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Wheelie School

33 posts · Started by cjc · 21 Dec 2007

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Post 1 by cjc,

#1
I know this is lame, but I'm pretty "nervous in the service" about hoisting the front end of my SD. I've done it a little but with no consistency or confidence (read "this guy is a spaz and shits himself when the front comes up").

The California Superbike School folks started a wheelie school (although apparently it was recently sold to new operators): http://www.ononewheel.com/

The school is coming to my town (just in time for my birthday) and I may sign up to get more experience. It seems perfect because I get to use their Speed Triples.

Anyone have experience with these guys?

Post 2 by jawk,

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Post 3 by cjc,

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Post 4 by cjc,

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Post 5 by jawk,

#5
Hi cjc,
The school is expensive and you more than likely will not get to the balance point. Alternatives are: friend with dirt bikes who will take you out and let you have at it, buy a cheap 200, 250 four stroke and put a larger rear sprocket on then get in the dirt and have at it. Never practice alone and wear your gear. Also, cover the rear brake. If you just have to do it on the SD, 2nd gear is good. Not as jumpy as first. You don't even need to use the clutch. Just roll to about 25 - 30mph then roll the throttle on hard. It'll take you a few tries but you'll start to find where it wants to come up and where it doesn't.

Relax, move back if you need to and have fun!

Best of luck,
Chuck.

Image

btw, I'm not trying to tell you not to do the school. I'm just presenting other options that, for the money, might give you more opportunities to learn.

Post 6 by lobster,

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Post 7 by ShadeTheChangingMan,

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Post 8 by cjc,

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Post 9 by cjc,

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Hey Gary,
If you can, have a friend video tape you. Sometimes it's just a matter of being able to see what you're really doing so when you do it right, you can equate that with feeling it.

Quick example: I did a trackday with a stock EX 250. I skipped a couple of B group sessions to sit in with the C group instructors during their class. I learned a few things on body position and went out and practiced it. The difference was night and day.

It really sunk in when I saw what I was doing because before that, I could have sworn I was in good position.

before with bad position
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after with much better position
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Now that I know what the correct way feels like, I can repeat it but I wouldn't have known without seeing for myself that I was in a bad position.

Hope that helps and best of luck. Oh yeah, post pics!
Chuck.

Post 10 by Superdan,

#10
Yeah, I was a wheelie spaz, then I went to a wheelie school here in the Uk and learnt how to do it off the throttle as described. The school had a load of old Suzuki bandits that we practiced on. By the end of the day I was doing wheelies. Great.....except just before we finished, one of the instructors pulled a standing wheelie, fakked it up, fell badly and snapped his right arm at the elbow like it was a twig. His arm was bent round backwards the wrong way. Put me off a bit...Maybe its time I bought a Volvo.

Post 11 by Dutch,

#11
Yeah, wheelies are great fun, look fantastic and make you feel like a riding god.....but do increase your chances of a crash, specially when learning or trying new techniques.

I flipped mine over backwards changing up from 2nd to 3rd on the balancing point......I now know to change up gear on the way up, not when you've already made it to the top!

Clutching up in first gear sounds like a recipe for disaster to me, unnecessary too.

You'll also find the bike is quite sensitive to the amount of fuel you're carrying, be aware that the front comes up A LOT more easily when you have a light fuel load, it can be a bit of a pig with a full tank.

Post 12 by Dutch,

#12
I wanna do a wheelie school in 08, was hoping to do one this year but just never got the time. Theres one NW of London that looks good, reasonable price too, about £165, they got 1200cc Bandits i think. Should be a laugh!!

they do discounts for groups too...

Post 13 by Dutch,

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Post 14 by carbonduke,

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GOOD GONE

Post 15 by g-man,

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Post 16 by cjc,

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Post 17 by weeksy,

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cjc, good luck.

Post 18 by cjc,

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Post 19 by weeksy,

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Post 20 by cjc,

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Post 21 by weeksy,

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Excellent. Do you get it up to the balance point and roll along? I usually panic and keep it low or drop it down quickly.

Post 22 by cjc,

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Post 23 by folke33,

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Post 24 by cjc,

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Post 25 by weeksy,

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Post 26 by rigga,

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I made this post some months ago... Maybe you'll find some ansers there ?....

Post 27 by Nickeluring,

#27
Stupendous. Smooth and high and long. It makes me want to go ride right now. Hopefully I will wind up with some video to share. Preferably crash free! Do you guys have trouble with police trolling video sites and using video against riders?

Post 28 by cjc,

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Post 29 by Nickeluring,

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Post 30 by cjc,

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Post 31 by Bald Kirk,

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Post 32 by folke33,

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Post 33 by EwenKTM,

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I too have booked a wheelie school for the Spring. Myself and four others from another forum I frequent are doing Jimmy Fireblade's school of the clutch method in Lincolnshire in May.

From experience of being able to lift off the throttle small wheelies (nowhere near the balance point) I would suggest the following:

1. DO NOT under any circumstances try to perfect the power method in 1st gear on a SD. Its far too powerful and does not allow smoothness.

2. 2nd gear lifts very nicely at about 25-30 mph with a flick of the wrist (throttle) and a very slight tug on the bars.

3. I have a distinct feeling that the amount of revs required to clutch up a 4 cylinder bike (we will learn on 600 Bandits with an ignition cutting "wand" on the back) in 2nd gear will be far too much on the SD which by the feel of things thus far would only require low revs if clutching up....

Any more advice appreciated. The putfile video don't work at work here.

MOz
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