how do you wheelie?

[Yangsta]

I'm a newb, but wheelies look so cool!!
anyone...anyone at all? tell me how? i got somewhere to practise, but someone tell me practise what??

[onearmedbandit]

How much riding experience do you have?

[Yangsta]

almost 2000km's ?? still newb

[nudemetalz]

My opinion is there are probably a lot better bikes to learn how to wheelie than a ZXR-250 (no offence intended).
Also, learning to wheelie off road on a dirt-bike is a lot safer than the road.
Hands-up here who has flipped a bike doing a mono....... (I have).

Wheelies put a lot of stress on your forkseals and steering-head bearings when the front end comes down hard.

Plus they are illegal on the road anyway......

But to answer your question, the way to do it vearies immensely between different bikes.
eg I can get the NZ250 up on the back wheel by popping the clutch at about 7000rpm and giving a tug on the bars but that won't work on the VT. (it needs more like 9-10000rpm)

[Yangsta]

na, not doing them on the road, theres this big parking lot, not far. no cars either at night. so just going forward? than clutch in, rev, and clutch out again?

[onearmedbandit]

almost 2000km's ?? still newb

Honestly man, get some more time in the saddle before you worry about wheelies etc. Don't get me wrong, not much more that I love than hoisting it off the deck and riding it through the box just floating, spent a long time last night discussing with a friend who rides a ZX6R the sensation you get when on the back wheel, but words don't do it justice.

Learn about bike control, throttle control, brake control etc. Learn how your bike reacts in different situations, learn how to corner properly. Spend time learning, perfecting and polishing these basics and then when you do start getting it up, no matter what bike you're on or method you use to get it up, you'll have a far better chance of being in control.

Put it this way, wheelie now (probably badly), possibly crash and get put off bikes, or get some more saddle time and spend the rest of your life getting the most out of you and your bike.

My 2 cents.

[Yangsta]

"sensation you get when on the back wheel, but words don't do it justice."
exactly why i wanna learn...

[Kornholio]

Honestly man, get some more time in the saddle before you worry about wheelies etc. Don't get me wrong, not much more that I love than hoisting it off the deck and riding it through the box just floating, spent a long time last night discussing with a friend who rides a ZX6R the sensation you get when on the back wheel, but words don't do it justice.

Learn about bike control, throttle control, brake control etc. Learn how your bike reacts in different situations, learn how to corner properly. Spend time learning, perfecting and polishing these basics and then when you do start getting it up, no matter what bike you're on or method you use to get it up, you'll have a far better chance of being in control.

Put it this way, wheelie now (probably badly), possibly crash and get put off bikes, or get some more saddle time and spend the rest of your life getting the most out of you and your bike.

My 2 cents.

True dat :done:

[onearmedbandit]

"sensation you get when on the back wheel, but words don't do it justice."
exactly why i wanna learn...

The reason I can feel and appreciate that sensation is because I know what my bike is doing, I can read to a degree how it will react, and I'm composed enough to ride a wheelie out when it's up, not get paranoid and chop the throttle and come crashing down.

Baby steps brother, got to learn to crawl before you run. Just with motorcycles it's not scuffed knees you're playing with, it's your life.

[nudemetalz]

Great advice, Onearmedbandit !!!

There's nothing that can describe the feeling of pulling the perfect mono (in this case on my old VF-500F) and seeing a cop going the other way "admiring" your wheelie !!

Pity he had to turn around and pull me over.....

[loosebruce]

No offence mate, but buy something other than a ZXR250 if you want to learn, it's a shit bike to even try and learn.
It's takes a real fine art to get the front wheel up (lots of abuse on the clutch) and you basiclly have to click it straight into 2nd gear, and be right on the balance point to keep it going any distance, really only someone skilled at wheeling can bounce a bike up straight into another gear and right on the balance point. Not as easy as it sounds.
I'll say it again the ZXR is not the bike to learn on, you'll find yourself in a world of hurt and broken bike if you try, believe me. Get yourself an old trail bike if you want to dick around practicing, otherwise wait until you can get an older 600 or the likes.

[shadow]

dont try to fix a bad wheelstand put it down and have another go, youll know when it feels right. sorry i cant help to much as i cheat with having the power to do them with no clutch. i like the ones where you come out of a corner with the engine right in the fat of the power and just feed it (mybe a little cluch and a yank on bars for smaller bikes) without using the clutch (lots of riders use clutch just not for thats all, so dont rule out using it) i try and compress front forks buy powering off then feed it then hit 3rd 4th and 5th if all going well yeah ha. i miss 1st as bigger chance of flipping and not as easy to pass through neutral. i prefer high speed wheelstands.
I agree with others though maybe a bit more time in the saddle but hey if you are going to do them go for it they are addictive. there are other aspects of riding that are just as satisfying though(like front stoppies,power slides lol) hope this helps

[kro]

I'd seriously listen to the others who say get some more riding experience, 2000k aint much, I did 800 in the first weekend I had a bike, so 2000 aint alot.

My first wheelie came out of the blue when I test rode a GPX750 after having ridden an impulse for a year. It scared the gonads off me. There are better bikes than a 250 4cyl 4 stroke to learn to wheelie on, and I'd seriously suggest some time off road on a single pot 4 stroke to understand the principles of how clutch, revs, and "hoisting" works. I had a KLR250 that I learnt to wheelie on, and that was like my 7th bike.

[loosebruce]

Stoppies on the other hand, the ZXR is mint for, get a good front tyre and make sure your brakes are sweet and go practice these.

I dont care what people say, i love wheelies for sure, but getting a stoppie high enough that when you let off the brakes it still coasts with the wheel up, man that feeling is one of a kind, scary as fuck but cool. But yeah if a stoppie goes wrong there is little you can do to save your bacon.

[zadok]

Honestly man, get some more time in the saddle before you worry about wheelies etc. Don't get me wrong, not much more that I love than hoisting it off the deck and riding it through the box just floating, spent a long time last night discussing with a friend who rides a ZX6R the sensation you get when on the back wheel, but words don't do it justice.

Learn about bike control, throttle control, brake control etc. Learn how your bike reacts in different situations, learn how to corner properly. Spend time learning, perfecting and polishing these basics and then when you do start getting it up, no matter what bike you're on or method you use to get it up, you'll have a far better chance of being in control.

Put it this way, wheelie now (probably badly), possibly crash and get put off bikes, or get some more saddle time and spend the rest of your life getting the most out of you and your bike.

My 2 cents.
What OAB said.

[Yangsta]

ok... disheartened
alright alright, save it for l8r than aye?
cheers for the advice anyway.

[onearmedbandit]

Don't be disheartened, just realise that riding a bike takes skill, something that comes with experience. Once you've got a few more km's under your belt, you'll feel more confident about riding. Then things like wheelies and stoppies will be far more exciting as you'll have the ability to control what's happening. Get out there and learn more about yourself and your bike. Every km you ride you're getting closer to where you want to be.

[DMNTD]

Don't be disheartened, just realise that riding a bike takes skill, something that comes with experience. Once you've got a few more km's under your belt, you'll feel more confident about riding. Then things like wheelies and stoppies will be far more exciting as you'll have the ability to control what's happening. Get out there and learn more about yourself and your bike. Every km you ride you're getting closer to where you want to be.
I've done many km's but are still learning from others every ride :not:
It's all good :niceone:

[N4CR]

Stoppies on the other hand, the ZXR is mint for, get a good front tyre and make sure your brakes are sweet and go practice these.

I dont care what people say, i love wheelies for sure, but getting a stoppie high enough that when you let off the brakes it still coasts with the wheel up, man that feeling is one of a kind, scary as fuck but cool. But yeah if a stoppie goes wrong there is little you can do to save your bacon.

That stoppie you pulled was frickken impressive mate. I didn't know zx2r's could go that high without falling to bits or something along those lines! 'Poor fork seals' :mellow:

[Yangsta]

yup yup no worries.
still love riding, just came back from one not long ago, weather so nice today.
btw.. i remember when i tried a stoppie a while ago, my nuts still hurt haha.

[shadow]

i kinda wished i had a go at stunt riding when i had the balls of a teenager and no kids to come home to. so if thats your thing i reakon go for it as there is alot lot of help and sites out there to show you ther way. probably best to get a bike set up that suitable. i kinda stuffed up as far as that goes with my bike choice but once i bin it its all on. go hard dude

[loosebruce]

That stoppie you pulled was frickken impressive mate. I didn't know zx2r's could go that high without falling to bits or something along those lines! 'Poor fork seals' :mellow:

Mate it's not the fork seals you gotta worry about, more the rear shock, but i dont worry about mine cause it's already fucked, and as for other bits falling off, theres sooo many rivits, cable ties, extra bolts, metal plates, welds, on that bike, not much that hasn't already fallen off will fall off.

Yangsta like OAB said dont be gutted, just now aint the best time for that kinda carry on, seriously if you want to accelrate your learning curve, get out on the weekends with the KB'ers, you'll learn so much so fast, and once i have the TL up and running properly me and a few others are gonna go out for a stunt night and practice some shit, you can come out with us, and get some pointers on stoppies and the likes and general riding, but like i said the ZXR will be a real tough bike to learn wheelies on first up.

[HDTboy]

Like the others have said, a 250 road bike isn't the bike to do wheelies on, I've done a few, but they're highly dodgy affairs and I've done 20'000kms on my bike.

I also agree with loosebruces comments on stoppies, scary as fuck, but very addictive. just don't try doing one from 120 in the wet at night with a worn front tyre on, it tends to lock the front wheel

[froggyfrenchman]

Dont even try till you get some more kms under your belt. Failing that search for any of the twenty zillion threads on this site on the subject.

[aff-man]

as per what bruce said. wheelies on a zxr250 are hard I couldn't do anything special.

Stoppies on the other hand..... :devil2: :devil2:

[rudolph]

I have an 1980 Yamaha XT 550, dry sump is a bit of a must, I have fucked the fork seels and stearing head bearings and pissed everyone off in the hood.


2nd gear twist of the wrist and high ho up she comes, no clutch wack into 3rd bliping the throttle.

PS keep that rear brake coverd :devil2:

[Yangsta]

Mate it's not the fork seals you gotta worry about, more the rear shock, but i dont worry about mine cause it's already fucked, and as for other bits falling off, theres sooo many rivits, cable ties, extra bolts, metal plates, welds, on that bike, not much that hasn't already fallen off will fall off.

Yangsta like OAB said dont be gutted, just now aint the best time for that kinda carry on, seriously if you want to accelrate your learning curve, get out on the weekends with the KB'ers, you'll learn so much so fast, and once i have the TL up and running properly me and a few others are gonna go out for a stunt night and practice some shit, you can come out with us, and get some pointers on stoppies and the likes and general riding, but like i said the ZXR will be a real tough bike to learn wheelies on first up.

its all cool, yea, more km's than b4 i try anything else, yea, for sure, i'll go join you guys and learn when you guys going for it.

[aff-man]

its all cool, yea, more km's than b4 i try anything else, yea, for sure, i'll go join you guys and learn when you guys going for it.

Make sure you got some decent tyres though. Cause you want them to hold no matter what you trying. Did a few stoppies on my zxr250 when the tyres were a bit worn (gone off) and they started to slide a bit. Decent rubber sorted that out and made it heaps easier to do.

[R6_kid]

Stoppies on the other hand, the ZXR is mint for, get a good front tyre and make sure your brakes are sweet and go practice these.

I dont care what people say, i love wheelies for sure, but getting a stoppie high enough that when you let off the brakes it still coasts with the wheel up, man that feeling is one of a kind, scary as fuck but cool. But yeah if a stoppie goes wrong there is little you can do to save your bacon.

Listen to thise man!!! I got a ZXR for the 'power' never managed a wheelie (ok one really little one) but stoppies i could do on command!

Token one would be in town (queen st in auckland) and i came up along side a 'boy racer' just before a red light, dialed in a stoppie but had a bit too much speed on, got the rear wheel up to about 60 degrees (bout as far as you can go without dropping over the top) released the brakes, rolled about one metre and slammed it down... scary as fuck but so much fun - and it got A LOT of attention.

Only thing is that they fuck your shock and your steering head bearing, but if you are going to be a 'stunter' then you will need to get used to replacing this kinda stuff anyway :blink:

[R6_kid]

yup yup no worries.
still love riding, just came back from one not long ago, weather so nice today.
btw.. i remember when i tried a stoppie a while ago, my nuts still hurt haha.

advice for technique... stand up a little (eg very little) and squeeze the tank with your knees, put the weight through your arms and over/through the handle bars...

after that its just up to how you use the brake... dont bite it too hard or it will bite back.

[myvice]

Get a dirt bike and go nuts.
A little 80cc 2 stroke will have you pissing yourself laughing or put you in hospital with a couple of broken bones. Or both.
Binning your kwaker will hurt your wallet as well as your body!

[Phenoix]

Get a dirt bike and go nuts.
A little 80cc 2 stroke will have you pissing yourself laughing or put you in hospital with a couple of broken bones. Or both.
Binning your kwaker will hurt your wallet as well as your body!

I can seconded that. Fairings are so expensive (I know from my "off")
Im still a newbie and have put over 3 times that many K's on the clock.
Best is getting an off road bike to start with and grass.
Your first few will probly dump you, and grass is nice and forgiving.

[vtec]

Here's some discussion with relevance to wheelying 250's, there's a few other discussions that have gone through this site on wheely's on 250's.

http://www.cr-x.org/cbr250/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=28460

Here's what I said on that site
"Well with regards to clutch dump wheelies, I don't do 'em. It's just not cricket letting the clutch out fast enough to pop a wheelie on the 250. However, give me a reasonable crest and I'll pop you a wheelie at 90k/hr. There's a really nice one on the Pakuranga Highway where a side road comes out in Auckland here. Used to do them in my work carpark a while back cause it was a massive crest, and I could do it at slow speeds."

[backfru]

People, the guy didn't post the thread for everyone to tell him he shouldn't attempt it, he asked how to do them.

[inlinefour]

na, not doing them on the road, theres this big parking lot, not far. no cars either at night. so just going forward? than clutch in, rev, and clutch out again?

Learn to do them on a mx/enduro/trail bike, preferably on dirt/grass, then you might be ready to do it on your bike. You can go ahead and think about doing it, but it'll be a matter of time until you crap off and do pleanty of $$$ in damage to your bike...

[Brett]

Looseburce and Onearmedbandit are correct. Get some more kms under your belt so that you begin to feel how your bike works and moves as well as what is going to happen when you perform certain actions.

The ZXR stoppies mint, even a newbie can start practicing a *little* bit. (find a safe environment first). Basically as Loosebruce explained is the best way to get the back up. BIGGEST thing...dont lock the front...it can be a bitch to regain control...if it locks, release it straight away.

Wheelies, I dont agree that the ZXR is a prick of a bike to wheelie! I certainly have found it much easier than the CBR. For some reason since i played iwth my suspension, i can't get the front up and keep it there, need to get used to the set up again. So based on this, i can say that suspension settings play a huge part getting the front to lift, and stay up!
Easiest way i have found is to get up to 7-10k, open throttle and bounce the clutch with my ass hard up against the back of the seat. Extra wear on the clutch, so i wouldn't recommend doing it too often...but i have found that it is easier than launching from low speed/rpm.
I have been riding about 15,000-20,000 kms, about 1 year.

[The Pastor]

Yeah put simply if you cant get it up go see a doc, but if you cant wheelie, use more rpm.

[onearmedbandit]

People, the guy didn't post the thread for everyone to tell him he shouldn't attempt it, he asked how to do them.

I think you're a little too late on the subject buddy. Also, we speak from experience. Read the whole thread properly.

[Skyryder]

I'm a newb, but wheelies look so cool!!
anyone...anyone at all? tell me how? i got somewhere to practise, but someone tell me practise what??

This guy might be able to help you.

http://www.linkydinky.com/magicSHELF.shtml

You'll need a wall to practice on. :rofl:

Skyryder

[Wired1]

I have enough trouble keeping the front wheel of my XV on the road what with all the awesome power blah blah blah - but seriously do it off road please, I don't want my insurance or registration to get any higher and the idiots doing it on public roads should all be forced to work in the spinal unit for a few days. Check out http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=32780 for a couple of photos of how not to do it!

[onearmedbandit]

Ha, I had a bike accident that left me with spinal injuries, resulting in a paralysed left arm (and a fuck load of never ending pain). Funny thing is I wasn't doing a wheelie or a stoppie at the time, just arguing with the laws of physics about which way I wanted my bike to go. I lost that arguement. Since getting back on a bike I've pulled more wheelies and stoppies than ever, still ride pretty hard as well, but not ever once got myself into a situation that made me think 'oh fuck'.

My point is that you don't have to be 'stunting' on public roads on bikes to do yourself a nasty injury, so leave the generalisations out please. Also, what about those that do it in 'closed off' areas, are they exempt from injuries?

Heres (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=692375#post692375) some pics of how to do it properly!! Sorry, couldn't resist biting! :lol:

[Leong]

Guys, this thread is old..... Started Oct 2005, and Last activity by the original poster Decemeber 2005. Anyone know what happened to him??

[Wired1]

Yeah he dumped the clutch at the lights and flipped his rice rocket and ended up selling his bike and buying a ute...

[onearmedbandit]

Thanks for the update Wired1, I was wondering what happened to him! :lol:

[kiwifruit]

I recon you should get hold of a Cheap dirt bike and go nuts on that.
Heaps more fun cos its designed to wheelie etc
heres a perfect example :D
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=62988396&permanent=0

[kiwifruit]

Guys, this thread is old..... Started Oct 2005, and Last activity by the original poster Decemeber 2005. Anyone know what happened to him??

oh ROFL :lol:

[R6_kid]

learn to ride first...

from me:
first bike... 20,000km
second bike... 15,000km
third bike... 13,000km
fourth bike... 30,000km

Thats in the space of 3.5years too.

And just so you know my first wheelie came about when i was test riding my fourth (current) bike, and it was on accident too. Only when you learn to control it does it feel really awesome.

For the meantime just look and think 'wow, can't wait to learn that on a 600' and learn to ride your ZXR good. Also if you want to try stunting then give stoppies a try - got a couple of mates on C model ZXR's that have got that shit down tight and will show me up anyday on one wheel, even if they are on the front and i am on the back.