How do you wheelie this beast?

[rizza]

So I tried some wheelies this weekend. I basically just gave it a ton of throttle in first gear. I only got it to come up once, probably 6 inches or so. Am I just a pussy or what? Should I give it more throttle?

Can someone please post details about how you get the bike to come up? RPMs, how much throttle, use the clutch etc?

I'd love to be able to ride the twisties and loft the wheel coming out of a corner and set it back down right before that next corner. Should I add a few teeth in the back or what? And how the hell do you wheelie in second gear? bounce on the forks or what?

Thanks guys, and dont worry, I wear my gear and practice on desolate roads, not in front of elementary schools

-Ross

[SWEET-TL1000R]

Ross,

Best words of advice I can offer you. Don't touch the clutch in first or second. If you're in 1st, get up to 30mph and wick the throttle carefully. 2nd, I did it around 60mph and wicked the throttle hard! I didn't ahve gearing either.

As for you being a puss, it probably has something to do with it. It takes practice!

[emtpbill]

[BamBam]

where 's the pic of the cat with the when you need it

[TL_Music]

My two cents...

On my modded '99TLS I can whack the throttle in first gear at about 4K RPMs and it comes up with ease. Second gear wheelies around 6K+ without clutch (hitting it pretty hard). I'm not big on clutch wheelies, I haven't mastered it yet and I don't wanna fry it. This is with the stock gearing.

-R

[redvtwin2]

hey man with my tls a small turn but quick turn of the throttle was all that was needed to bring the front wheel sky fucking high. However , it never worked for me when i first got my bike as well as i thought it should untilll i assumed the right body position. back, don't lean forward. in second it comes up fairly easy with a bounce and clutching brings it up a little quicker....however be forwarned that in first it may come up a little higher and quicker than you may think.....i flipped a standup and am now typing with a broken wrist....darn...squid right here

[rizza]

Hey TL_Music, you live in Sonoma huh? Me too! Right on second st east. Crazy stuff.

Thanks for the info on wheelies everyone. I think I'm gonna change my gearing to make it easier.

[MotoTiller]

Originally posted by BamBam
where 's the pic of the cat with the when you need it

[Jokertlr]

I find first gear wheelies easy to get up but hard to hold up because you have to be so high. Just this weekend I started concentrating on my second gear wheelies and I like them a lot more than first gear ones because the balance point is way lower. I didn't even think I was doing them right until my friend helped me out. I got one up that I thought was pretty low to the ground but he said that it was actually pretty good and all I needed was about another foot to get up to the balance point. So I tried a little harder and I got a couple of them to hang for a few seconds. They are shitty wheelies right now but I'm working on it. What I do to get them up is get the revs up to where the bike starts getting buzzy in second and then nail it. Some times I need a bounce first and sometimes not. I'm sure the bounce will go away once I perfect my technique.

[TLSBill]

Time for some advice from a chicken.. (me..)

I sit nuts to the tank, run first up to about 5-6k, cut the throttle a little and then whack it on.. Nice manageable wheelies.. ALWAYS cover your rear brake with your foot, and be carefull.. (Looped my RZ in 2nd comming out of a turn once.. not fun twisted ankle and the whole spiel..)

[mstingray]

how do you not wheelie a liter bike?

check gary rothwell's tips:

http://www.garyrothwell.com/Gary_s_Lessons/gary_s_lessons.html

[Duken4evr]

Being in second, having the wheel well up off the ground and having a "slow hand" on the throttle will get you pretty far.

I gave up doing longer wheelies on my TLS. My buddy was videotaping and I was in 3rd, probably going 70+ mph and it felt a bit spooky. Felt like the wind was "under the bike". Not right.

Later I saw a video of a guy doing a fast wheelie on the freeway, his rear tire started acting like a wobbly wheel on your local store's shopping cart. The bike did a quick side to side rear wheel swap and he ate shit big time. Looking back on it, I kinda felt the beginnings of that on my TLS that day.

So now I am a puss and do first gear jobs, try to get it up quick and be smooth with the throttle and set it down easy. Don't want to crack the frame and don't want to fuxxor my shift forks/dogs.

Project DRZ400S promises to take care of my wheelie needs once it is procured

[yeller_twin]

I bounce the front end up with throttle. Roll on then off then on again with a healthy tug on the bars and it will come up in first and second. (whatever Rothwell, what does he knows everything?) Much easier to control a 2nd gear wheelie, for me atleast. I sit as far back as possible in the seat. I can feel the rear seat with my arse. To keep the wheelie alive I have the front end very high. Almost level with the horizon, to the point that I can barely see. I can carry all the way through 2nd and into 3rd, bu this gets going pretty fast and may wobble. A wobble is not a good feeling, normally results in a nice hard landing from snapping the throttle closed. Bad habit. Haven't tried looking out to the side but it may work better (can get the front higher). Put some weight on the back of the bike and the balance point will be lower, not requiring the front to be as high. But practice makes perfect.

[dragonbro]

hey you two Sonoma boys...........we'll have to hook up soon for a Berryessa loop ride into Middle Town. i don't really give a shit about wheelies. most of mine are on accident

[DaRKoN_]

It's all just technique... took awhile to get 1st gear... 2nd gear i didn't think i would ever be able to get up...but, as the picture suggest above.. I was just being a pussy! You've got to wack that throttle *ALL* the way open.. and yank on the bars too... be agressive~! - I think that is the key.. be aggressive.. the TL will lift the front wheel in first if you snap the throttle on from 3500rpm+.. I don't mean slowly winding the.. smack it WIDE open. My technique for second gear is .. WOT to 6\7000rpm.. fully closed throttle, to WOT again with a yank on the bars... Try doing them on uphills, or on the peak of crests if your still having troubles..


Here's a still from some footage we shot on the weekend: - Camera man was a little startled at how close I was comming passed