South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

jason wrote: spot on on the first point I first learnt to wheelie on a 12bhp RD125 LC. or take a look at the scooter kids wheelying.

the second point is a popular myth - slam it down as hard as you like you can not damage a non worn out set of fork seals wheelying. If you develop leaking fork seals from wheelying they where on there way out anyway.

Although you can damage headrace bearings but you really do have to be a complete clutz and be forever slamming them down - in which case you will probably eventually bin it in the process and headraces will be the least of your worries anyway.

it will stress your chain and sprockets little more than a spirited sunday blast - and who cares about that they are consumables anyway. Thats kinda like restricting your riding to get more tire longevity.

IMO Jason the wear on a bike from someone as well pratised and experienced as you will be very minimal as you can pull the wheelie up and put it down very smoothly and therefore as you point out you will not really put much more wear on your bike than a fast ride would.

That said a novice trying to learn to wheelie will definately put a hell of a lot more wear on their bike. As you say fork seals should be fine but constant ham-fisted attempts are likely to shag your head bearings and also your clutch could take quite a hammering. I agree that chain and sprockets probably aren't worth worrying about but head bearings and clutches could start to be expensive.

Of course the real problem is that trying to learn to pull wheelies on your own bike will almost definately result in you crashing at least once. We all make mistakes and in order to get good you bound to have some mishaps - just like most people do when they start learning how to ride a bike fast. I would suggest the best thing to do would be to buya tatty old bike to learn to wheelie first (even a 125) then when you jump on your pride and joy you'll probably find it easier and you'll be smoother and safer "hoisting a minger"

andrew wrote:Of course the real problem is that trying to learn to pull wheelies on your own bike will almost definately result in you crashing at least once. We all make mistakes and in order to get good you bound to have some mishaps - just like most people do when they start learning how to ride a bike fast.

you can get it sussed without crashing but its ceratinly the case that most of us will loop one at some point particularly in the learning process.

Probably best to presume you will crash so then you wont be to dissapointed when you do. What can be surprising is how much looping a road bike trashes it even at low speed, if it starts to cartwheel it really does do a number on the bike. When my friend looped his at only 30 mph odd it bent the subframe, tore the fork stanchion out of one of the fork legs, dented a wheel, destroyed most of the plastics and pretty much dented or scratched anything exposed - it looked like someone had thrown it off a cliff!.

and its not just the risk of flipping it - probably just as likely to get you when learning is a tankslapper from putting down your wheel crossed up.

I noticed this vid under the one that stinky linked earlier in this thread. this is someone going about learning in the wrong way and getting it so completely and utterly wrong on every level that its worth a watch.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc ... to+wheelie

my man jewell can wheelie like a demon!!

im getting there, maybe 70-100m ones

dump clutch, rev the bollocks off it, stand up and prey!! Works for me, can manage about 1/4 mile ones i suppose.

jim1979 wrote:dump clutch, rev the bollocks off it, stand up and prey!! Works for me, can manage about 1/4 mile ones i suppose.

i'd end up sat on my arse with a bike on my lap if i tried that on mine

jim1979 wrote:dump clutch, rev the bollocks off it, stand up and prey!! Works for me, can manage about 1/4 mile ones i suppose.

really that doesn't sound like a recipe for disaster at all

Btw Jason it may just be that i'm an evil bugger but i thought that vid was funny as f*ck

all the gear no idea i think that vid should be called, why is he bouncing it on a litre bike lol

Cant even get the front wheel off the ground on my 50, not that iv tried that hard. I could wheelie my quad really well when i had that, but then that was a 400 so a little more power Need to find some where to practice, as it is possible... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu2Tv-6tHIE

50's will wheelies it just takes more weight shifting and clutch dumping like the video shows

MRX Steve wrote:Cant even get the front wheel off the ground on my 50, not that iv tried that hard. I could wheelie my quad really well when i had that, but then that was a 400 so a little more power Need to find some where to practice, as it is possible... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu2Tv-6tHIE

That video clip above, is more down to ability than power, makes you wonder what some of these guys could do in proper trials competition with the control & bike sensitivity they have.

Personally I've always been happier wheeling something like a GSXR rather than an XR - usually seems a little more controllable.

on my DR first gear was alwas too snappy but i went to a 15 front sprocket(had a 13 on) and first is perfect, if a lil jumpy