Marat Kankadze Lessons: Ralph Louie
The «Ralph Louie» is a stylish and beautiful trick that every pro rider has in their arsenal!
I've been in the stunt scene for quite a while, but I never found out why this trick is called the «Ralph Louie». It is undoubtedly very beautiful and makes a great impression. When doing it, the rider seems to hang in the air in defiance of gravity; it looks cool live and in photos. By the time I started practicing the «Ralph Louie», I was already riding on the rear wheel consistently and had mastered the rear brake duplicator. I started with straight runs standing on the seat.
A reminder: a pure «Ralph Louie» is a wheelie in a straight line or in circles in which, for example, your left foot is on the right passenger peg and your right leg is held out to the side, or vice versa.
I chose my left foot as the supporting one because it was more comfortable for me. The hardest thing in this trick is keeping balance, and when I put my foot on the peg and tried to load it just a little, the motorcycle started falling to the side with terrible force, and I had to come down onto two wheels. After countless repetitions, I found the body position in which I could confidently load the peg and keep my balance while continuing in a straight line. After that, moving my right leg out to the side became an easier task, and after about thirty repetitions I was rejoicing, realizing that very soon this trick would be «mine». Returning to the starting seat stander position wasn't particularly difficult either. To riders who are starting to practice the «Ralph Louie», I would advise patience: the trick is very hard in terms of balance and requires a huge number of repetitions.
Note that when supporting yourself on your left foot, if you lose balance it will be easy to jump off to the right of the motorcycle. If you are already standing on the peg, lose balance and fall to the left, it will most likely be uncontrolled and very dangerous. Be extremely careful and always wear a full set of riding gear! The «Ralph Louie» was my dream; I always liked this trick, and now that I've mastered it perfectly, I understand that for a true fan of what they do there is nothing more joyful than another victory over yourself!
I hope my tips help you avoid unnecessary crashes and injuries. And remember: a sober head, patience, hard training and courage will give you the result you want! Good luck!