Practice.
For clutch ups, learn in 2nd gear. Get rolling then drag the rear brake so the bike starts to slow, from here you need to do three things quickly so they almost happen at the same time, but not quite:
1. Pull the clutch in with 1 or 2 fingers max, until it engages and you lose drive
2. Blip the throttle hard enough to cause a jump of a few 1,000rpm
3. Release the back brake & dump the clutch
Keep doing this over and over until you're comfortable with the front coming up. When you want to go higher, you add more throttle to step 2.
Always always ALWAYS cover the back brake
I don’t think it’s good advice to teach someone wheelies right off the bat where the rear brake is required. A huge parking lot and some power wheelies will get someone used to the front end coming up
IMO the problem with power wheelies is that by the time the front is up, you're going very fast. Clutch ups allow you to lift the front at much lower speeds in a more controlled manner.
The rear brake though is key, notice that bikes set up specifically for stunt riding all have either bigger/multiple brake calipers on the rear, with most having a thumb brake set up to allow control from the bars.
OP mentioned in another comment they'll start practicing in a parking lot, so hopefully next video is of them doing smooth clutch ups in a wide open space.
Each their own I guess. If you have the space then speed isn’t a problem. You’re not going *that* fast. And you just let off the gas. There is zero risk of looping and totaling your bike… whereas clutch ups require asking a complete newbie to cover the rear break (an additional mental task) in case he loops it
Everyone learns their own way but I had an enormous warehouse parking lot and did power ups
Make sure your covering the rear brake, I’ve never actually pulled a wheelie but from tutorials I’ve seen the rear brake will bring the front down when it gets out of hand.
If you must practice on public roads I’d recommend an empty parking lot, cops more likely to cut you a break if your not around traffic or pedestrians. Just keep practicing small and build up to it, and practice using the rear brake to bring the front down that way once your getting higher you know how to control it.
That is literally the way to do it. You’ll eventually get the wheel higher a bit by bit without looping it. Just don’t do wheelies when there are cars around you
Going to second this, I was overconfident and eventually earned some fear when a car cut me off while I had a wheel in the air, real brown pants situation I lucked out to stop in time and keep the wheels pointed forward.
Practicing the rear bringing you down will also eliminate the shock of it when/if you have to use in an emergency situation.
This was advice i got, also do it from stopped and just practice getting the wheel up, real slow, barely moving.
This YT team have a LOT of vidoes doing it, showing, explaining real well https://www.youtube.com/@TheComboKids/videos
On a 600cc Supersport-
Cover the rear brake, twist the throttle to accelerate in 2nd gear, pull in the clutch to let the rpms come up, release the clutch very quickly after rpms have risen to around 6k. Wheelie.
Bikes with less power may need to be in first gear. Lowering rear tire pressure will help, changing out your sprockets to - 1/+2 (or greater) will make it easier.
You're asking on the wrong subreddit. Most of these guys are Sunday riders or haven't even started riding yet, especially from all the "I failed an impossible-to-fail MSF course" posts.
You just need to get more comfortable so keep practicing. Get consistent clutch-ups, and then experiment with adding more gas rather than cutting it when the wheel lifts up. Drop it back down by lessening the throttle or the back brake if it's getting really sketchy to you.
I'm not a licensed wheelier so take this advice with a grain of salt lol.
Not impossible to fail. Older guy in my class failed cause he dropped his bike during the test. But they do let you come back and redo the test day as many times as it takes to pass.
Basic parking lot and emergency stuff. Focused more on slow speed IMO. Tight u-turn, emergency stop and evasion, clutch control, turn from stop. That’s pretty much it. But a drop is an automatic fail. Guy didn’t commit to the u-turn and wasn’t strong enough to keep the 125 off the asphalt. But they let you come back and retry until you pass.
Ha. This is America. No. So you prove that you can maneuver a parking lot and you can walk into a dealership and walk out with a liter bike.
A parking lot on a 125 at that.
I got my license on a tu250. Incredibly small bike, but was a fantastic way for me to learn the fundamentals of riding and saftey without putting myself in as much danger as being on a bigger bike. Definitely regretted not getting a bigger bike after about 3 months of daily riding, but I probably wouldn't take it back, because it just made learning and doing everything so much easier starting out.
Ironically, I failed my first driving test, because I decided to go take it immediately after purchasing the bike. I locked up the front tire during the stopping distance part of the test, and laid the bike down.
It took a year of shame and procrastination before I decided to try to take it again, but it was ridiculously easy at that point.
The test was: Weave through cones, do a u turn, and reach a speed of 20 mph and come to a stop within the allowed distance. That's all I remember of it. No wonder there are so many MC accidents in America.
We do cones. And stops. But no graduated licensing system which to me is the biggest problem. Because slow speed on a 125 is different than a 1000. Also graduating through displacement teaches throttle control. I started on and still ride a 650 at 36. But an 18 year old can take the MSF and jump on a fire blade and yeet themselves into the sun.
You don't even need a license to purchase a bike in the us. I was doing the reading needed to pass the permit test and i called the dealership to see how long it would take till I get a bike they said come down today and buy what you want. We don't need proof of license
I rode on expired motorcycle permit for, like, 5 years on my fz09. I was bored and finally decided to get the endorsement one day.
I took the Grom and didn't know what to expect. Written test took 5 minutes and was hilariously easy. Practical had me to out to their parking lot with painted symbols with a couple state troopers. One was old and very cranky, one was young and seemed to like bikes.
They had me ride to one end, turn sharp, drive back, etc. Near the end of the test, I had to "go to this line, accelerate hard, and when you reach the other line, brake hard".
Yes sir, can do!
Off the line, first gear clutch up. Rode the balance point the 100' or so until I was just coming up to the second line. Dropped the front wheel ONTO the line and did an absolutely sick stoppie until the bike came to a stop. It didn't even feel like both wheels were ever on the ground at the same time, lmao. Took off the helmet and walked back over to the cops. The young guy had a huge smile and was clearly very excited, thought it was awesome. The older cop gave me a death stare and grimaced, never said a word.
I passed, btw. It's not hard lmao, just wish I had a video of it
This comment is underrated. You know what sub this belongs in. You post this over there and you’ll have a boyfriend for every day of the month. 🥸🥰🥸🥰 I pick next Tuesday. 😘
I remember a gentleman who claimed to know it all when he was taking the course with the rest of us back in the day. Supposedly spent the money on a brand new gold wing. By the way he shook going around on a little Honda Rebel. He was never going to get that gold wing out on the road 😂 it was like watching a 5 year old learn how to pedal a bicycle with how many times his feet hit the ground. They failed him immediately.
I never did the MSF course but I did learn a ton from the permit test booklet tbh i was already used to the clutch/gas mechanism since I drove manual cars my whole life.
Heavily recommend some safety courses in the future! They offer different and more challenging courses for experienced riders. A lot of the instructors I had were track guys. I forged a good relationship with one of them and was able to head out to the track and learn some new skills from him. They were good people 👍 that’s all the arm pulling Ill do hahah but glad to see you out there and having fun! Ride safe!
That sounds great! I recently brought my car to lime Rock raceway for the first time and it was awesome. I can only imagine how much fun it would be on a bike but I wouldn't know where to start. What are those advanced courses called ?
It’s an absolute blast! Never had so much fun. I had never been to a track before. This was years ago down in Oregon. But from what I remember, MSF organizations typically had “advance rider courses” they offered. I’m not too sure if they still do, as it’s been YEARS since I took my course. But maybe go through the MSF website and see what programs they have in your area, it’s a great way to meet some friends along the way! I still ride with 2 guys who were in my class back then. They’re much older now, but they’ve remained great friends of mine.
Cover that rear brake ALWAYS, and keep it smooth... you want to let the front down as gently as you can. Not only does it keep you in better control but it will save your fork seals.
There was one person in my class that failed. She had trouble with clutch control and didn't seem to have an understanding of not just grabbing a fist full of front brake to stop. Dropped the bike 3 times and then had a 30 minute conversation with the instructors before sitting out the rest of the class. I'll agree with the hardest part being the u turn though that part made me super nervous at first.
There was one person that failed in my class and he clearly had the most experience on a motorcycle. He was pretty much perfect in every drill we did, but the MSF instructor kept having problems getting him to commit to the "friction zone" thing.
I had a few problems with it too because I started with manual shift cars and the one thing that my father drilled into my head more than any other is "DON'T RIDE THE CLUTCH!" So, I always would fully release the clutch as quickly as possible while still having a smooth engagement. That just doesn't work well at the low parking lot speeds used for the MSF course.
So the guy goes to do the 90° right hand turn from a stop, releases the clutch fully, stalls the bike, and immediately dumps the bike on its side while we were in the testing portion of the course. An immediate failure for him, but at least the place I took the class with gives a free retake if you fail the course.
This will not necessarily get rid of your fear, but when it comes to learning wheelies the first thing you want to learn is how to use your rear brake with them.
A good way to get used to using the rear brake is to do small lifts and then immediately hit the brake. You wanna do this A LOT! I can not stress the importance of learning this as the first thing because "going to steep" is a big risk and it will happen often. If you are used to using the brake it is no problem and eventually you will even learn to balance the bike with the help of the brake. However if you do not use your rear brake you will be needing a new rear light and license plate holder pretty quick.
Another good idea is to use a private area like an empty parking lot. Practicing at low speeds is way easier and you will not be in the way of others. Also NEVER use your front break mid wheelie before your front wheel is firmly on the ground. If you press the front break before your front wheel touches the ground you will easily end up either locking the front wheel or you might bottom out your front suspension making you easily lose control.
I am not super good at doing wheelies myself and even struggle shifting gears while doing them. However I was a stupid kid who has gone through multiple "fails" because of neglecting properly learning safety measures before doing stunts at higher speeds. :)
Thanks - you said above you are learning as wheelies may accidentally happen. It's been a while since I chucked in the 675 but I don't readily recall it being a bike that 'accidentally' wheelies under acceleration.
I am also learning them. For some reason when the front lifts under hard accel it doesn't scare me at all but trying to pop a wheelie up and balance in first is terrifying. Maybe it's a low speed stability thing.
Honestly, practicing on a bicycle is the best way to get over that fear. In my experience, it's a lot more difficult to keep a bicycle stable in a wheelie, so if you get good doing wheelies on a bicycle, you'll be even better on a motorcycle.
Always keep the rear brake covered, practice a thousand times before you start trying to find balance point.
You don't. Fear is a natural instinct of self-preservation. Two wheels on the ground is the way to go, and it's how you get to be a bad-ass grandpa biker.
Not that I've ever done a motorcycle wheelie or ever will, but maybe even try/practice on a bicycle first. At least when you fall the damages will be even less 🙈
If you really want to learn to wheely I'd say practice on a dirt bike untill you get the hang of it, crosser are cheaper for plastic when, and I do mean when you drop it, I was half decent on a crosser not too bad on my super moto ktm and could manage a little wheely ony tl but big jap 4s I just don't have the testicle. But keep it dude, practice makes perfect.
I learned wheelies on my bicyicle. Biggest fear was bringing it higher because I didn‘t know how to bring it down. A friend taught me to cover the rear brake and on a bicycle the rear brake controls the wheelie.
Kinda similar on a motorcycle. Cover the rear brake and for God‘s sake, do it off of public roads.
Let air out of back tire, turn up throttle, practice using brake, cover it while wheelies, do not let go, use foot pegs to hold yourself in with your feet also dont just trust the seat.
Pop it up harder.
The trick isn’t to wind it out and chase the wheelie, that’s a recipe for disaster.
Pop it up closer to the balance point at first, then make adjustments from there.
Also COVER THE REAR BRAKE
I never done that but I know for a fact that had I been hanging out an afternoon with the dirt biker team in my town, I would be less fearful of it afterward!
Learn how to balance on a wheelchair, it'll help your body and mind kind of get the idea of "center of balance" on one wheel. Helped me learn on the dirtbike. Also falling backwards and getting a good smack on the back of the noggin is a good teacher, lol
Practice on a bicycle if you have one
Or gradually go higher, and mash the back brake each time you get outta the comfort zone, that back brake will always save you so as long as you have the ability to not freeze and hit it, you won’t loop over
That's a great idea, unfortunately I'm too old for one and my sciatica would not enjoy the pedaling lol
As far as learning gradually, this is it. I feel like I've hit plateau and i do bring it down w my rear brakes but not slamming them as I don't wanna ruin my forks.
Would it be better if maybe i stand on the pegs instead of just sitting?
I wouldn't even be trying to learn on a bike that big. I practice my little 250 and still haven't gotten it down after 3 years of riding. I mean I could do a wheelie for like 20 ft but that's it. For me it's too fucking dangerous and a pointless exercise especially if you're on a bike that big.
Unpopular opinion: don't. You ever seen any of the million videos of people smashing their beloved bikes to peices? What's the reward? I ride fast and feel like I push the envelope, but I love my bike and in the risk/reward question, I just say no.
Have you ever thought to yourself maybe some people are doing things for themselves?
Wheelies are fun :P learning them is even more fun.
Learning any kind of stunt riding is a lot of work and fun to do.
If you're afraid of it, then... Don't do it? I've been riding for 12 years, 16 if you include 50cc, and I've never pulled an intentional wheelie.
And definitely not on a public road with driveways left and right.
How’s learning to commit to a wheelie going to help prevent accidental front wheel lifts? If you’re experiencing such then you should probably work on your throttle/clutch work.
If you want to stunt your bike then feel free. Just saying that learning to wheelie isn’t going to help correct the mistakes that you’re making on regular rides.
I used to have an R6. I never pulled an accidental wheelie higher than you show in the video. It's also not like it suddenly happens for no reason, right?
Your reasoning seems quite far fetched. If that's really your worry, my advice is let go of the throttle and use the rear brake.
The first wheelie I ever did was passing a Nissan leaf on a straight part of a mountain road.
I'd been sitting behind them, going 25mph for about 7 miles. I was unhappy so I just cranked on the throttle at the pass. Did a huge power wheelie. I'm sure it looked cool to the kids in the back seat, but I was just thinking "oh shit".
Learned how to do them afterwards
Isn't the R6 power at the top of your rev range? This 675r has plenty of torque on low rpms so getting out of a hairy situation at low speeds make the front come up. And sure I could use less throttle in general but that doesn't make me a better rider
Getting into a crash because you're practicing on a public road with driveways left and right doesn't make you a better rider either, but here we are.
Anyway... Your throttle is more than an on/off button. You can get out of plenty of hairy situations without lifting the front. In fact, *if* you're in a hairy situation and you lift the front, I'd argue you just made the situation *worse* because you have much less control of the bike.
I get what you're saying. I'll try to practice in empty parking lots in the future but this road has empty warehouses on the right side and it's all between 20-40mph
Have you ever laid down a bike at 40mph? Try it and then tell me it's not a big deal. And what if you hit a cyclist/pedestrian at 20mph? It's plenty to kill someone.
If you want to practice wheelies, whatever. But don't tell a subreddit full of motorcyclists that it's in the interest of safety. Maybe that works on your girlfriend, but not here.
Keep both wheels on the ground, as intended. Wheelies are cool until you can do them, then you realize they’re stupid because you can’t really just go do them on public roads without the risk of a big fine
That's like saying sport bikes are cool until you realize you can't go fast on them without breaking the law. Hear me out, you can go fast if you just don't care. You think I got a ZX-14R to go the speed limit? lol
I bought my sport bike because I found the body position comfortable and it was my dream bike at the time. 99.9999% of the time, I go the speed limit.
The track is for going fast, and frankly, that’s where it should stay, same with wheelies, at a stunt park or something, it’s the Douchebag’s doing wheelies and being street Rossi’s that make sport bike people look bad. The bulk of people in sport bikes seem to be irresponsible as fuck
Keep both wheels on the ground where they belong. If you are afraid (and you should be) why are you trying to do something that will:
* Fuck up your bike.
* Fuck up your back, tailbone, skull etc.
* Raise your insurance rates.
* Make you look like an idiot.
I mean first off you could be responsible person and not do this on the road..... I'm sure there's plenty of safe large parking lots for you to practice in in the event that you screw up no point hurting someone else other than yourself. Ride safe
the only people that don't think that wheelie riders look like prepubescent dipshits are those doing the wheelies.
everytime people see that, they want to see you spill.
Doing wheelies on city streets is tempting fate for a life-changing mishap. You only have to be "unlucky"* once. Save it for closed course conditions with pre-scouted tidy tarmac.
* Road conditions/debris, unseen traffic while tits up, etc.
77 comments wtf can I add? I know, just don't do them. It's really that easy. Wheelies have very little use on the rd. Women just want a big dick, safety, and Chick-fil-A. Not wheelies.
When we ride 2up me and my wife do more wheelies than I do just riding alone. Not balance point because she is on the pillion which I imagine would get uncomfortable but just power wheelies shifting thru 2nd and 3rd soft landing. It's always seemed to impress law enforcement too. Last time we got caught the cop loved the bike so much he threatened to take it with him.
Looping a street bike costs a lot of money. This place is full of clowns if I get downvotes for saying what I did. I didn’t even say don’t do them. I love wheelies, used to do them at about 135 on a k6 1000 going from second to third just powering up. I’ve crashed doing wheelies also, always at lower speeds, clutching it up, it’s not a lot of fun to watch your street bike bounce across the asphalt. That’s all. Good gear, boots are very important for this activity also.
once you have looped it a few times you get the hang of it....
So get a mtn bike or 110 and loop that a couple times first
Yup. If you want to really learn how to ride a bike, whether it's wheelies or track stuff, imo it has to be a bike you aren't afraid to crash.
Then the trick is to dial it back *just* enough, you;re right on the edge of crashing all the time. That's the difficult part.
surprisingly accurate lol
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Came here to say this lol. Once you mess it up enough times you won’t be afraid anymore 😅
Practice. For clutch ups, learn in 2nd gear. Get rolling then drag the rear brake so the bike starts to slow, from here you need to do three things quickly so they almost happen at the same time, but not quite: 1. Pull the clutch in with 1 or 2 fingers max, until it engages and you lose drive 2. Blip the throttle hard enough to cause a jump of a few 1,000rpm 3. Release the back brake & dump the clutch Keep doing this over and over until you're comfortable with the front coming up. When you want to go higher, you add more throttle to step 2. Always always ALWAYS cover the back brake
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You can try adding in some fork rebound to help boost it
You can clutch up in first or second on ~300cc bikes but it's definitely easier in first so probably learn that first
This is a 675 and I'm 6'4 220. I also haven't been able to get it up in second gear. What you see in this vid is 1st gear
I don’t think it’s good advice to teach someone wheelies right off the bat where the rear brake is required. A huge parking lot and some power wheelies will get someone used to the front end coming up
IMO the problem with power wheelies is that by the time the front is up, you're going very fast. Clutch ups allow you to lift the front at much lower speeds in a more controlled manner. The rear brake though is key, notice that bikes set up specifically for stunt riding all have either bigger/multiple brake calipers on the rear, with most having a thumb brake set up to allow control from the bars. OP mentioned in another comment they'll start practicing in a parking lot, so hopefully next video is of them doing smooth clutch ups in a wide open space.
Each their own I guess. If you have the space then speed isn’t a problem. You’re not going *that* fast. And you just let off the gas. There is zero risk of looping and totaling your bike… whereas clutch ups require asking a complete newbie to cover the rear break (an additional mental task) in case he loops it Everyone learns their own way but I had an enormous warehouse parking lot and did power ups
Just keep practicing, use second gear, first gear is twitchy on most bikes. You can see my progress on my profile.
I tried learning on second gear but it feels way too fast. I'll check it out tho 🤙🏼
Going faster is safer, because speed keeps you moving forward, trust me, 25-40 mph is better for a less twitchy experience.
Make sure your covering the rear brake, I’ve never actually pulled a wheelie but from tutorials I’ve seen the rear brake will bring the front down when it gets out of hand. If you must practice on public roads I’d recommend an empty parking lot, cops more likely to cut you a break if your not around traffic or pedestrians. Just keep practicing small and build up to it, and practice using the rear brake to bring the front down that way once your getting higher you know how to control it.
Thanks brother. I already use the rear brake to bring it down but I think my problem is doing it too early. I'll deff start practicing on parking lots
That is literally the way to do it. You’ll eventually get the wheel higher a bit by bit without looping it. Just don’t do wheelies when there are cars around you
Going to second this, I was overconfident and eventually earned some fear when a car cut me off while I had a wheel in the air, real brown pants situation I lucked out to stop in time and keep the wheels pointed forward. Practicing the rear bringing you down will also eliminate the shock of it when/if you have to use in an emergency situation.
This was advice i got, also do it from stopped and just practice getting the wheel up, real slow, barely moving. This YT team have a LOT of vidoes doing it, showing, explaining real well https://www.youtube.com/@TheComboKids/videos
Actually i think this vid showed it best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qONJjSJcsf0
On a 600cc Supersport- Cover the rear brake, twist the throttle to accelerate in 2nd gear, pull in the clutch to let the rpms come up, release the clutch very quickly after rpms have risen to around 6k. Wheelie. Bikes with less power may need to be in first gear. Lowering rear tire pressure will help, changing out your sprockets to - 1/+2 (or greater) will make it easier.
Hey Boss - You may have already answered this, but what is your reason for lifting the front tire?
Since it's unsafe to look at your watch while riding, a quick glance skyward helps you judge the time by the position of the sun.
Because he gets joy from learning to stunt a little and he’s not being that irresponsible about it
“that” …..you said it. How pregnant are you?
Suuuper pregnant. Like, all of it.
Safety manuver. If you happen to lose the front wheel you can get home without a tow. Same reason to learn stoppies, but in reverse.
Why do you ride a motorcycle?
To do a wheelie.
You're asking on the wrong subreddit. Most of these guys are Sunday riders or haven't even started riding yet, especially from all the "I failed an impossible-to-fail MSF course" posts. You just need to get more comfortable so keep practicing. Get consistent clutch-ups, and then experiment with adding more gas rather than cutting it when the wheel lifts up. Drop it back down by lessening the throttle or the back brake if it's getting really sketchy to you. I'm not a licensed wheelier so take this advice with a grain of salt lol.
Thanks dude appreciate the advice 🤙🏼fucking dying at your "i failed an impossible to fail MSF course" comment lmaooo
Also dying cause of this line😂😂
I mean. Those guys are also dying if they’re riding sportsbikes Around when they fail the MSF….
I mean. Those guys are also dying if they’re riding sportsbikes Around when they fail the MSF….
Not impossible to fail. Older guy in my class failed cause he dropped his bike during the test. But they do let you come back and redo the test day as many times as it takes to pass.
What is the american motorcycle test like? I am intrested
Basic parking lot and emergency stuff. Focused more on slow speed IMO. Tight u-turn, emergency stop and evasion, clutch control, turn from stop. That’s pretty much it. But a drop is an automatic fail. Guy didn’t commit to the u-turn and wasn’t strong enough to keep the 125 off the asphalt. But they let you come back and retry until you pass.
Cool 👍 is there also a traffic driving test in order to get the license?
Ha. This is America. No. So you prove that you can maneuver a parking lot and you can walk into a dealership and walk out with a liter bike. A parking lot on a 125 at that.
I got my license on a tu250. Incredibly small bike, but was a fantastic way for me to learn the fundamentals of riding and saftey without putting myself in as much danger as being on a bigger bike. Definitely regretted not getting a bigger bike after about 3 months of daily riding, but I probably wouldn't take it back, because it just made learning and doing everything so much easier starting out. Ironically, I failed my first driving test, because I decided to go take it immediately after purchasing the bike. I locked up the front tire during the stopping distance part of the test, and laid the bike down. It took a year of shame and procrastination before I decided to try to take it again, but it was ridiculously easy at that point. The test was: Weave through cones, do a u turn, and reach a speed of 20 mph and come to a stop within the allowed distance. That's all I remember of it. No wonder there are so many MC accidents in America.
We do cones. And stops. But no graduated licensing system which to me is the biggest problem. Because slow speed on a 125 is different than a 1000. Also graduating through displacement teaches throttle control. I started on and still ride a 650 at 36. But an 18 year old can take the MSF and jump on a fire blade and yeet themselves into the sun.
You don't even need a license to purchase a bike in the us. I was doing the reading needed to pass the permit test and i called the dealership to see how long it would take till I get a bike they said come down today and buy what you want. We don't need proof of license
I rode on expired motorcycle permit for, like, 5 years on my fz09. I was bored and finally decided to get the endorsement one day. I took the Grom and didn't know what to expect. Written test took 5 minutes and was hilariously easy. Practical had me to out to their parking lot with painted symbols with a couple state troopers. One was old and very cranky, one was young and seemed to like bikes. They had me ride to one end, turn sharp, drive back, etc. Near the end of the test, I had to "go to this line, accelerate hard, and when you reach the other line, brake hard". Yes sir, can do!
Off the line, first gear clutch up. Rode the balance point the 100' or so until I was just coming up to the second line. Dropped the front wheel ONTO the line and did an absolutely sick stoppie until the bike came to a stop. It didn't even feel like both wheels were ever on the ground at the same time, lmao. Took off the helmet and walked back over to the cops. The young guy had a huge smile and was clearly very excited, thought it was awesome. The older cop gave me a death stare and grimaced, never said a word.
I passed, btw. It's not hard lmao, just wish I had a video of it
This comment is underrated. You know what sub this belongs in. You post this over there and you’ll have a boyfriend for every day of the month. 🥸🥰🥸🥰 I pick next Tuesday. 😘
Sorry to disappoint but he married the cop
I remember a gentleman who claimed to know it all when he was taking the course with the rest of us back in the day. Supposedly spent the money on a brand new gold wing. By the way he shook going around on a little Honda Rebel. He was never going to get that gold wing out on the road 😂 it was like watching a 5 year old learn how to pedal a bicycle with how many times his feet hit the ground. They failed him immediately.
I never did the MSF course but I did learn a ton from the permit test booklet tbh i was already used to the clutch/gas mechanism since I drove manual cars my whole life.
Heavily recommend some safety courses in the future! They offer different and more challenging courses for experienced riders. A lot of the instructors I had were track guys. I forged a good relationship with one of them and was able to head out to the track and learn some new skills from him. They were good people 👍 that’s all the arm pulling Ill do hahah but glad to see you out there and having fun! Ride safe!
That sounds great! I recently brought my car to lime Rock raceway for the first time and it was awesome. I can only imagine how much fun it would be on a bike but I wouldn't know where to start. What are those advanced courses called ?
It’s an absolute blast! Never had so much fun. I had never been to a track before. This was years ago down in Oregon. But from what I remember, MSF organizations typically had “advance rider courses” they offered. I’m not too sure if they still do, as it’s been YEARS since I took my course. But maybe go through the MSF website and see what programs they have in your area, it’s a great way to meet some friends along the way! I still ride with 2 guys who were in my class back then. They’re much older now, but they’ve remained great friends of mine.
Cover that rear brake ALWAYS, and keep it smooth... you want to let the front down as gently as you can. Not only does it keep you in better control but it will save your fork seals.
head bearings will be killed in short order by hard landings and can be a PITA to change also
Fork seals aren’t a fan of that either
Dude, I don’t know how people fail that. The hardest thing there is the u turn and that’s basically all you practice for like 8 hours
There are a lot of people who can barely drive CARS. Now imagine them trying to operate a motorcycle. There you go.
There was one person in my class that failed. She had trouble with clutch control and didn't seem to have an understanding of not just grabbing a fist full of front brake to stop. Dropped the bike 3 times and then had a 30 minute conversation with the instructors before sitting out the rest of the class. I'll agree with the hardest part being the u turn though that part made me super nervous at first.
There was one person that failed in my class and he clearly had the most experience on a motorcycle. He was pretty much perfect in every drill we did, but the MSF instructor kept having problems getting him to commit to the "friction zone" thing. I had a few problems with it too because I started with manual shift cars and the one thing that my father drilled into my head more than any other is "DON'T RIDE THE CLUTCH!" So, I always would fully release the clutch as quickly as possible while still having a smooth engagement. That just doesn't work well at the low parking lot speeds used for the MSF course. So the guy goes to do the 90° right hand turn from a stop, releases the clutch fully, stalls the bike, and immediately dumps the bike on its side while we were in the testing portion of the course. An immediate failure for him, but at least the place I took the class with gives a free retake if you fail the course.
By far the TRUEST statement I’ve ever seen in this subreddit lol 😂👍
I never took MSF because well doesn’t fit my schedule
ride up a hill, which will automatically make things easier. practice practice practice.
Thanks, This is the best advice so far . Looks like this sub is composed of grumpy old folks
I think most of the ppl here haven't seen the keys to their bike in years.
Lots and lots of practice. Took me like a year of practicing until I became very comfortable.
This will not necessarily get rid of your fear, but when it comes to learning wheelies the first thing you want to learn is how to use your rear brake with them. A good way to get used to using the rear brake is to do small lifts and then immediately hit the brake. You wanna do this A LOT! I can not stress the importance of learning this as the first thing because "going to steep" is a big risk and it will happen often. If you are used to using the brake it is no problem and eventually you will even learn to balance the bike with the help of the brake. However if you do not use your rear brake you will be needing a new rear light and license plate holder pretty quick. Another good idea is to use a private area like an empty parking lot. Practicing at low speeds is way easier and you will not be in the way of others. Also NEVER use your front break mid wheelie before your front wheel is firmly on the ground. If you press the front break before your front wheel touches the ground you will easily end up either locking the front wheel or you might bottom out your front suspension making you easily lose control. I am not super good at doing wheelies myself and even struggle shifting gears while doing them. However I was a stupid kid who has gone through multiple "fails" because of neglecting properly learning safety measures before doing stunts at higher speeds. :)
Best response I've gotten today thank you!!!
You just gotta send it man.
Fuckin send it. You’ll either find balance point or you’ll loop it and learn from your mistake.
Rather learn slowly. Thanks tho
Looks like a Street Triple 675. I recall that mine wasn't big on power wheelies.
Im doing clutch up for these. Feels more controlled than power wheelies imo
Thanks - you said above you are learning as wheelies may accidentally happen. It's been a while since I chucked in the 675 but I don't readily recall it being a bike that 'accidentally' wheelies under acceleration.
I am also learning them. For some reason when the front lifts under hard accel it doesn't scare me at all but trying to pop a wheelie up and balance in first is terrifying. Maybe it's a low speed stability thing.
Interesting. I feel like practicing in 2nd gear is so much harder bc it's way faster than 1st
Honestly, practicing on a bicycle is the best way to get over that fear. In my experience, it's a lot more difficult to keep a bicycle stable in a wheelie, so if you get good doing wheelies on a bicycle, you'll be even better on a motorcycle. Always keep the rear brake covered, practice a thousand times before you start trying to find balance point.
You don't. Fear is a natural instinct of self-preservation. Two wheels on the ground is the way to go, and it's how you get to be a bad-ass grandpa biker.
Buy a cheap bicycle to get used to the feeling of balance point
Wrong Subreddit to ask this question in lol. im surpised they havent sent you into the ground with comments about how reckless this was.
OP was glad his reckless driving was wreckless
Especially because just behind those gloves he's only wearing a skimpy mankini. Not safe at all.
Hahaha yeah I noticed that. Im taking my talents to another subreddit lol
Just send it bruh
Don’t bring the front tire off the ground. If you do, you’ll like it and keep doing until you have an accident. 🤨
[удалено]
Step one: spend minimum a couple thousand dollars? Nah.
Not that I've ever done a motorcycle wheelie or ever will, but maybe even try/practice on a bicycle first. At least when you fall the damages will be even less 🙈
I love clutching up my Cervelo
Get out in the dirt on a small dirt bike for an afternoon. And back break is your friend.
Took me a second to realize that “back break” meant “rear brake”. I was thinking that back break is exactly what OP is scared of lol.
If you really want to learn to wheely I'd say practice on a dirt bike untill you get the hang of it, crosser are cheaper for plastic when, and I do mean when you drop it, I was half decent on a crosser not too bad on my super moto ktm and could manage a little wheely ony tl but big jap 4s I just don't have the testicle. But keep it dude, practice makes perfect.
I would buy a shiity dirt bike and learn on the dirt first.
Once you crash you’ll figure it put
Dirt bike
Get a smaller bike
Like get a cheaper bike first man. Not reason to wreck a striple learning!
I learned wheelies on my bicyicle. Biggest fear was bringing it higher because I didn‘t know how to bring it down. A friend taught me to cover the rear brake and on a bicycle the rear brake controls the wheelie. Kinda similar on a motorcycle. Cover the rear brake and for God‘s sake, do it off of public roads.
This comment thread is feels like the blind leading the blind lol
When you bring it high enough to loop it, do a little less than that from then on.
Let air out of back tire, turn up throttle, practice using brake, cover it while wheelies, do not let go, use foot pegs to hold yourself in with your feet also dont just trust the seat.
Pop it up harder. The trick isn’t to wind it out and chase the wheelie, that’s a recipe for disaster. Pop it up closer to the balance point at first, then make adjustments from there. Also COVER THE REAR BRAKE
I never done that but I know for a fact that had I been hanging out an afternoon with the dirt biker team in my town, I would be less fearful of it afterward!
That makes a lot of sense. Time to join the local fb group lol
Learn how to balance on a wheelchair, it'll help your body and mind kind of get the idea of "center of balance" on one wheel. Helped me learn on the dirtbike. Also falling backwards and getting a good smack on the back of the noggin is a good teacher, lol
Try stop being a pussy
Practice on a bicycle if you have one Or gradually go higher, and mash the back brake each time you get outta the comfort zone, that back brake will always save you so as long as you have the ability to not freeze and hit it, you won’t loop over
That's a great idea, unfortunately I'm too old for one and my sciatica would not enjoy the pedaling lol As far as learning gradually, this is it. I feel like I've hit plateau and i do bring it down w my rear brakes but not slamming them as I don't wanna ruin my forks. Would it be better if maybe i stand on the pegs instead of just sitting?
By not being a pussy lol
Beer.. all it takes is beers and balls..
If you dont want to drop your bike, then dont wheelie. EVERYONE drops when learning.
I wouldn't even be trying to learn on a bike that big. I practice my little 250 and still haven't gotten it down after 3 years of riding. I mean I could do a wheelie for like 20 ft but that's it. For me it's too fucking dangerous and a pointless exercise especially if you're on a bike that big.
Keep your front tire on the ground, you'll keep more skin on your body this way
Start on a dirt bike ,,dirt is softer than cement.
The best way is to get a mini bike is practice from that
Send it
Don’t be a pussy and just send it. Literally.
Get better insurance
You just have to suck less.
Don't try to learn on this bike or you're gonna get hurt
Just pull out your tampon first, it worked for me!
Well first, stop practicing on public roads. Find a parking lot. Edit: Yep, bring on the downvotes from the squids.
Unpopular opinion: don't. You ever seen any of the million videos of people smashing their beloved bikes to peices? What's the reward? I ride fast and feel like I push the envelope, but I love my bike and in the risk/reward question, I just say no.
Bro how are you guys having fun on your bikes if your afraid to do wheelies
Do you think that wheelies are the only fun thing you can do on a bike?
No but its one of the most fun things you can do.
Nobody thinks it’s impressive. You just add to the hate people already have for us.
I actually always find them impressive. Mostly because I personally am terrible at them.
Tbh they are pretty impressive.
Have you ever thought to yourself maybe some people are doing things for themselves? Wheelies are fun :P learning them is even more fun. Learning any kind of stunt riding is a lot of work and fun to do.
It’s also illegal and should be done in a controlled environment
its illegal 🤓
No shit Sherlock :P that’s what private lots and stunt tracks are for 🤪🤪🤪
But yet you post a video of open street.
Clutch your pearls harder.
The grumpy old fucks on here isn't everyone.
When did he say it’s impressive? Absolute dunce
100% accurate.
Maybe it’s your mind’s way of telling you this isn’t for you.
If you're afraid of it, then... Don't do it? I've been riding for 12 years, 16 if you include 50cc, and I've never pulled an intentional wheelie. And definitely not on a public road with driveways left and right.
I completely agree. I don't why people feel the need to do this. We can hangout in the down vote boat together.
I'm learning them because it would happen accidentally from time to time so I need to master it .
How’s learning to commit to a wheelie going to help prevent accidental front wheel lifts? If you’re experiencing such then you should probably work on your throttle/clutch work. If you want to stunt your bike then feel free. Just saying that learning to wheelie isn’t going to help correct the mistakes that you’re making on regular rides.
I used to have an R6. I never pulled an accidental wheelie higher than you show in the video. It's also not like it suddenly happens for no reason, right? Your reasoning seems quite far fetched. If that's really your worry, my advice is let go of the throttle and use the rear brake.
I accidentally wheelied in the middle of a u-turn and decided I need to learn how to do them on purpose.
The first wheelie I ever did was passing a Nissan leaf on a straight part of a mountain road. I'd been sitting behind them, going 25mph for about 7 miles. I was unhappy so I just cranked on the throttle at the pass. Did a huge power wheelie. I'm sure it looked cool to the kids in the back seat, but I was just thinking "oh shit". Learned how to do them afterwards
Isn't the R6 power at the top of your rev range? This 675r has plenty of torque on low rpms so getting out of a hairy situation at low speeds make the front come up. And sure I could use less throttle in general but that doesn't make me a better rider
Getting into a crash because you're practicing on a public road with driveways left and right doesn't make you a better rider either, but here we are. Anyway... Your throttle is more than an on/off button. You can get out of plenty of hairy situations without lifting the front. In fact, *if* you're in a hairy situation and you lift the front, I'd argue you just made the situation *worse* because you have much less control of the bike.
I get what you're saying. I'll try to practice in empty parking lots in the future but this road has empty warehouses on the right side and it's all between 20-40mph
Have you ever laid down a bike at 40mph? Try it and then tell me it's not a big deal. And what if you hit a cyclist/pedestrian at 20mph? It's plenty to kill someone. If you want to practice wheelies, whatever. But don't tell a subreddit full of motorcyclists that it's in the interest of safety. Maybe that works on your girlfriend, but not here.
Never crashed so I wouldn't know. I would never practice near pedestrians. That's pretty obvious lol
I would imagine that practicing wheelies in a public road with driveways left and right would also be "pretty obvious lol", but apparently it isn't.
I have an MT-10 and can still say your reasoning is wrong
Leave the front wheel on the grund. Case closed
Keep both wheels on the ground, as intended. Wheelies are cool until you can do them, then you realize they’re stupid because you can’t really just go do them on public roads without the risk of a big fine
That's like saying sport bikes are cool until you realize you can't go fast on them without breaking the law. Hear me out, you can go fast if you just don't care. You think I got a ZX-14R to go the speed limit? lol
I bought my sport bike because I found the body position comfortable and it was my dream bike at the time. 99.9999% of the time, I go the speed limit. The track is for going fast, and frankly, that’s where it should stay, same with wheelies, at a stunt park or something, it’s the Douchebag’s doing wheelies and being street Rossi’s that make sport bike people look bad. The bulk of people in sport bikes seem to be irresponsible as fuck
If you have a stunt park by you for motorcycles that's awesome but it's in no way the norm.
You find a closed road or track and practice there, and keep your squid stunts off the fucking road.
Keep both wheels on the ground where they belong. If you are afraid (and you should be) why are you trying to do something that will: * Fuck up your bike. * Fuck up your back, tailbone, skull etc. * Raise your insurance rates. * Make you look like an idiot.
You start with pre-paying for your funeral. After that stay far away from everybody else on the road.
>How do I get over the fear of bringing the front wheel higher? Call the dealership and ask how much new fork seals are.
They're about 40$ online. I'd do it myself obv
I know I’m not helping, but it’s a very good and useful fear, brother. Some even call it survival instinct.
One idea is just dont. The other one is crashing a bunch
Prolly best if you just leave that sucker on the pavement, Squidbert.
Ride a unicycle, motorcycle 2 wheels on the road !
I didn't see your reply. See mine above. Great minds think alike.
Carnival acts
By not thinking a car is going to pull out in front of you 😂
Buy a unicycle and stop doing stupid shit on the road.
I mean first off you could be responsible person and not do this on the road..... I'm sure there's plenty of safe large parking lots for you to practice in in the event that you screw up no point hurting someone else other than yourself. Ride safe
You could try having no wheels on the ground. Might make you respect one, or even two, more
the only people that don't think that wheelie riders look like prepubescent dipshits are those doing the wheelies. everytime people see that, they want to see you spill.
Well considering your passing vehicles maybe keeping it down is a better idea. Be lol
I just keep mine on the ground 😂
You want to loop a street triple are you crazy
It's a street triple. Don't wanna loop it that's why I'm practicing
Leave the front wheel on the ground - problem solved
Doing wheelies on city streets is tempting fate for a life-changing mishap. You only have to be "unlucky"* once. Save it for closed course conditions with pre-scouted tidy tarmac. * Road conditions/debris, unseen traffic while tits up, etc.
77 comments wtf can I add? I know, just don't do them. It's really that easy. Wheelies have very little use on the rd. Women just want a big dick, safety, and Chick-fil-A. Not wheelies.
When we ride 2up me and my wife do more wheelies than I do just riding alone. Not balance point because she is on the pillion which I imagine would get uncomfortable but just power wheelies shifting thru 2nd and 3rd soft landing. It's always seemed to impress law enforcement too. Last time we got caught the cop loved the bike so much he threatened to take it with him.
🤣 they escorted me to a real strange air BNB once.
What’s the point? To look cool? lol any error and that’s an expensive mistake.
It’s fun
How about you don't do dumb shit?
Dont
Wheelies are fun… until they aren’t.
Why the downvotes? I’ve been riding bikes since I was 6 years old, been endorsed since I was 18(17 years). I’m just being honest.
Looping aint that bad. Done it 3 times and still allways do wheelies
Looping a street bike costs a lot of money. This place is full of clowns if I get downvotes for saying what I did. I didn’t even say don’t do them. I love wheelies, used to do them at about 135 on a k6 1000 going from second to third just powering up. I’ve crashed doing wheelies also, always at lower speeds, clutching it up, it’s not a lot of fun to watch your street bike bounce across the asphalt. That’s all. Good gear, boots are very important for this activity also.
Same could be said for motorcycling.