Wheelie: Trick Theory

Author: f4rider. Translation: Maximoto, Serjik.

First of all, everything described here is my personal experience and that of other stunt riders I know. Following these tips won't help you avoid crashes, dislocations, sprains or even fractures, but it will still be safer than if you learned it on your own.

Preparing the bike for riding on the rear wheel.

Oil:

Many bikes suffer from oil starvation during long rides on the rear wheel and when the bike is stood at 12 o'clock with the engine running. Gixxers and the CBR 900RR (’93–’95 models, 895 cc, SC-28 series engines) are especially known for this. You can protect the engine from oil starvation by moving the oil pickup closer to the back wall of the crankcase or by overfilling the oil above the normal level (usually up to the maximum mark). Some other stunt riders and I add 1 liter more oil than normal. Overfilling doesn't seem to cause problems for Hondas, but I've read that there were problems with Gixxers. (That's true, but not for all models. Overfilling the oil in models from 2001 on causes clutch slip, which makes the motorcycle lose drive and flatly refuse to lift onto the rear wheel. But at the same time overfilling has no effect on the SRAD ’98–’00 models.) So the best solution for a Gixxer would be to fit an extended oil pickup.

Gearbox:

No special preparation or modification of the motorcycle is needed for learning. Almost every sport bike lifts onto the rear wheel in first gear without problems. If your bike won't wheelie in first gear, it's not the bike. Higher gears aren't needed until you start doing high chair wheelies (and even then on weaker motorcycles), no-hands wheelies and circles.

Tires:

When you wheelie at high speeds, you need a good rear tire (no Kings Tire or touring tires). A tire with visible, or even palpable, cord can cause dangerous wobble. I tried wheelieing on a tire with the cord showing, and it caused crazy wobbling and made it hard to find the balance point. A new tire completely eliminated the problem. Lower the tire pressure below normal. For wheelies above 30 km/h set the pressure to 1.4–2.1 atm. For wheelies below 30 km/h, 0.84–1.4 atm. In general, the optimal pressure for riding on the rear wheel is 1.2–1.4 atm. Lower tire pressure will make wheelies less stable.

Tip-over sensor:

Most (or all, I'm not sure) fuel-injected bikes have such a sensor. It can shut the engine off if you lift the motorcycle very high. The sensor must be disabled. On Hondas this is easy: cut the wires going to the sensor, join them together and insulate the remaining wire. This method doesn't work for Gixxers. The copper ring in the sensor must be removed or insulated with something like silicone.

Exhaust pipes:

If you are learning 12 o'clock wheelies, the pipe (or pipes) will have to be shortened. On some bikes the pipes touch the ground at the same time as the tail. If a pipe catches on the ground, it can cause a crash. I'd even say it will inevitably cause a crash. You can shorten a pipe by simply cutting a piece off and welding or riveting the end cap back on, or buy a ready-made short pipe.

Steering damper:

A damper isn't strictly necessary for wheelies, but sometimes it can save you from a crash. When you put the front wheel down and it isn't straight, a tank slapper can start, which may lead to a crash. If you control how the wheel comes down and its position when it touches the ground, you can do without a damper. But it's better to have one.

Crash bars:

While learning to ride on the rear wheel, you will most likely drop your bike. No doubt about it. Crash bars provide the best protection you can count on. They will certainly save a lot of money, but they won't fully protect your bike in crashes.

Subframe bar (12 o'clock bar):

Fit a subframe bar if you plan to learn 12 o'clock wheelies. There are two opinions on whether to learn wheelies with or without a bar. My advice: fit a bar, but remember that metal hitting the asphalt is much harsher than plastic. But plastic costs much more.

Protective gear:

Always wear a helmet, jacket, gloves and other protection if you want to keep riding after crashes. (My own advice: buy wider jeans and wear knee guards under them. A body armor jacket, or more correctly full torso protection, is also very useful.) ICON makes riding gear for the street and stunt riding.

Before wheelieing a bike.

If you have a quad or a motocross bike, it's better to practice on them first. You will learn to control the throttle and understand where the balance point is, which will help a lot in learning to ride on the rear wheel on a full-size motorcycle. So, if you are ready to learn to ride on the rear wheel:

1. Make sure the rear brake works and the brake pedal is set to a comfortable position.

2. Check the chain tension. Free play should be 3–4 cm. Remember that a loose chain can come off and cause a lot of trouble, while an overtightened chain will wear the sprockets faster and can break.

3. Make sure there are no cracks in the footpegs and all the bolts are properly tightened.

Speed and position on the bike.

I recommend learning wheelies in first gear. The bike lifts most easily in first gear, and it's also important that many bikes have a rev limiter in first gear, which won't let you over-rev the engine. You and your bike will also suffer less damage if you crash in first gear, because the wheelie speed is noticeably lower. For this reason I don't think wheelieing at high speed is a good idea until using the rear brake becomes a habit. It's also much easier to go from lifting in first gear to lifting in second than the other way round. I think 30 km/h is a good speed to start learning; at lower speeds the bike becomes less steady and loses stability. I also recommend starting with your left foot on the passenger peg and your right foot on the front peg, with your toe on the brake pedal. At first it will look awkward, but you'll get used to it. Most people think it's much easier to control a wheelie standing than sitting. (This is easy to explain: standing, it's much easier to move on the motorcycle to keep your balance.) It's also much easier to lift the bike standing. Remember! Only crashes can teach you to ride on the rear wheel and work the throttle smoothly.

Why lifting the bike with the clutch is the best method.

Clutching up is the best way to lift the bike, because there is always enough power to lift the motorcycle onto the rear wheel. At the same time it causes slightly faster wear of the clutch plates. As for the chain, I've never heard of any chain problems due to the extra load. The clutch-up method has many advantages over the power-up method:

1. This method lets you lift a bike that can't be lifted with the throttle.

2. You can wheelie at lower revs and therefore at lower speed. This lets beginners keep the bike up and at the balance point longer, and get less painful injuries.

3. The lift is more predictable. This needs explaining. When you power up, the front rises relatively slowly. When the front is about a meter off the ground, there is a sudden jump upward, since the throttle is almost fully open. This can lead to unpredictable consequences. When a clutch-up is done correctly, the front rises almost immediately to the balance point, and from there you can control the height with the throttle and/or body position. After a little practice, clutching up will become very consistent and not scary at all.

4. All professionals lift the bike with the clutch. You want to be like them, don't you?

How to clutch up a bike?

There are a couple of different clutch-up methods. I prefer the second. Method 1: first accelerate a little, then pull the clutch with one (or two) fingers to the point where the plates disengage. Then add throttle and quickly release the clutch. Method 2: close the throttle and fully pull the clutch with one (or two) fingers. Open the throttle to normal revs (you can blip it) and dump the clutch. When learning this method, don't rev too much before dumping the clutch. This will let you feel and learn the process of clutching the motorcycle up. Gradually increase the revs, and soon your wheel will be coming up close to the balance point. As you lift, ease off the throttle as you approach the balance point. If you have already passed the balance point and easing off doesn't bring the motorcycle back, press the rear brake lightly. When clutching up in second and third gear, you may need extra effort, depending on the bike's displacement. If the bike won't clutch up, a yank on the bars will help. Do it as you release the clutch and lean back a little.

Shifting gears.

I don't recommend shifting gears during a wheelie if you can't use the clutch. Shifting in a wheelie is hard on the gearbox. Also, if you miss a shift, the bike will slam down onto the front wheel, which is bad for the fork tubes. My advice: learn to wheelie in one gear without shifting. How to put the front wheel down correctly: keep the throttle on until the front wheel touches the ground. If you need to bring the front wheel down quickly, first close the throttle. When the wheel starts coming down, open the throttle. Then the landing will be soft.

How a beginner can wheelie. Step-by-step instructions.

1. Lower the tire pressure to 1.2–1.4 atm.

2. Select first gear.

3. Accelerate to 20–25 km/h.

4. Pull the clutch.

5. Add a little throttle and dump the clutch.

6. Repeat step 5 with more revs until the front wheel approaches the balance point.

7. Ease off the throttle if the wheel goes past the balance point.

8. Gently press and release the rear brake.

9. Keep the throttle on until the wheel comes down.

Front-to-back balance in a wheelie.

Front-to-back balance is controlled with the throttle and rear brake. It's very good to learn on a quad or motocross bike first. If the front wheel is in front of the balance point, you need to increase your speed. This can be compensated with more throttle. If you have passed the balance point, use the rear brake or engine braking to get back to it. The balance point is the position of the bike in which you need neither to speed up nor slow down to stay in that position. The height of the balance point depends mainly on wheelie speed. The higher the speed, the lower the balance point. The balance point also depends on the motorcycle's weight distribution and the rider's position on it. The goal of a balanced wheelie is to keep the motorcycle at the balance point for as long as possible. This is done by opening and closing the throttle and dragging the rear brake if needed. Over time you will learn to hold the bike up by working the throttle/brake smoothly.

Side-to-side balance in a wheelie.

This kind of balance is controlled by your body position on the bike. It's very useful to practice on a bicycle or a motocross bike. When a motorcycle wheelies at over 35 km/h, it is in equilibrium. At lower speeds you have to balance with your body. The principle is quite simple: quickly shift to the side the bike is falling toward. For example, if the bike leans left, shift left. This movement makes the bike turn left, compensating for its lean.

Preventing/stopping a tank slapper after a wheelie.

From my experience, I think a tank slapper after the front wheel lands can happen because of a worn tire (with a large flat contact patch), jerky throttle work and/or some body movements. A tank slapper after landing from a low-speed wheelie happens because of high rear tire pressure and/or loss of side-to-side balance.

Steering in a wheelie.

To steer the bike well in a wheelie, it must be at the balance point or behind it. To steer at about 35 km/h, just lean it a little toward the turn. To turn at lower speeds, you first need to lean it to the side you want to turn to. For example, you want to turn right: first slowly lean right. Then lean left a bit faster, turning the handlebar slightly left. This will make the bike start falling to the right. Then, without straightening the bike, hold this angle. This will make the bike turn right.

Using the rear brake + slow wheelies/12 o'clock.

A slow wheelie is riding behind the balance point. This is one of the hardest parts of learning to ride on the rear wheel, because it requires not only skill but courage. To learn to use the rear brake, you need to keep the bike behind the balance point, holding it with the rear brake. Soon you'll get used to it, and riding in this position will become normal for you. To wheelie slowly, it's enough to keep the bike behind the balance point. If you get scared at that moment and press the rear brake hard, the front wheel will move forward and down without slowing the bike. When slowing down, keep the bike behind the balance point, pressing the brake gently. As for 12 o'clock, you do the same, only release the rear brake a little and let the bike rest on its tail (or better, on a bar made specially for this). If you plan to stop in a 12 o'clock stand, first brake and come to a stop, and only then turn off the engine.

Slow wheelies.

First of all, raise the idle speed. I raise it to 3,500 rpm. A high idle lets you ride a slow wheelie very smoothly. But be careful: the first attempt at a slow wheelie with a raised idle can lead to a flip, so back yourself up with the rear brake. When riding a slow wheelie (with a raised idle), after some practice you will use only the rear brake and use the throttle only to lift the bike and bring it down. Once you understand all this, all kinds of wheelies will become clear to you.