South Coast Wheelies?

[UnknownStuntm...]

Anyone been? I'm thinking about going, just to learn more about bike control really. I dare not try it on my bike, don't want to cock it up!

www.southcoastwheelies.co.uk (not linked for fear of spam tagging!)

(EDIT: clever forum software linked it for me anyway. D'oh!)

[s44678]

Wow, that's pretty near to me. Seems kind of expensive, but as you say, no chance of trashing your own bike.

Although I wouldn't have thought you'd be that likely to trash your bike learning to wheelie? I might be wrong.

[That_Hornet]

thinking of doing on of these. This place you can take part with a A2 licence. witch is good

[Seb]

Looks like the same kind of idea as Jimmy Fireblade's school right down to the same cut out switch rig on the tail. That lot are cheaper and suggest smaller group sizes too, nice find imho
____________________
2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[UnknownStuntm...]

Booked now, with a couple mates. Will report back after the event next month if I still have at least a partial use of my fingers.

[Tonka]

That sounds great! Some folk I know have just been up to Lincoln for a wheelie school day and when I googled it looked likely to be Jimmyfireblades (?) Their prices are similar, so seems a fair price.

Enjoy and let us know how you get on and if you would recommend it, as very close to me and I'd love to go if they're good!
____________________
'The core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences'
Suzuki SV650S (Clean); Yamaha XT250 Serow (Dirty)

[s44678]

I'm tempted, but need to reign in my expenses at the moment. It's got a bit out of control.
£175 learning to wheelie would go down as one of those 'hmmm did you really need to spend that' expenses.

It does look fun though.......

[Tonka]

Hmm, same for me Skluff and wheelie school is below track day on list of 'expenses to be incurred', but still good to know I don't have to add travelling costs on top
____________________
'The core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences'
Suzuki SV650S (Clean); Yamaha XT250 Serow (Dirty)

[UnknownStuntm...]

See, my reasoning for going is split between opposing "look at me I can clutch one up" chest wig wearing nuttiness and "now I know what happens when the front pops up, I can control things better" techy nerdy safety freak....

[Tonka]

[s44678]

When are you all going? I might come down and watch. Not like it's far from me (and it's practically in Tonka's back garden). Do they allow spectators?

[UnknownStuntm...]

pfft - you think I'm going to advertise the date of my futile 'snatch, hup, panic, wobble, poop, gravelrash' episode? Not a chance my old bean!

[s44678]

Ahh. Going into it with a positive mindset I see

Go on. I'll bring some flapjack or something.

[Villers]

Theres one near me but its a bit pricey. mentioned it at work but got shot down in flames as some kind of sad act.

Its not about learning to do it and going all over 'up on one' for me but learning a bit of control and getting some more confidence.

That way when the busa picks up on the power it won't catch me as off guard as the last time it did it

[bacon]

im quite tempted, and a small discount at £150 if you book with someone else

be nice to know how to get the front up safely under control, and lik eothers have said you know what to do if you pop a power wheelie

[salty21]

anyone know of such a place in the midlands area? i'd be quite interested in this
____________________
04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[Chriss]

Someone explain why you don't just go to a secluded industrial estate like everyone else save the £150?

You won't fall off if you take it slowly.
____________________
TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[MaybeGuy]

[Seb]

If I had a second disposable bike I'd agree, a lot of people are not going to be willing to take the risk on a shiny expensive machine though (myself included).
____________________
2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[Chriss]

If you think you're going to flip your first wheelie you're deluded though. I can hold a wheelie for a fair way now, and sometimes I struggle to get to the balance point for the fear of flipping it on my DRZ (feels different to my Daytona). Your body won't let you flip it. Start of slow!

If anyone wants to attend a free wheelie school in Elgin, give me a shout!

Edit: I've never come close to crashing a wheelie yet, and I've been done them for two years, and wheelie, probably, every day.
____________________
TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Seb]

I'm more worried about putting it down than picking it up
____________________
2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[Chriss]

Now that has confused me, when you learn, the front wheel stays straight, as it's not up long enough to stop spinning (same reason your bike doesn't fall over in motion). Hence wheelies go up, not fall to the side too.

Other than that, it's just accelerating gently when it's coming down so it doesn't come smashing down and blowing fork seals.
____________________
TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[G]

[UnknownStuntm...]

[UnknownStuntm...]

Yesterday I went with three mates and s bloke who I've not met before.
So the day started at 9.30 where we got kitted up and had a brew, with Neil, the instructor. He's a chatty bloke, very easy to get along with despite all of us being quite nervy. He had already unloaded the bikes - two Bandit 600s with cages and many battle scars. Other than the switch to cut the ignition mounted on the back number plate mount, they were standard bikes.

The tuition started with the mantra for the day.1, 2, 3.
1 - Shut the throttle, bang the clutch in and jab the rear brake with your toe
2 - whang the throttle open 1/4 turn
3 - pop the clutch out

No demos, no confusion, no bullshit, that was it. That's all you need to get the wheel in the air.

On these bikes, he said that the best entry rpm was 3k, so we then practised riding along at 3k and jabbing the back brake. The idea is just to dip the front a little. So the first two went off for 5 mins doing that over and over. Looks easy enough, no drama at all. Then it was my go and all seemed fairly simple.

The next stage was to just go for it. The first two went out and I stood with my gob open waiting for someone to crash. But no drama, just the merest of air under the front tyre. Then a little more, then the kiddie I didn't know in the group gave it a proper handful and pretty much launched the bike into a 18" wheelie. Where the switch knocked the ignition off, the bike popped and spluttered and the front came down very heavy. To the sound of mass laughter. He stayed on the bike though....!

So then it was my turn. And the beginning of a small realisation. crack the throttle then bang the clutch out is not something I can actually do! I'm just not programmed to do it. I tried, and tried, and a few times I did it. The wheel came up and I actually did pull a wheelie or seven. But inconsistency was the order of my day.

The day pretty much went on like this, swapping over after about 10 mins to have a break and a rest. I was feeling pretty knackered after the first two wheelie sessions and my clutch muscles were aching to the point I could're really control them a lot. Which obviously was bad.

To be honest I think the day was a little bit of a let down for everyone. I expected to just be able to do it. My mates were saying they expected it to be less physical, and easier to get up to the balance point. (small note here, balance point my arse, you've got to be awesome to get a bike up that far...) And the other Charlie expected to get up to 2nd or 3rd gear. Which he didn't.

I was pretty much the worst of the bunch, and I think that was down to inexperience, I've only been riding for 18 odd months and the others had all been on bikes for years... No excuses, I was a pussy with the throttle and far to conditioned to feed the clutch rather than drop it. But, I have got a picture on my camera of me, on a bike, with at least a sliver of air under the front tyre. So, I guess, I 'could' wheelie now if I wanted to.

But the most important thing I learnt yesterday was that I am definitely not going to try this on my own bike, on the road. There are just too many ways I could bollocks it up, and I'm just too worried about dropping the bike and / or smashing a vertebrae.