wheelies

[BigSwole]

starting to get the front end up on my bike.pulling it up in second only for now.I'm only getting 15-20 feet at best.I have been doing them standing up.should I start out setting down till I get the hang of it? I feel like I have more control over it standing.any info? as long as I am on hard pack it pulls up very nice and easy.got to level with ya,when that front end comes up high,I get scared.any tips on how to over come that part? thanks for any and all info.I will master the 2 stroke wheelie someday.just taking baby steps right now.

 

[bronco95tgp]

I am in the same boat with you, except I used to be able to ride a wheelie forever on a mountain bike and am fairly comfortable the whole concept of a wheelie, I just still cant hold a slow one, I actually love the idea of riding on one wheel! You will find it is easier to stand up doing wheelies though, at least I do, because you can pull yourself to the bars if the front gets to high. Standing is a much better position to bail too! If you are not very comfortable standing up, sitting down will be pretty uncomfortable and much more likely to have a bike on top of you. I have never ridden a two stroke 500 like you ride, that whole idea of basically the power of a liter bike offroad is cool though! In my case, the more I practice, the better I get, (funny how that worked out) I have been focusing on my log/rock jumping and wheelies heavily over the past couple weeks, and I have surprised myself on my improvement. SO... more air time for the front wheel = less fear & more thrills. I posted a thread on this same topic, and main response I got was rear brake/throttle control, and practice every chance you get, cause whats more fun anyways? :ride:

 

[BigSwole]

log and rock jumping dayum you got more exp then me by far.yea the bike is way to much for me but I really like it.It belonged to a 62 year old guy that only rode it once or twice a year.it's like brand new so I just cant see getting rid of it.I have heard the back brake thing but everytime I'm up I forget about that brake LOL.I know I'm going to crash one of these times but that riding.I know what you mean about practice thou.I have only been trying the wheelies for 3 days and I know I'm getting better.just wondering when Im going to crash LOL.the last crash I had messed my ribs up pretty good and cost me a new brake lever LOL.

 

[bronco95tgp]

Yea crashin sucks! I have practice at that too!!! HAHA,, all of my dismounts/landings are pretty lucky so far, and only once have I not been able to jump and land on my feet! Knock on wood... Try to keep that beast shiny side up though so you don't have to worry about landings. That rear brake is giving me fits too, I push down to hard, or not hard enough, or not at all! Good luck.

 

[BigSwole]

thanks bronco

 

[Shig]

Standing wheelies are probably easier to control in one gear, but it's harder to get to the back brake and shift gears while standing. That's why I like to wheelie seated. You might also find your throttle control is better sitting because there is no strain on your arms to hold yourself up. Sometimes, I will go from sitting to standing mid-wheelie to keep the front end up. You absolutely want to get in the habit of keeping your foot over the back brake. That is your safety net. Otherwise, just keep practicing.

 

[BigSwole]

yes Shig I do keep my foot over it.I just forget to push down LOL.this is going to take some time to learn how to do it right.gonna keep at it till I get it.

 

[Cr85RaCeR607]

Im starting to try wheelies too...im not an expert...AT ALL!!..but what i used to to what sit down and ride along in 2nd ger at like half throttle,then let off a sec then get on and it would pop right up,then id let go of the throttle,and when it was goin down id give 1 last whip back...but that would only give me about 20ft...but now i do the same in 3rd or 4th(i cant switch gears) and i keep on the throttle,that gets me about 50ft...thats my best...its amazing how much more my bike can pull than i thought it could,keeping on the throttle helps a lot!!

 

[xcracer725]

one time i was riding a wheeling thinking i was good and all... next thing you you know i slammed on the brakes about half a foot from my dads truck, hit it and dented the truck up and really hurt my knee. theres still a big bump on it.

 

[FrEeStYlE_KX_RiDa]

It's all about guts, once you find that balance point and get used to feeling like your going to fall off there is nothing to it. I can wheelie about 150ft in 3rd gear without shifting, maybe more. I've only gotten real good in the past week. Once my bike revs out it comes down usually. The only thing I can say about the rear brake is thats normal, once you can ride them for about 50ft make an extra effort before you pop it up. Even if you think you could go another 20 feet just tap the brake to get used to doing it.

 

[Caper007]

Im the opposite, I feel way more comfortable sitting down than standing up. Im starting to pull wheelies standing up now. :cool:

Where are your feet at on the pegs when your standing up and tugging wheelies

 

[BigSwole]

I pulled a good one about an hour ago.kinda high but it was good.not sure how far it was,not real far but better then I have been.I can see where these wheelies are going to pay off in the whoops.I rode a place today that has alot of them and if I could wheelie better I know I could have been fast on that section.this one guy out there was wheeling all the way through them whoops like it was nothing.I envy you guys that can do that.hell I envy all of you when it comes to riding.I may never be as good as you guys but at 36 I am learning.thanks to all of you for the replys and help with my riding.

 

[trailboy125]

i just started getting the front wheel up yesterday so i can get about 8 inches of the ground for about 7 feet. (its a start)

 

[trailboy125]

one question once u get the front wheel up how hard should u go on the throttle?

 

[BigSwole]

well it all depends on how quick your bike respones to throttle.I dont know enough about wheelies to give you any more advice then that.sorry but I donot want to give you false info.I dont recomend starting out trying them on a 2 stroke like Im doing.I just cant afford an extra bike or I would be learning them on a 4 stroke.good luck man.get er up on one.................

 

[xr250r1922]

i learned on a four stroke. which in my case wasnt good cause you gotta give it more gas than a 2 stroke. when i rode my friends kx 250, i hurt it a little bit lol. i find it easier to sit down when riding a wheelie, you have more control over the throttle and brake and shifting lever... when i was 8 i was riding wheeles on a big wheel 200. with practice it will come to you.

 

[fd235158]

Riding a wheelie is really just a matter of practice, willingness to go for it, and being comfortable with your bike. When you're first starting out you'll be pulling the front end up 6-12 inches and you'll wind out the engine and eventually put the front end back down because you never got it high enough to reach the balance point. If you want to be able to ride the long wheelies you see the guys on videos doing you need to find the balance point of your bike. Until you get comfortable with it the balance point will feel like the bike is going to flip over on you. I'm sure all of you have at one point got the front end high enough that it feels like you're going to fall right off the back (especially if you're sitting down) and you think to yourself "whoa that was a close one". Well that was the point that the bike was balanced on one wheel. When it comes to standing or sitting they both have pros and cons. In my opinion when your standing it's more comfortable riding in the balance point but if you over do it you won't be able to use the back brake to bring the front end back down. If you're sitting you have the ability to use the back brake to control front wheel height and that can save you from over doing it. The down side is it really feels like you're going to fall off the back and depending on your height you're looking at the handle bars or the front fender. Well I hope this helps you guys, and good luck

 

[rsizzle]

i have a cr125 with a pro circuit pipe and silence, so im pretty sure itll go up without using the clutch, but what method would you prefer? using the clutch to get it up or just hammerin the throttle?

 

[JulianC]

i found on my bike (KTM250) you dont need any clutch. Just ride along in first gear low revs sit back open the gas and tug up the handle bars. I get to the point where i fell like iam goin to fall off (usually a bit b4 band kicks in) then i shift. The front drops a bit but soon pops back up and its the same deal into 3rd. But i must admit it scared me ****less at first, and i still get the odd fright when band comes in a bit early :ohmy:

But once you practice and u get it down pat it the best feeling in the world :)

 

[libskater]

i ride a kdx and all i have to do to wheelie is just be in anywhere from first to third and open the throttle... it comes up and i just balance with the bike about 10 degrees from straight up and down. i sit when i ride wheelies too so i can cover the back brake when i need to. i can start a wheelie in second and ride it into fifth while keeping the wheel about 3 feet off the ground by keeping the power on while i shift. wheelieing through whoops helps a lot... all you have to do is just keep the bike in the meat of the power with the front up a few feet. just ride by feel is the best advice i could give you.

 

[KAWA200'sRule]

You know what, from experience the kdx is a great bike to wheelie on. Why? All the low end and good overrev. I used to wheelie my kdx up and down everywhere from second to fifth gear no problem. WIth my new yz which definitly has more peak hp I am hardpressed to shift once in a wheelie. On the kdx i would start pretty low in second gear lean forward, then lean back and gun it. It would come right up everytime with no surprises. Is there a trick with these wicked little tiddlers? Should I start pretty high in the gear or middle. I dont think it has enough to start off the bottom.

 

[ttr125rdr4e]

the way i do wheelies right now is pop the clutch in 1st gear, all you do is shift into first hold the clutch in rev the engine and let out the clutch while the rpms are stilll high i also do it in 2nd gear. i just started riding 1 week ago so im not the best at them yet!!

 

[KAWA200'sRule]

Im not trying to be rude or anything but a ttr125 and a yz 125 are two totally different animals...

 

[libskater]

when i rode a 04 yz 125 all i had to do was feather the clutch in first then just shift and feather a little bit when i shifted for each gear to keep it in the power and keep the wheel in the air without going over backwards. its actually quite easy to wheelie the yz once you get the idea of where the power hits hardest with whatever pipe you have

 

[Dirtbike'n man]

well on my yz250 i can wheelie in every gear my favorite wheelies i do are in 5th gear and i use no clutch at all im riding low in the band and then scoot a bit farther back on the seat and crack the throttle and pull on the bars a little and the front end goes up and i just rev the bike and keep it up and i scoot a little farther up on the bike the higher i go and yes if it get to scary i quick stand up and lean forward to keep the front end down. it just takes pratice and being good with balance. i do this going along a highway so i have ample space. when i do a good one i can do about 5-6 spaces between the yellow lines on the road and those are pritty far apart so im estimating atleast 100 plus feet