how quick did you learn to wheelie?

[BLOFLY 636]

just wondering how long it was before you could travel a few meters with the front wheel up in the air? I have been trying for about 4 months now and to be honest am absoluteley shite apart from 1st gear blasts with the wheel about a foot up in the air, I keep trying to go higher but I turn to water pretty quick awww I would give my right hand to be able to wheely decently
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[r1_lad]

About 3 weeks after getting my R1 I was doing decent length power wheelies in 1st.
About 2 weeks later was clutching it up in 2nd (and a couple of times in 1st by mistake... Don't try this. Trust me!)
About a month ago I mastered changing gear within wheelies and 2nd gear power wheelies.

Depending on the length of straight infront of me i'll either pick it up in 1st off the power (if it's a smallish straight and maybe change into 2nd if it's a medium straight). If it's a nice long straight like on the motorway i'll clutch it up in 2nd gear and ride it from 35mph - about 120mph.

If the conditions are wet/raining i'll always just power them up in 1st gear and click it into 2nd when 1st runs out. Trying to clutch in the rain always just causes the back wheel to slip out even with sticky rennsports tyres.


Before I got the R1 I had trouble trying to wheelie my old GSXR600 SRAD until I changed the gearing but that was a week before I part-ex'd it for the R1. Now i've learnt the wheelie technique on the litre bike I can now wheelie most of my friends 600's (R6, CBR600RR etc).
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard

[TomC]

you do wheelies at 120mph on the motorway?

[BLOFLY 636]

I just want to do them at 60kmph tops for about 20 meters would be fantastic! not 200kmph for a mile!
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[r1_lad]

Yep, if it's clear & safe to do so.

Also mastered standups a little while ago. A lot of sites mentioned having your left foot on the rear peg for stability but I never really got on with this method so don't. One thing I was never sure of was whether you standup then wheelie or wheelie and standup while you have the front wheel in the air. After quite a lot of tries both ways I can definitly say I found it much much easier to get the front wheel up to the balance point and then stand up.
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard

[r1_lad]

Try getting a mate to video you out on a local quiet straight road.
Then you can see how high you really are and how much higher you can go. This should help with the nerves and the feeling that you are going to flip it. If poss, use a video camera that you can watch it at the roadside then go do a few more while it's all still in your mind.

Also... KEEP THE REAR BRAKE COVERED!

Just in case
Only time i've ever had to use the rear brake was when I accedently clutched up a wheelie in 1st thinking it was in 2nd and it came up very very fast. Most of the time the most instant reaction you'll have is to shut off the throttle. On a 600/1000 the engine breaking should be enough to bring you down by just shutting off the throttle i've found, but keep the back brake covered just in case.


Another idea would be to pay for me to come out to australia and show you personally, of course involving lots of post-wheelie relaxing & fosters/bbq's on the beach.
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard

[Wave2k]

R1 lad is the master of wheelies
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Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Silver]

I remember my first wheelie - a complete accident on a GSXR400.

I came rolling to a set of traffic lights that were on red. Bike still rolling, they changed to green. A gave it a fistfull (just for a quick getaway, not intending to wheelie) and the front end took off skywards! Completely unprepared, both my feet came off the pegs (I must have looked like an Ewok on a speeder bike!) I remember looking at the sky and thinking about the best way of trying to land (I was sure it was going to flip!).

Anyway, the automatic reaction was to shut the throttle off. The bike hovered (for what seemed ten minutes!) and then dropped, so hard that it slammed my visor shut, bottomed out the forks and I headbutton the screen!! I also had crippling cramp in both my thighs

[instigator]

I've tried, probably about 10 times in total, but with the lift of the front suspension, its kind of hard to tell when the wheels actually off the ground and when its not. I suspect I havent really had it off the ground yet, but I could be wrong.

I suppose its all about how hard you try. If you've got mechanical sympathy for your beast, then I'm sure it'll take that just bit longer

So, I've been riding on a full license for 3 months, but only tried to wheelie 10 times....Is that the equivelant to one day for you, r1_lad

[Wave2k]

i was really pissed off and pulled up to set of lights
gave it too much rev and let out clutch too quick
bang a very high wheelie, but thanks to the full face helmet i looked cool, if only they could see my face LOL
but i didnt shut off the throttle, i just froze.
im not doing that again
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Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[BLOFLY 636]

maybe I should change my username to grass hopper 636! I just can't bring myself to hold the throttle open wide enough for long enough to bring the wheel high enough, I am not trying hard enough god dammit enoughs enough
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[Flip]

[r1_lad]

Are there any wheelie schools near you?

That way you could learn to clutch one up without the risk of fucking up your own bike and would have the confidence when you get back on your bike.

[BLOFLY 636]

I would love to borrow your bike when you come over to coach me how to launch clutched up 3rd gear standing flamingos until then I will have to risk my bike because there is no such thing as a wheelie school here
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[r1_lad]

I'd love someone to coach me on how the buggeryfuck to do standing flamingos in any gear!

Looks like this guy has dropped the pressure in his rear tyre to give more stability.
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard

[BLOFLY 636]

jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezus look at the size of that rear sprocket
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[r1_lad]

Blimey didn't notice that!
Bet it does about 80mph top speed and 0-60 in a blink of a watery eye!

Also theres a wheeliebar on the back, a true stunt converted bike.
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard

[palmer]

about a day to learn power wheelies, 2 or 3 to get the clutch wheelies right. still have yet to change gear.

[BLOFLY 636]

yep and you have to do them after work don't go home and get changed first, just practise straight after, wear your work boots too and wear a dirt bike helmet for that little bit extra schezaam!
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[r1_lad]

Or get your girlfriend on the back to help the front wheel up a bit easier...
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard

[BLOFLY 636]

well at least he gave her his helmet!
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[Dom_]

I can get the front up by about 2 feet (see pics on Dr.Nicks wheely thread in the photo section) but the problem is keeping it up, especially with a whole 12hp to play with.

[BLOFLY 636]

so on a serious note I am either pussy footing around or a slow learner! I am just going to have to get out of my comfort zone a bit more
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Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[r1_lad]

I think you're just not sure how far you can push it without flipping it, like a mental barrier.

Get out there with a friend and a camcorder mate and spend a day practising.
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RS50 -> RS125 -> GSXR600 SRAD -> 02 R1 -> Speed Triple 1050 -> Ducati Streetfighter 1099 -> DRZ400 Superetard

[loply]

I did my first wheelie on my third or fourth ever ride =D Not including my lessons on an SR125 of course.

Havent done any succesfull wheelies since though as the roads havent been dry, but I have tried (and failed, slippy rear wheel).

I was rather chuffed, as in this thread: https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=37136&highlight=wheelie
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Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!