourself to use it).

[Treybiz]

If you are asking on the internet how to wheelie I wouldn't attempt them anymore.

[Rough Customer]

If you are asking on the internet how to wheelie I wouldn't attempt them anymore.

Very helpful.

[BlackSnake]

Full throttle. That will get it up there.

[zemog]

I learned on a bike, then dirtbike, litre bike.

i could ride a whellie on my bicycle for blocks, 1984 cr125 pretty good, street bike = afaid of asphalt

[TeeShock]

i could ride a whellie on my bicycle for blocks, 1984 cr125 pretty good, street bike = afaid of asphalt

Buy a 954rr and it does all the work

[ram57ta]

Buy a 2012 ZX14R....194 rwhp....I bet that'll do it.

[shumpertdavid]

I'm not a fan of the balance point, however, I feel this has a lot to do with learning to wheelie without the rear brake. I will hover around the balance point doing stand up wheelies, have carried a few a couple miles on my 750 before. My yz400f will power up in 1-4 gear and roll a stand up no problem in 5th. All that said I love riding them. It takes practice, respect for the bike, and don't focus on crashing\wrecking. If you're biggest fear is eating pavement you might as well learn in the dirt and try to transfer over to street. I've got a buddy who can wheelie a dirtbike or 4 wheeler pretty fair, but would always make excuses why he couldn't get his 929 up. The bike was fine, it's clutch or power wheelie no problem, he was always afraid of looping it.

quick 2nd gear standup on my 98 gsxr750

[futant]

buy a fiddy and learn what balance point is/feels like and how important back brake control is. some folks don't think it transfers over but i assure you it does. the most dangerous wheelies are power wheelies (non-clutched, acceleration based) as the wheel rises very slow until the front gets light then you are way to hard on the gas. you can't be afraid to clutch it hard and get it straight up to balance point, and the only way to not be afraid is to know you can rely on the back brake (and rely on yourself to use it).

This .
learn the balance point or die.

nuh said?

you don't have to learn to clutch to learn to balance.
Although clutching is better, I've never gotten that hot on it. Probably cause i dont care so much about parking lot stuff.

get a 50 (or 88cc)
hell get a dirt dobber. those m/f are wheelie machines!

anyways practice in second gear, going slightly uphill.
practice going on and off the throttle and doing a BOUNCE up wheelie.
basically this just compresses the front forks slightly to bounce the front wheel off the ground , and all the way UP to the balance point. From there, with mastery of the rear brake, you can ride a wheelie FOREVER.

You don't have to believe me , but the above is the BEST WAY TO LEARN TO WHEELIE.
Practice practice practice, piss off you neighbors maybe. then practice some more.
learn to love that rear brake and feeling of the balance point, and you are good to go to a bigger bike.

You asked what the best way to learn was. This is it.
I've seen ppl that ive instructed this way look like they knew what they were doing in under an hour. I'm not saying they were any good, but they at least looked like they were wheelieing and practicing the right way to not get hurt and eventually get comfortable with balance point and dragging the rear brake about right. The rest is just ballz.