Another wheelie post

[kimoajaj]

Hi guys !

My name is Joakim, I`m a 20 years old boy that live in the north of Norway. I`m just starting to learn wheelies on my 2001 KX 250, got it just a month ago. My previous bike was a 1993 KX 125 and I never learned to wheelie on it.

I`ve read most of the wheelie posts in this forum but I still have some questions.

I`ve found out that it works great to ride slow in either 1st or 2nd gear, sitting down then just slightly compress the forks and then hit the throttle and here she comes.

When I wheelied my scooter I used my knees to get better balance, like moving them sideways to keep the moped from going to one side. Should I do the same on my dirtbike?. I`ve read that you should hold the bike with your knees, so this confuses me alittle.

Another thing is that when I sit back on the seat and tries to wheelie, my feet seems to be placed to far back on the pegs so that I don`t reach the rear brake. I guy told me to adjust the brake lever further down, this would make me feel more comfortable with placing my foot on the brake while wheelieing. Sounds reasonable?.

I think it`s awesome to look at guys who pop wheelies in 1st and let the bike go above the balance point and then hit the rear brake so that it comes alittle down, and then bring it up again. Do they pull the clutch when they hit the brake?. I guess the bike would stall elsewise.. ?.

Another thing I wonder is if I should use the clutch while changing gears while wheelieing?.

I`d like to try to change to 3rd in order to pull longer wheelies. I guess this comes from me not having found the balance point and therefore I only wheelie until the speed gets so high that the front falls down.

Should I just let go off the throttle for a split second and then put it in 3rd?. Am I likely to flip it or?.

I guess many of you guys will think "gees man go out and try, you can`t read yourself to good wheelies" , I totally agree but I`ve learned quite a few things the hard way and if it`s possible to avoid disaster then why don`t try to atleast.

Btw, sorry for the spelling errors!:).

Joakim, Norway

Here`s a picture of me and my bike.

 

[83MX80]

holy crap man, how tall are you? im guessing 6'2" or 6'3"? have you been riding long? im short at 5'6" and i just bought an 82 KDX 175 and i can just touch the ground with my toes. i wouldn't use the clutch while shifting when wheelieing. because when you pull in the clutch, it of course disengages it, which will let the front end fall. unless your good at it. because if you think about it, dumping the clutch only gets the front up. and when you give it throttle your forcing the front up. the rear tire is going forward,but the front end is gonna go toward you. i'd just let off the throttle a tad, shift it, and roll the throttle back on. after you shift dont just goose it cuz it'll land on you.

 

[kimoajaj]

Hi man :). I`m not sure how you say your height, but I figured 6`2" had to be 6foots 2" inches?. I`m about 185cm tall, guess it should be 6`2" if I`m not totally wrong. Gees man, acurate guessing by the way!.

I think I will try to shift it without the clutch then, i just hope it wount flip when I put in 3rd. I guess it`s important to have enough speed so that the difference between second/thirtd wount be too big. My rear fender is broken already (was broken when I bought it, doesn`t show in the pictures though) so if I flip it it wount be that annoying, as long as I don`t brake the levers and bend the bar:).

How did your first wheelie shift go?.

 

[njrealtor55]

just remember to let off the throttle a bit when shifting

try riding around in 2nd and puling the clutch in , then a good amount of throttle and dump the clutch. try to find a good traction area and the front should pop right up.

 

[kimoajaj]

Ok njrealtor55 but I really don`t think it`s necesary because I can ride just above idle in 2nd and then when I hit the throttle she comes up without hesitation. The bike as a SPES pipe, might have something to do with the wide powerband?.

 

[canadian-dirtbik3r]

When using the clutch to wheelie. When you pull the clutch in how much throttle should i give it before i let it out? 1/4 , 1/3 , 1/2 ??