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Wheelie

6K views 36 replies 19 participants last post by  Witt 
#1 ·
Guys, I need some help. I've alway had a bike eversince high school. I'm now in my 40's and currently ride a 2008 R1 Raven. One thing I never had the courage to do is a wheelie. I've watched many videos on youtube on how to do a wheelie but, when I try to do on my own, it doesn't work out. Any helpful hints or ideas. No unnecessary bashing please.
 
#3 ·
After I flashed my Ecu with flash tune interface I pull power wheelies all the time under hard acceleration in 1 tru 2nd gear. I love my bike too much to pull full up right wheelies.


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#17 · (Edited)
i grew up on a trial bike.. wheelies were a lot of fun back then... a good block-long brap brap brap... miss it like you wouldnt believe...

mind you, I was 10 back then... i did clutch up my old R6 a couple of times, and had some fun with accidental ones...

but its a whole other monkey OP... aint easy mang.. that bitch'll bite yah, and it'll bite you hard... specially considering the R1s peaky rpm behavior...

i've seen it a couple of times over the years... both very experienced riders....

:confused: one tossed down a cartwheeling 600cc about a good ten car lengths down the road... thing mustve flipped 6 times... it was a perfect stand up wheelie.. rider rode over a bit of a dip on the road... couldn't stick the front wheel landing... off into the ditch he went.!! :confused:

the other looped it shifting into third with the front at 9 or 10 oclock... whoopS!//.. got a little cocky aguess...

thankfully both walked away... both swore that was the last time, and promptly called the wife!.. :nopity: :ncont:


. I find myself reving the hell out of bike and not doing anything.
read response above... thats exactly what will bite yah... when you least expect it.. it'll pop up... and overhead mate! good luck :thumbup

i hate to say it but some things are for the young and foolish...
 
#7 ·
Im pretty close to your age and have 3 kids. My stand ups usually last about a mile and im not sure about sittting down wheelies never counted but atleast more than 10 seconds. Dont listen to the young guys theyre still trying to find their thingy or playing with it to make sure it works when the moment CUMS LMFAO. u can do it safely with some patience and some balls ;). a 520 kit conversion helps also. lose a little top end speed with it but how often do you go 190 mph? lol

start small 2nd gear mid rpms close the throttle and crack it open halfway and at the same time lean you chest back, cover the back brake (very important) if it jumps too high use the rear brake if its too low give more power. if it doesnt come up at all your not giving enough throttle and not leaning back enough. clutching up is really easy but remember to cover the back brakes. go find a desserted street and go with someone while you practice so they can pick your arse up if you wipe out. good luck start small and youll be fine.
 
#8 ·
hmm...to me if you have been riding for 20+ years without doing wheelies why now? If you want to do a sit down wheelie, you can simply leave it in 1st gear and around 9-10k RPMs crack it open. If you want to do a stand up wheelie, start in 2nd gear bounce the suspension down, crack the throttle and lean back slightly.
 
#14 ·
 
#16 ·
There is something else you can do... change the gearing. By changing your sprockets you can get the bike to wheelie with a very gentle roll-on of the throttle.... no POWER wheelies, or clutching it up, or bouncing the front end. IMHO, this would be the safest way to go for someone who is uncomfortable with other methods, as long as you train yourself to keep the rear brake covered at all times with your right foot. Practice hitting the brake while the front wheel is just coming off the ground so you know what if feels like. If you ever ham fist the throttle and the bike goes 12 o'clock high and wants to loop, just tap the rear brake and it will come back down. Guys who loop their bikes aren't covering the rear brake.
 
#22 ·
Yeah, I to like my bike to much to want to do them. Yeah when I hit it around 7 or 8k the front end will come up... but it's not much more than a foot or so. Just be careful man... you have lots of things to look forward to in life... I really don't think a trip to the ER is one of them, right? Also, if you're not careful in setting them down, you'll tear up your forks and fork seals.
 
#26 ·
Wheelies are the norm when riding hard on back roads with dips and hills, I purposely wheelie off of dips and rises because its fun. They usually just happen, and after a while they become a common occurence. '04 and up R1's are the easiest to wheelie safely, '98-'03 have almost too much mid,making throttle control critical. First gear is the safest if you must try, roll into throttle quickly at about 40-45 . Don't ride along at a steady 40-45 in 1st, just start rolling into it at 40-45, after excelerating normally up to 45. Eventually you will find the sweet spot of throttle opening, and speed required for a smooth lift of the front wheel without much drama. Shifting while wheelying is about the most fun thing I can think of, I don't do it in traffic or the highway, or ever standup. Just normal sit down 100-130 (3rd gear) ones are a blast, and relatively easy with the R1's power and solid chassis.
 
#34 · (Edited)
http://stuntride.com/vbstunt/showthread.php?t=14640

This is how you learn to wheelie. The man is 53 and I believe he started was around 51 or 52.

I used to pow pow all over the place for 5 years until I bought my self a nice F4i and learned to use the foot brake. Now I wheelie my 07 at any speed and any distance I like, if I want to do a wheelie at 30mph I'll do it, if I want to do one at 60mph on the highway I'll do that too. Nothing beats the feeling of having control of your bike on one wheel.

Get a stunter and go to a parking lot. Hope Stunt Dabba gives you some motivation. Ride safe.

-E
 
#35 ·
That's what I'm talking about ENEICE. Like I said, I've been riding for a while and wheelies was something I never had the courage to do. I love track days and canyon runs and I would love to be able to do what you do. I find myself reving the hell out of my bike and not doing anything aside from picking up the front wheels a couple of inches. Take care.
 
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