Stoppie: Chris Pfeiffer's Instructions

One of the best stunt riders in the history of the sport shared simple but effective truths about how to do a stoppie.

1) Accelerate in first gear, pull the clutch, lift your backside slightly off the seat and immediately squeeze the front brake hard.

2) As a result of the hard braking, the rear wheel unloads and the tail of the motorcycle starts to rise. The speed and height of the tail lift depend on how you modulate the brake. Shift your body left or right to control your direction.

3) The bigger the angle, the farther you will roll. It's important not to go past the balance point. The photo shows a fairly safe angle that lets you roll without flipping over.

4) Keep the clutch pulled in until the rear wheel lands, and accept congratulations from your friends.

Note:

Find a place with smooth, clean asphalt for training. Beginners should start with very slow stoppies. Rolling stoppies are much harder and require long training. Unlike a wheelie, in a stoppie there is no way to bring the motorcycle back from past the balance point. If you get close to the balance point, you can release the clutch and shift your body weight back. Riding at the balance point is very cool! Advanced riders can roll much farther going downhill. By rising off the seat, as in the first photo, you can pull the motorcycle into a stoppie on a poor surface, for example a wet one. But I recommend beginners ride in good weather. Don't forget to train in full riding gear!