Bad ass wheelie bastard!

so, im looking for some tips on clutching up my wheelies. i have been looking through the threads and read the last thread on this topic a lot, i followed the advice posted i.e using power wheelies to get used to the front end lifting which im more than comfortable with now in first gear and a little in second but im a big unit (16 stone) and i find i sit quite close to the tank so power wheelies off second i find hard to get up to the desired level. so im wanting advice on being able to clutch up in second, i.e what sort of rpm, speed etc and also the technique of clutch in and power on. i have been practicing and it just used to lunge at first but im able to get the front end off the ground a few inch now.....no higher though at the moment so do i need to roll the throttle on more or what? all tips welcome and thanks in advance for the help, oh and its a 2007 SDR with full akra system plus gear restricters removed.

Hey mate,
2nd gear about 5000rpm i just wind the throttle back hard and up she comes,a few blips slip her into 3rd and just go with the flow.
Was you at the Hartside cafe, Alston yesterday ?

I dont like the throttle up style myself and think its harder on the drivetrain than clutch ups. Both ways work though.

The problem i found with throttle up is you give it a good crack and as it come up you have to roll the throttle back and time it right to hit the start of the balance/light point, When learning i found this real hard to match it so would end up rolling off too soon and it went down, or not quite nipping it back soon enough and got that huge adrenaline spike as it came up way too high too fast.

On 1st gear clutch ups i only use about 1/4/ to 1/3rd throttle, just like your accelerating briskly, tinyest slip of the clutch, just enough to break the drive for a split second and it will come up nice and smooth. Its actually easier to just use your left index finger then you have a good secure hold of the bar and it means you cant give it too hard a ping. The beauty of that way is as it comes up you only have to roll the throttle back a tiny amount to keep it there.

2nd gear is easiest for me when driving hard out a corner and it will rise up, just keep it open and roll off a bit at the desired height. Or clutch up is the same as 1st but it needs a bigger handfull of throttle. Just use the same tiny clutch slip, but because you've got a load of throttle on the revs will rise quickly anyway. Also found you have to be pretty low in the revs for this. I tend to do it through sound but it's prob about 4k and when i clutch it it jumps to 6k for a split second.

Few little tricks i found is to relax and be loose.
Sit up with your ass cheecks just touching where it rises for the pillion pad. (i see you have an R so prob just slide back a bit).
Make sure rear sag an shock damping setting are right for you beign a big lad, too soft and it squats and absorbs the wheelie.
Try and sit up and kinda bring the bike to you. I had a bit of eureka moment when i couldn't get it up in 2rd but caught a glimpse of my shadow on the road to the side and saw everytime i clutched it i automatically leaned forward for some strange reason. Stopped that and it shot up easily

no mark it wasnt me mate.

cheers for the info viking, i have also noticed that i automatically lean forward too for some strange reason? i think its cos of the horror storys that clutching comes up violent and hard so im trying to tame it before it even comes up . why do you say it needs to be low down in the revs around 4k? then jump it to 6kish when clutch is pulled in? also when the im releasing the clutch do i just drop it or release as though im setting off? and do i keep accelerating through the drop/release of the clutch?

Eat less cake,

It's just a tiny flick, hardly any movement really. If you riding along all your looking to do is nip the lever in only just enough to make the revs rise, so only just nipping to the bite point. Your not disengageing the clutch totally and banging it back out. Think of it like a wheelie switch. If you are at 10mph in 1st and open the gas 1/3rd it will drive forward. All your aiming to do is just nip that clutch lever in enough to just hit the bite point for a split second and release.

I'm typing from my phone here, but if you jump onto YouTube and look for an MCN vid of how to wheelie it shows it there. It's harder to explain in text, once you hear it you'll get it everytime. It's like roll on braaaaaaa, wee tiny flick, brAAA, waa, then wee nips on the throttle to keep it there. I explain of in 1st coz that's the easiest and most gentle. In 2nd you have to give it a bigger handful of gas, same little clutch ping, bit coz its under a lot more load it will shoot up the revs quicker.

I'm still learning myself. Can only hold it up through a single gear just now. My slow mind is struggling a bit to match Tue gear change/ wee throttle snap to change up and keep it there. Always a bit nervous of getting back on the gas too hard once it's up a gear and flipping so it always just comes down after the gear change and tapers out into a long semi power wheelie.

Really though, if you can loft it high in 2nd and hold it there for a few hundred yards or so its gonna be good enough to get a good buzz and impress any bystanders. Some guys just have natural balance and can stunt easy. Guys like us have to take baby steps and build it up slowly. Jeees, its took me a year of practice(on another bike though), just to reach his level.

Cracking advice from the guy earlier though.

There's a few wheelie haterz on here though mate. The anti wheelie police will be on here shortly LOL.

I seem to have a wheelie cutout switch built into my right hand, but it only works on the SDR.

I learned on to wheelie on a 625SMC - which was easy in second off the power, and then I learned to clutch it up, which was more controllable and less violent. Seemed like I wheelied everywhere on that bike. Then I got the 950SM, and after a month of ownership I was also wheelying that off the power in second, or on the clutch...

...but for some reason, my brain won't let me do it on the SDR. Strange cos it's the same LC8 engine as the old 950, but with more power - so easier - right?

I have done a couple - off the power, - but they were low and short, and mostly just cos I was pushing hard and let it happen. What I can't seem to do is produce a wheelie at will.

Time to MTFU I suppose?

I agree Viking yeah there is some good advice and tips and i will be trying them all out tonight so hopefully i will be coming back with some good news tomorrow.

think thats all i need to do tbh dutch just mtfu and practice.

Like i said in my first post, i can get it a couple of inch off the floor using the clutch but my technique is all wrong i.e leaning forward for some strange reason and not clutching properly so im off out to practice tonight

how can you hate wheelies ha ha...crazy fools!

Trust me that your weight is not an issue, I am about 18.5 stone and sit forward on the seat, and still clutch up in 2nd is piss easy. I usually do it at around 80-90km/h, rolling on throttle and just flick the clutch and wind on more throttle at the same time. You need to keep the throttle on for her to come up, but start backing off when the wheel lifts. Do not slip the clutch like your taking off. Just a good quick in/out.

Your head definitely has to be in it. Went out tonight after a crappy day at work.

Idea was to try and take a couple of quick videos. Just felt real uncomfortable. Couldn't keep them going for and real distance at all, then got angry and had a few the came up waaaaaay too fast and bottled it.

I'll try again another time.

My best wheelies always come when im in the zone.
Meaning when ive been out riding for a while.It just seems to come natural.In to 1 corner out and wheelie to the next.It just all seems to flow and i find myself doing it without even thinking.
These bikes are so much fun and just encourage the devil in ya.

Went out yesterday and got some pics.

My good mate is a keen amature photographer. He does the a lot of pics for the downhill mountain bike series to get some extra money.

Managed to nail him down for 30mins and met up down a quiet "private rd"

Some of them turned out pretty good. Getting better every time i go out now. Just need to focus on being smoother when its right up there so i can hold it at a steady speed. Still a bit pulsy with the throttle at times, but it'll all come good with time.

Quite interesting when i see them. You can see i only use one finger to ping the clutch. Looks like i'm automatically covering the rear brake on the left and getting ready to shift up on the right. When i'm doing it i'm not really thinking too much about that.








This one is my favorite........... decent height and nice and smooth....................

I'm learning to wheelie this thing. I can wheelie and stoppie my 560SMr and crf450 all day long, but I find street bikes more difficult to control in a wheelie because they're so front heavy.

The superduke does have awesome brakes and my stoppies are becoming better and better on the SD, I'm able to roll stoppies for 30 feet now. But I can't for the life of me ride a balance poit wheelie on this thing.

Fakujak72 says(knob).

Ride the bike FFS.

Used to wheelie my Honda cub 50.

Whats the big deal?


Ride swift and with a bike that can do it. No tricks.

Good for you. Do you wear your pants outside your trousers as well. Big red cape too?

Would changing the gearing or sprocket help me wheelie in second and if so whats the options?

Try this, from a standing start on a nice level piece of road start if first gear short shift into second at around 7,000rpm, then nail the throttle

The front should come right up nice and smooth, cover the rear brake when you do until you get used to it

It will wheelie fine on standard gearing. My 05 came up no probs on 17/38. Moving to 16/38 just made it better though.

All you need to do is spent time in the seat and practice and it will come. Just take your time and build up slowly. Even if it takes a year then its a year of experience and you'll be better as time goes on.

If you check out the pics I posted earlier in the thread. When the headlamp is up in your line of sight that's the start of the balance point. You can still go way higher than that without flipping it.

Still stand by that style I posted reg clutch up. It's a lot gentler and easier to control.

Rather than put yourself under pressure, try practicing when your out on a run. Pull away from a quiet junction and flick it up etc. Then your warmed up and relaxed and not overthinking it and you'll find it'll all feel a lot more natural.

This is the vid I was talking about. Will give you the basics.

Right you have to choose `Fast` or ride like a `Cock`
What you need to aim for is gearing that lets you wheelie if you want to but controllable so you can still use all the power in each gear when you want,
17/40 is worth a try

thats about learning your balancing point now. once you get comfortable with you balancing weightless point wheelie'ing right up to 6th wont be a problem.

i was renowned in JHB amonst my friends for stepping out a club at 6am and living on the back wheel. once you find that rythm its all good. the SD is the same as any other bike.

Well done buddy. Super chuffed for you. Knew you'd get it, but its hard to explain on the internet. I went out with a mate today, real good hard run, found a straight and had some practice where we rode alongside and he could see exactly what my hands were doing. Once you get an ear for the revs and ping you'll get it everytime.

As for changing up. This is the stage I'm at now too. I'm finding though that rather than change up I'm getting it higher in 2nd and not quite acceleration through the gear at fast. I think its all about air time. More time spent up high, more relaxed you'll be with it. Can lift it at 30mph in 2nd and hold it up smooth all the way through. Even got time to give the bars a wee twist to the right and have to twist my head a bit to see past the speedo. Goal is to have it up there smooth and pretty much holding a constant speed as possible rather that accelerating through it. Tried going 1st to 2nd a few times and hit neutral and I can tell ya, it comes down quick when you do that . Another way might be to lift in 2nd and change up straight away on that initial roll off once it hits the balance. point.

Handy thing about the SD is the speedo reads off the front wheel so you can use that as a "wheelie timer" . Once it reads 5mph or lower you know its been a decent long one. Freaked me out at 1st though when it went 40, 46, 37, 34, 29, 22, 17, touch down, 70

Cheers dude, its a great feeling when you have worked at it for a few weeks and then it just all comes together and you think "why couldn't I do that the first time".

I'd like to get mine higher and run them for longer in second but my reason for changing up to third is that its supposed to be less snatchy when its up which I think will make for a smoother and longer wheelie?

Ideally I'd like to be able to pop and run a long 1 in second then click into third and carry it on......

Supose its same as before, practice, practice......practice!

Let's kick this topic up again, I know you guys don't mind because Superdukes love wheelies

I need a little advice:
My question is about shifting gears during wheelies. I clutch the front up in 2nd (stock gearing) and manage to keep it high until it slowly runs out of revs. When I switch to 3rd (without clutch) the front goes down just a bit too far because I have to roll the throttle back a bit to make it slip into 3rd, meaning I can't get it back up far enough on the gas.

Anybody had the same problem and knows the solution?

Oh, before I forget, I didn't have this problem on my Husky SMR450 but that 110kg bike had a lot shorter gears.

Think your further down the road on wheelie's Jermo than me, i either clutch it up in 2nd or 3rd then just ride the gear out,i'd love to have the balls to flick it through the gears but i have a mental block that will not allow me to do it even on my XR400 offroad bike.
Here's one that i used the mountain at Cadwell park to lift the front,then just posed about in front of the photographer

My bike won't wheelie worth a damn. I crack the throttle WFO, the front end comes up about 6," then the front end drops, then lifts back up about 6," then drops, then I hit the next gear and it starts all over again. It gets all bent out of shape when you try clutch ups.















Damn BMW wheelie control.

Love doing wheelies on my sdr.
I always think about shifting from 2 to 3.
It's gotta be super quick throttle control.
When riding, not on one wheel try shifting gears with no clutch.
Put a little bit of weight on the shift and super quick back off the throttle and get back on it.
When you do this the next gear will engage.
Don't put heaps of force into the gear lever. Just a little.
Practice this just for normal riding. You can get it pretty smooth.
Then when your confident. Try it on the back wheel. Awesome

As for me personally launching wheelies, I would always clutch it. These bikes have heaps of power and love it.
Or maybe I just love it. Either way. Go nuts. Look out for the cops.