Learned how to do a wheelie...

[Stunter Bob]

Clutching it up > ***

power whoolies are for squidbillies. You'll get laughed at by anyone who can actually ride..and you'll probably bust your ass on the pavement before you learn we're right in talking about how dangerous they are.

you can achieve the same thing in a much more controlled manner with teh clutch vs bouncing and grabbing a hand full of throttle.

see kyle knows why i called you a squid lol

[T-TOPPS5.0]

I'm not saying anybodies advice is wrong or right..... but all this "clutching it or your wrong" business is crazy. Or "laughed at by any real rider"... thats just an asinine thing to say. I was always under the impression that what ever your most comfortable with is the way to go. "A clutch wheelie is just more consistent and predictable, period." No its not that cut and dry. Not everybody has the same preference as everybody else.


I can ride a balanced wheelie and prefer to power it up. Clutching it doesnt feel good to me. So am I not a "real rider" because I choose to power them up? I can drag knees at the track and I know for a fact that not everybody on the board can do so. Do I consider them non-real riders? I ride 7 days a week rain or shine/hot or cold. Do I consider those that only ride in sunshine and warm weather non-real riders? No I dont to either question, it's not my place to judge off of a skill that some have and others dont. Or where and when others choose to ride.

Dude go with what works for you. If clutching works better for you, have at it. If powering it up works.... have at it. It's really up to the individual rider.

[dsrtuckteezy]

power vs clutch.

clutch is definitely safer and more predictable.

power: you have to keep accelerating to bring it up all the way. not safe.
you cant bring the front up efficiently at low speeds without being a flying brick

clutch: tach it up. by the time you drop the clutch youre already up and just maintain throttle control.


edit: it also can greatly depend on what bike you ride. I'm guessing ttops is riding his twin

[Sleeper]

Just like the last post said.

Clutching them up is far easier to control.

I say stay in 2nd and start trying them. You really only give it a blip of throttle and by the time your up the throttle is maintained to ride it out. its really not that hard to wheelie one out. Just dont pull the clutch in and rev it up and dump it. Its litterly a little twinge of clutch and a blip of the throttle and itll be up.

Now to cruise on the balance point was something i never cared to learn. I was always to afraid of wrecking my shit.

[shumpertdavid]

Stand up wheelie for the win, second gear about 55, load the front suspension a little and roll the throttle. All day long, and way more comfortable feeling than sit downs for me.

[lowthreeohz]

I'm not saying anybodies advice is wrong or right..... but all this "clutching it or your wrong" business is crazy. Or "laughed at by any real rider"... thats just an asinine thing to say. I was always under the impression that what ever your most comfortable with is the way to go. "A clutch wheelie is just more consistent and predictable, period." No its not that cut and dry. Not everybody has the same preference as everybody else.


I can ride a balanced wheelie and prefer to power it up. Clutching it doesnt feel good to me. So am I not a "real rider" because I choose to power them up? I can drag knees at the track and I know for a fact that not everybody on the board can do so. Do I consider them non-real riders? I ride 7 days a week rain or shine/hot or cold. Do I consider those that only ride in sunshine and warm weather non-real riders? No I dont to either question, it's not my place to judge off of a skill that some have and others dont. Or where and when others choose to ride.

Dude go with what works for you. If clutching works better for you, have at it. If powering it up works.... have at it. It's really up to the individual rider.

I can drag knee too, as would most people with a track day would be able to do. Not a terribly large accomplishment IMO.

You can say that you like powering them up more because it's more comfortable for you, but the simple fact is clutching it up is going to be more predictable and easier every time. You could learn to drive a standard car without a clutch, but it wouldn't be the best way to drive the car.

[dsrtuckteezy]

credit to f4rider off stuntlife

Why clutching wheelies is the best method for launching wheelies
Clutching is by far the best way to get wheelies up, regardless of whether the bike has enough power to power it up. While it does wear out clutch plates a little faster than normal, the difference is not significant. I also have never read about any major problems as the result of the extra tension on the drive train. There are many advantages to clutching wheelies vs. powering wheelies. 1. It allows you to wheelie bikes that don’t have enough power to power it up. 2. You can wheelie at lower rpm’s, and therefore slower speeds. This allows beginners to keep a wheelie up longer, with out being at the balance point. 3. The launch is more predictable. When powering a wheelie up, the front end comes up relatively slow. Then when the front end is about 3 feet off the ground, the front end jumps up very fast under full throttle, making for a scary and unpredictable launch. When clutching up wheelies right, the front jumps up close to the balance point. From there you just play with the throttle to fine adjust the height. After a little practice, clutching becomes very predictable and not frightening at all. 4. All of the pros that I know of clutch every wheelie. You want to be like them don’t you?

[T-TOPPS5.0]

power vs clutch.

clutch is definitely safer and more predictable.

power: you have to keep accelerating to bring it up all the way. not safe.
you cant bring the front up efficiently at low speeds without being a flying brick

clutch: tach it up. by the time you drop the clutch youre already up and just maintain throttle control.


edit: it also can greatly depend on what bike you ride. I'm guessing ttops is riding his twin

Yes sir. But even on my R1 I preferred to power them up.

I can drag knee too, as would most people with a track day would be able to do. Not a terribly large accomplishment IMO.

You can say that you like powering them up more because it's more comfortable for you, but the simple fact is clutching it up is going to be more predictable and easier every time. You could learn to drive a standard car without a clutch, but it wouldn't be the best way to drive the car.

I have no reason to doubt you can drag knee as well. But I have seen people get out there and not be able to drag knee after two weeks of riding. I think a lot of it is mental. My point was that I dont judge off of what people can and cant do. If you have two wheels, lets ride. Thats my way of thinking. To be honest, I prefer canyon carving and speed over wheelies and stunts.

But I am having a hard time agreeing that its a fact that clutching is easier. It may be better for you. And the majority of the board... but its also a fact that mine are more controlled when I power them up. When I power it up, I know exactly how hard to hit the throttle and where the front wheel will be when I switch gears. I did try clutching them and I never got comfortable with doing them that way. I honestly dont think anybody is wrong or right. Thats why I said it really depends on what suits the riders style. Its all preference.
Either way, be safe everybody!

[Tannerm]

Did my first wheelie a few years back on my 06 Honda ST1300... Never again! I piddled a little. Not my cup o tea.

[JasonRR]

I think I finally just got T-Topps point...some people just prefer to wreck. Gotcha.

[fastwhite99gt]

I prefer to clutch my 03 R1 up, it comes up a lot faster and will settle down at the balance point way sooner than powering it up. The 05 Raven I had was geared so hard that there was no need to clutch it till like 70 in 4th and then it was just a brief tug on the clutch to stand it straight up. We were out Saturday night and it was great till I had the 03 just floating and the wind got under it lol, easy on the back brake and I stayed on two wheels after that.

[T-TOPPS5.0]

I think I finally just got T-Topps point...some people just prefer to wreck. Gotcha.

Funny, some people cant comprehend that their opinion isn't the end all be all. Or that not everybody prefers the same method to use. Oh by the way, I havent wrecked yet. Sorry to dissapoint. But I guess I get your point as well, if you cant power them up, its cool. Still not judging you.

[Stunter Bob]

Funny, some people cant comprehend that their opinion isn't the end all be all. Or that not everybody prefers the same method to use. Oh by the way, I havent wrecked yet. Sorry to dissapoint. But I guess I get your point as well, if you cant power them up, its cool. Still not judging you.

yet. Keyword boss.
Because one day, you will.
Its not a matter of IF, its WHEN.

Jason knows, Hes an experienced rider also, and hes been down. Hell Ive never been down due to my riding, ive been ran into by another rider! It can happen. And will.

[bucky]

Stunter bob

When did you move to Utah? I work in SLC right now

[JasonRR]

When you support an opinion with facts, it becomes less an opinion and more of a fact.

I liken it to choosing to own a Glock (no safety/semi auto = potentially more dangerous/less reliable) to owning a typical revolver (more safe/more reliable). Saying a revolver is a safer and more reliable gun is not an opinion. I'm no gun expert and pulled that analogy out of my ass, but I think it works.

BTW...no hard feelings here...I'm just snowed-in like the rest of you and bored, so debating this whole "power wheelie vs clutch wheelie" topic for the 10,000th time is keeping me entertained, somewhat.