Can you Wheelie?

Zascar

I’d really love to know how, but I’m too chicken to try properly. If I dropped my bike it would cost me about a grand in fairing damage, just not worth it. A mate just asked me would I be interested in going to a wheelie school in the UK. Has anyone ever done this? Or do they ever do them in Ireland?

jimgoose

These guys do a wheelie "seminar" sort of thing in Tullow, Co. Carlow every so often:

http://www.stuntireland.com/

KTRIC

My bike can wheelie, I just go along for the ride !! :P

jimgoose

KTRIC wrote: »

My bike can wheelie, I just go along for the ride !! :P

I saw Gary Rothwell at Mondello Park back in the '90s, wheelieing his Ile Biler Gixxer at over 100mph while sat on the handlebars. That man is a loo-lah! :pac::pac::pac:

chrismon

Zascar wrote: »

I’d really love to know how, but I’m too chicken to try properly. If I dropped my bike it would cost me about a grand in fairing damage, just not worth it. A mate just asked me would I be interested in going to a wheelie school in the UK. Has anyone ever done this? Or do they ever do them in Ireland?

Lads tried to organise a fella from England a few years ago, think he couldnt get insurance over here to do it :pac:

jimgoose wrote: »

These guys do a wheelie "seminar" sort of thing in Tullow, Co. Carlow every so often:

http://www.stuntireland.com/

Best job

blade1

Yep, came off once though doing 80mph about 8 years ago.
I have the 6 broken bones to prove it lol.
Got on the bike with a cast and wheelied it again.

Basically if you're worried about your bike or yourself getting hurt,don't bother.
If you dont give a ****e, go for it!

BrokenArrows

I'd love to do one of those courses but there is no point unless youre wiling to wheelie your own bike. And I wouldn't want to risk it.

serious3

yup, come out to clifden i'll let you loose on the trials bike, that thing will wheelie with its eyes closed!!!

batman_oh

Once you get over the initial fear of it you probably won't stop. The best I've managed on the R1 is picking it up in 1st and shifting into
3rd at some unmentionable speed. I prefer the KTM for them though as everything is easier and generally slower!

PlayerA

Oh just tried my first wheelies last sat... without playing with the clutch though i was hoping that the full gas in second gear and a bit of proper balance would rise the front wheel, but nothing happened except that i thought I was going to lose my arms (im quite a light weight ). But I didnt try my best yet lol was scared also to damage the bike by trying to do more than i can handle :pac:

Vikings

I did once when my diversions brake calipers seized holding the front discs tight. Front wheel had to go somewhere when the back was pushing it. Wasn't pleasant when it hit the ground mind, over the bars I went!

Frigga_92

Does it count if you do it by accident? :P

dwelby101

two wheels good, one wheel bad!

Max Headroom

I prefer to get me knee down...........:)

Zascar

http://www.learn2wheelie.co.uk/ - I think this is the place. They give you the bikes so no need to risk your own. You start off on quads to get the feel for it, then, the bikes they give you have a tilt meter to stop you from coming off the back. Once I learnt properly and could do it ok I’d give it a go on my bike no worries, but first time with no training – no thanks

ScumLord

I was always lead to believe that it was almost easier to do a wheelie on a motorbike than not do one. That bikes were always trying to lift the front wheel when you accelerated? Maybe I just keep meeting lunatic bikers, the last story I heard was a guy accidentally (sort of) doing a wheelie over a small crest with two wheels off the ground as he looked down on the roof of the garda car going in the opposite direction.

Zascar

Depends on the bike. My mate has a Triumph Street Tripple and he says the front lifts all the time. I've gunned mine from the lights and never got the wheel up anything significant, but I've definitely hit a crest in the road and got air.

K.Flyer

Zascar wrote: »

I’d really love to know how, but I’m too chicken to try properly. If I dropped my bike it would cost me about a grand in fairing damage, just not worth it. A mate just asked me would I be interested in going to a wheelie school in the UK. Has anyone ever done this? Or do they ever do them in Ireland?

Best thing to do is to buy a cheap dirt bike and practice on it in an empty field until you build your confidence and skill. If you drop it, it won't cost you too much and if you fall off the grass and clay are a bit softer than asphalt and concrete.
And soon enough you can do it like this...

batman_oh

Max Headroom wrote: »

I prefer to get me knee down...........:)

They don't have to be mutually exclusive
Need a better pic - the photographers timing was a bit off when I stole this panigale and the Ktm one was leaving a friends apartment. Wanna set up some photos for proper shots!

arybvtcw0eolkf

If you're in Dublin (or close by on any Sunday) and you want to learn to wheelie drop me a PM and I'll give you a heads up where we practice.

Almost any bike will wheelie (some a lot easier than others), you just need the practice.

Its also easier to learn from someone, or with someone.. You'll need someone who can tell you just how high and long you're wheeling otherwise most people just get scared and the wheel is only inches off the ground.

Cienciano

Some bikes are a lot easier than others. Some a simple twist of the throttle will do it, some you have to dump the clutch.
I did one once on the GS in a race off the lights with a subaru impreza. When the wheel came off the ground I realised why steering dampers are useful! Little bump in the road helped (crossing the luas tracks, coming from long mile down the nangor rd).
Scramblers/supermotos are good with soft suspension, weight shift to the back and bike comes down easier. They're usually light bikes too. Had a dominator and it was easy enough to do them.

jimgoose

ScumLord wrote: »

I was always lead to believe that it was almost easier to do a wheelie on a motorbike than not do one. That bikes were always trying to lift the front wheel when you accelerated? Maybe I just keep meeting lunatic bikers, the last story I heard was a guy accidentally (sort of) doing a wheelie over a small crest with two wheels off the ground as he looked down on the roof of the garda car going in the opposite direction.

You'll have a hard enough time keeping the front down on some of the more ridiculously powerful bikes, but most of them aren't always trying to spit you off the back, no. And bear in mind that a lot of fellas in pubs seem to turn into Michael Dunlop on Ballaugh Bridge for some reason!

MonstaMash

Had an RD350 back in the day...couldn't keep the front wheel down on the bugger

jimgoose

MonstaMash wrote: »

Had an RD350 back in the day...couldn't keep the front wheel down on the bugger

Don't talkta me about them hoorin' things! :pac::pac::pac:

batman_oh

jimgoose wrote: »

You'll have a hard enough time keeping the front down on some of the more ridiculously powerful bikes, but most of them aren't always trying to spit you off the back, no. And bear in mind that a lot of fellas in pubs seem to turn into Michael Dunlop on Ballaugh Bridge for some reason!

Most people I find are very wary of actually using full throttle on big bikes in the lower gears - even when bolt upright and going straight. They will slowly roll it on and then when they hit 3rd/4th get more brave. On any litre bike if you simply nail it from the bottom end and let it drive it will lift on its own. The older ones came up much earlier in the rev range as the combination of higher rev limits, gearing and longer swingarms/lower COG on the newer stuff (since around 04 onwards) has meant that they don't quite come up as easily (relatively speaking!).
600 sportsbikes will almost all lift fairly handily by just rolling on - the odd one takes a bit of a coax on standard gearing (steady the throttle at the meat of the power and pin it). All will clutch up in 1st and 2nd no bother at all. Pretty much everything can be clutched in first if the roll off, roll on method doesn't work.
Change your gearing and you can make it a lot easier too!
Would love to get a stunter at some point as it looks like great fun

CJhaughey

[QUOTE=Cienciano;
Scramblers/supermotos are good with soft suspension, weight shift to the back and bike comes down easier. They're usually light bikes too. Had a dominator and it was easy enough to do them.[/QUOTE]
Dommies wheelie well, trouble is if you do it for too long 50-100m the top end starves of oil as the pickup runs dry.
Doug Domokos was brilliant, love that old aircooled 2T sound

arybvtcw0eolkf

Here's some Irish stunters recently if the OP wants to PM me for details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmKwFsXgNoM

rat_race

Zascar wrote: »

http://www.learn2wheelie.co.uk/ - I think this is the place. They give you the bikes so no need to risk your own. You start off on quads to get the feel for it, then, the bikes they give you have a tilt meter to stop you from coming off the back. Once I learnt properly and could do it ok I’d give it a go on my bike no worries, but first time with no training – no thanks

I would be on for doing this, a very fun day for £200 from the sounds of it!

BrokenArrows

rat_race wrote: »

I would be on for doing this, a very fun day for £200 from the sounds of it!

And then your confidence is up as you leave the training ground so you try it with your own bike!!

rat_race

BrokenArrows wrote: »

And then your confidence is up as you leave the training ground so you try it with your own bike!!

What's wrong with that? That is half the point...

folbotcar

The old RD350LC was easy to wheelie.....and fall off. My mate wrecked his doing just that. I was more sensible but one day I put in a spectacular show in front of a big audience. If you know Newlands Cross at rush hour. You know what I mean. Every day a piece of crap Suzuki 250 would beat me off the line. So I decided to show him the power of the mighty elsie. Green light and go, full throttle. The 250 disappeared into the distance while I wondered why I wasn't accelerating and why the front end felt so light. After I put the front wheel back on the ground, I knew.
I bet every car driver at lights thought: "Wxxker" They weren't alone!

I never saw the Suzuki again.

rat_race

folbotcar wrote: »

The 250 disappeared into the distance while I wondered why I wasn't accelerating

So you still didn't beat him?

arybvtcw0eolkf

batman_oh wrote: »

Once you get over the initial fear of it you probably won't stop.

You're probably like me so, I'm a whore for wheelies.. I often joke that I've 'Good Devil ~ Bad Devil' on my shoulders.. I'm at the lights and a bike pulls in along side me and I'm sizing him up, is he a biker or a commuter (will he appreciate the wheelie or not).. Move off telling myself not to bother, then shift the bum back a bit, close the throttle ~ snap the bitch back and I'm dancing

With practice I'm starting to try standing wheelies, they're very scary (I won't lie) but the lads tell me once I master them they're easier to hit the balance point than seated wheelies.. Covering the back brake standing is hard and I've no way of putting a rear brake on my bars.

blade1

Angie Plain Valve wrote: »

You're probably like me so, I'm a whore for wheelies.. I often joke that I've 'Good Devil ~ Bad Devil' on my shoulders.. I'm at the lights and a bike pulls in along side me and I'm sizing him up, is he a biker or a commuter (will he appreciate the wheelie or not).. Move off telling myself not to bother, then shift the bum back a bit, close the throttle ~ snap the bitch back and I'm dancing

With practice I'm starting to try standing wheelies, they're very scary (I won't lie) but the lads tell me once I master them they're easier to hit the balance point than seated wheelies.. Covering the back brake standing is hard and I've no way of putting a rear brake on my bars.

yep, when u start standing up u wont want to sit down.
2nd gear,pop the clutch and start standing as bike is lifting.

arybvtcw0eolkf

blade1 wrote: »

yep, when u start standing up u wont want to sit down.
2nd gear,pop the clutch and start standing as bike is lifting.

I've never actually (comfortably) used the clutch to wheelie, I've always used the roll off - roll on method and gassed it up.

My present bike (BMW R1100S) wheelies comfortable enough without the clutch ~ and the few times I've tried the clutch it nearly takes my arms out of their sockets, its a big ol' torque'y boxer.

blade1

Angie Plain Valve wrote: »

I've never actually (comfortably) used the clutch to wheelie, I've always used the roll off - roll on method and gassed it up.

My present bike (BMW R1100S) wheelies comfortable enough without the clutch ~ and the few times I've tried the clutch it nearly takes my arms out of their sockets, its a big ol' torque'y boxer.

Not when u get the hang of it.
I find 2nd the best for popping the clutch,first being a bit severe, meaning easier to flip.

Even as a 7 year old kid i gave all day every day on my bicycle do wheelies, making ramps and jumping over things.
I think the obsession started when i went to see Eddie Kidd.

I started doing proper long ones on a 918 blade about 12 years.
I found when you get the hang of them your balance does most of the work.
Less throttle needed to keep her in the sweet spot:D

kaimera

Mak/blade...Off the road ya nutters jk jk

Used to have the front wheel get very light taking off from lights...aggressively I'd call it on the sv650s.

fzs, dumped the clutch at 5k rpm at lights on the n11 one day...jesus wept.

Loved to have been able to do it proper. No reason other than something else to learn on the bike.

Oh well.

arybvtcw0eolkf

kaimera wrote: »

Mak/blade...Off the road ya nutters jk jk

Used to have the front wheel get very light taking off from lights...aggressively I'd call it on the sv650s.

fzs, dumped the clutch at 5k rpm at lights on the n11 one day...jesus wept.

Loved to have been able to do it proper. No reason other than something else to learn on the bike.

Oh well.

At least you're honest about it, a lot of lads spoof about doing wheelies.

Its easy to lift the front off the road, its a whole other matter holding it up and thats why you're best learning with people who can already wheelie and who'll be straight and tell you when you're not getting the wheel high enough.

I started learning wheelies almost 30 years ago on Yamaha DT175's and RD350's and then on a whole clatter of bikes since ~ and I'm not brilliant, but I'm pretty good ~ or so I thought until I started hooking up with some stunters.. Now I want my own stunt bike :P

batman_oh

Angie Plain Valve wrote: »

You're probably like me so, I'm a whore for wheelies.. I often joke that I've 'Good Devil ~ Bad Devil' on my shoulders.. I'm at the lights and a bike pulls in along side me and I'm sizing him up, is he a biker or a commuter (will he appreciate the wheelie or not).. Move off telling myself not to bother, then shift the bum back a bit, close the throttle ~ snap the bitch back and I'm dancing

With practice I'm starting to try standing wheelies, they're very scary (I won't lie) but the lads tell me once I master them they're easier to hit the balance point than seated wheelies.. Covering the back brake standing is hard and I've no way of putting a rear brake on my bars.

You have to mess :pac:
I get the odd really good one (balance point for a bit or shifting gears) but would love to learn the slow controlled stuff. It would take a stunt bike to really get it I think.

arybvtcw0eolkf

batman_oh wrote: »

You have to mess :pac:
I get the odd really good one (balance point for a bit or shifting gears) but would love to learn the slow controlled stuff. It would take a stunt bike to really get it I think.

Absolutely a stunt bike is the way to go.. If I'd the money I'd have a CBR6 for stunting, but for wheelies a trails or supermoto is ideal.

Personally I'd love a KTM superDuke for a play thing but I simply don't have the funds.

kaimera

http://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/suzuki-gsxr-600cc/6272782

Take the fairing and nosecone off.

For the price, stunt away tbh.

http://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/stuntbike/6267896

arybvtcw0eolkf

kaimera wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/suzuki-gsxr-600cc/6272782

Take the fairing and nosecone off.

For the price, stunt away tbh.

http://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/stuntbike/6267896

I wouldn't use either tbh.

Cienciano

Relive your youth Makikomi :pac:

http://www.donedeal.ie/vintagebikes-for-sale/yamaha-rd350cc-ypvs/6273837

arybvtcw0eolkf

^^^ wow I wonder do the young whipper snappers appreciate what that even is!.

Cienciano

I know the seller, must ask him for a spin on it

minidazzler

kaimera wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/suzuki-gsxr-600cc/6272782

Take the fairing and nosecone off.

For the price, stunt away tbh.

http://www.donedeal.ie/motorbikes-for-sale/stuntbike/6267896

Sheeeeeitttt.... I'd be really tempted for the GSXR. 650 with new chain, sprox and tyres? There must be something wrong with it!

On the way home from work just there, I came to the conclusion, that I cannot wheelie.... probably because I'm being a bitch about it :pac:

illeagles_mcc

minidazzler wrote: »

Sheeeeeitttt.... I'd be really tempted for the GSXR. 650 with new chain, sprox and tyres? There must be something wrong with it!

On the way home from work just there, I came to the conclusion, that I cannot wheelie.... probably because I'm being a bitch about it :pac:

there is... its a gsxF

minidazzler

illeagles_mcc wrote: »

there is... its a gsxF

Ah, what a bollix

serious3

i quite like that teapot actually.....

aaakev

Been practicing the last couple of days gettimg the front wheel up. Used to be able to wheelie a dirt bike but never tried on a road bike. Just been trying power wheelies without using the clutch in first and second. Got it up nice this morning on my way to drop the bike home, not high by any good standards but high enough for me now amd longer than iv gone too! Crash mushrooms will be fitted next week when they come in And there will be no stoppin me! Would love to learn how to do it properly

Zascar

What bike are you on and how are you doing it exactly? I'm dying to try it on my new yoke but want to wait until I get used to it a bit more...