Can you wheelie?

[DW.]

This is my maiden voyage on my fe570 after I just fitted a new set of Supermoto wheels, had to rub the rubber in a bit, couple throttle ups just to get a feel. There's one good point of balance wheelie at about 80-90 klicks and a little 15 metre stoppie at the end. Also tested the motards on the grass a little.

[The Martian]

Yes, they only take practice tbh. And just to confirm we are talking through the gears wheelies not those mincy power wheelies anyone can do aren't we ? Don't want anyone taking credit when they don't deserve any

Wasn't there a story about Barry Sheene: first practice session of the year after not riding through the winter, testing a race bike he'd never ridden before.

Front wheel up in first, kept up all through the gears

I've a mate who jumped on my old zx9r having ridden nothing bigger than a 180 scoot for about 4 years (after I said it wasn't a wheelie monster due to begin heavy / long for a sports bike) and popped it up and through the gears within a couple of hundred yards of jumping on it

I've always been shit at them.. managed them on my old KTM supercomp but that would pop up on the throttle in any gear so was hard not to, and it was like a BMX with an engine it was so light.

[Gimlet]

Yet to master clutch up wheelies but I'd power wheelie my Ducati all the time, often unintentionally but it never felt snappy because because the throttle connection is so good.
The Superduke is more awkward because of the progressive fly-by-wire throttle. The throttle just doesn't feel connected to the back wheel on the same way.

[Supermofo]

Nope. Tried for a long while when I had my Duke II but was always rubbish. Went on a few of the Pukeridge rides with the VD SM lot and watching the mile long wheeelies up and down the yet to be opened new A10 was a bit like being milometer Peter who only lasts 10 secs surrounded by Peter North and Ron Jeremy and wilted my mojo. Not really tried since. But wheelies are the best motorbike trick.

I remember Ell from the VD SM forum practising at the same time as me. He could pull a better wheelie but every time we caught up he'd tell me how many more times he'd flipped it, which didn't sound right/fun. Veggie game me some tips but I was still rubbish.

I've done a few accidental ones but they don't count. Biggest was on my Firestorm racing an SP1, I knew I had to really welly it out of a roundabout to have a hope and got hit in the chin by the top yoke, I reckon that was pretty big but no control and I sh1t meself.

[Craigyboy9]

Never really tried, then I bought a Tuono

[scottyuk]

No... except for two situations :

• the front powers up sometimes on my 1290GT when I give it beans despite climbing over the front and anti-wheelie being turned on
• when you go over the bloody mountain and there's no choice! I just trying to keep it down (I get many won't even class the front lifting as a real wheelie)

It is something I'd like to get to comfortable with. A good skill to have.

[formula400]

i can get the wheel up, not high enough or keep it up there though, id love to spend more time practicing. but i usually shit me self.

this is from a track day i did at Rednel.


Me Wheelie by lewis wilson, on Flickr

[Taipan]

Nope. Tried for a long while when I had my Duke II but was always rubbish. Went on a few of the Pukeridge rides with the VD SM lot and watching the mile long wheeelies up and down the yet to be opened new A10 was a bit like being milometer Peter who only lasts 10 secs surrounded by Peter North and Ron Jeremy and wilted my mojo. Not really tried since. But wheelies are the best motorbike trick.

I remember Ell from the VD SM forum practising at the same time as me. He could pull a better wheelie but every time we caught up he'd tell me how many more times he'd flipped it, which didn't sound right/fun. Veggie game me some tips but I was still rubbish.

I've done a few accidental ones but they don't count. Biggest was on my Firestorm racing an SP1, I knew I had to really welly it out of a roundabout to have a hope and got hit in the chin by the top yoke, I reckon that was pretty big but no control and I sh1t meself.

Fishman from the wheelie school once said be prepared to flip or crash your bike or you'll never learn to wheelie. That kinda put me off tbh. Bumped into Mad Roy a few years back, he said was into MTBs and no longer had a bike.

[Falcoholic]

I did a properly good stoppie on a VFR750...

then I hit the van and fell off

Same. 2004 on my ZX9R. Proper good stoppie then I hit a Jewson HiAb truck that reversed across my path.

No wheelies though. I can get the front up going over the start/finish line at Knockhill but then if you don't, or can't, you're not going fast enough.

[eccless291]

I used to on my SM. The first time was a total accident and I nearly shit meself! The worst day was when I was riding through London and some little kids were gesturing for me to wheelie away from the lights and I was so embarrassed that I couldn't do it on demand. It was then that I realised this was the bike I would learn on. So I used to go and practice in a car park which slowly began to pay off. I got to the point where I wasn't quite going up through all the gears but I was able to get one gear change in... and then I needed money and had to sell it. That was over 10 years ago now and I haven't been on the back wheel since then. To be fair I've hardly ridden at all in that time. I do need another SM though.

[Bigyin]

Fishman from the wheelie school once said be prepared to flip or crash your bike or you'll never learn to wheelie. That kinda put me off tbh. Bumped into Mad Roy a few years back, he said was into MTBs and no longer had a bike.

Fishman taught me how to do power wheelies on his 1200 Bandits which was quite cool up to about 70 mph. I dont shit myself and slam the throttle shut now when the front comes up on the Multi a bit even at higher speeds but proper balance point is waaaaay out of my league