Topic: Wheelies!!!! - a question not clips of them

[eigenvector]

There are two things that I regret not learning in my younger days - doughnut burnouts and wheelies.

I'm old enough that dropping the bike while learning how to wheelie would probably end up with me in traction.  That said - how many of you have the skills to wheelie their CB7 or 550?  How do the old gal's do in that regard - seems like they'd be a bit too heavy and the 550 doesn't seem like it would have the power to do a doughnut burnout.

[scrapvalue]

I have never actually tried doing a wheelie, just because I never wanted to torture the old girl that bad.
But being a motocrosser my whole life, wheelies are pretty much a part of riding every other bike I own or have owned.
I have a 1995 BMW R1100GS that does amazing wheelies.

[Ridem32]

I was also a motocross rider as a kid. I had a 1975 cb750 when I was 15 years old. I was dating the girl I'm married to now of 37 years. I could wheelie mine with her on the back popping it up in first and shifting thru 3rd gear in the air.  The thing that helped the most was heavy duty clutch springs. And I had open drag pipes back then.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MikeSimon]

I have always tried to avoid wheelies on any bike just because I did not want to replace blown out fork seals. Ever so often I have done an unintended wheelie by ripping the throttle open too hard. Rear brake controls it.

[ekpent]

  I used to have a favorite little bump/hump in a road in downtown Kalamazoo on a bridge between two ponds that was perfect for a little front wheel float in first or second coming off the stop sign and a combo of throttle and clutch feather. Still can't resist when I go over it No big power wheelies for me though.

[BobbyR]

There was a fellow  here named BOXKNIFE and he did wheelies. I asked him how he did it since these bike are front heavy. He said he got a bouncing motion going until he could pull the wheel up. I could get the wheel to get light on the pavement on a 1st to 2nd shift. Not a wheelie by any means.

[Stev-o]

My little RD350 is a wheelie machine!  [I avoid em on the H1]

[BomberMann650]

I was never any good at wheelies either.  Didn't matter what I was riding!

Going completely airborne sometimes worked out okay.  Not everytime, just sometimes.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

All of my modern bikes have power wheelied at one time or another, unintentionally.  I don't really care to clutch wheelie.

[bwaller]

You need to use the clutch (a good clutch) if you want to get the wheel up enough to ride a wheelie and not just pop the wheel up a few inches. Roll along at 25-30mph, pull the clutch, grab 1/2 throttle and dump the clutch. Keep the rear brake pedal close! It helps to have a little more juice than stock too.

[Ridem32]

Once you learn how most all bikes can wheelie   Once you reach the balance point all bikes will set in the balance mode and just work the throttle lightly and when speed picks up shift into the next gear.  I learned how to wheelie a bicycle at a very young age. Then my fist bike was a 1970 mini trail 50.  I could wheelie it but had to drag my feet behind it.  On a  Honda automatic like the trail 50 or 70 when u put them in first gear and hold the shifter down u can rev the motor then release the shifter with your foot and it's just like popping a clutch.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I bet Brent can pull an epic horn mono.

[jgger]

Dirt bikes are the easiest to wheelie, my old Montesa 250 could wheelie for days. I would blib the throttle with my butt back on the seat and when it came up I would slide slightly forward. Start in 1st then shift all the way up to 5th until I got bored. I too don't like clutch wheelies, you have much less control when it comes up.

If you are trying to learn then an up hill grade makes it easier to find the balance point.

[GV1390]

You need to use the clutch (a good clutch) if you want to get the wheel up enough to ride a wheelie and not just pop the wheel up a few inches. Roll along at 25-30mph, pull the clutch, grab 1/2 throttle and dump the clutch. Keep the rear brake pedal close! It helps to have a little more juice than stock too.

+1!

I wouldn't advise putting our old bikes through the abuse in doing a wheelie especially since it lacks power. My MV Agusta would clutch up in 3rd at the bottom and hold it to the top of the gear without ever an issue. Hovering that rear brake is essential.

[Desert-SOHC]

Never really did any on the 750, used to wheelie the 82 CB900F all the time though.

[Don R]

 No, but my first ride on a 750 after 20 years off one was inspiring. It had a huge bog and refused to run right, in my frustration I cranked the throttle and held it open, suddenly it got fuel and made the hardest launch I ever did on a 750, I was hanging on for dear life and it almost got away from me. it may have carried the wheel, I have no idea, but I was pretty sure I was about to get off the hard way and really worked hard to lean back into that throttle grip to slow her down.

[Terry in Australia]

I have a 1995 BMW R1100GS that does amazing wheelies.

Me too! I've only done a couple of unintentional power wheelies on mine, but it's easy to get the front end light with that big torquey boxer!

Back to SOHC4's, KGhost (Tim Kasper) is our best resident CB750 wheelie guy, someone posted a pic of him pulling up the front wheel on his K3(?) @ 60MPH a few years back, but he's a pilot, so probably more used to taking off with his front wheel in the air. Cheers, Terry.

[ekpent]

 I've got an old 1981 Yamaha YZ250 still in the barn,last year of air cooled, that I got in 1985. Its got a ported cylinder etc on it and has what is like a light switch power band. It will go from humble to wheelie in most gears very quickly. Most  of my friends who rode that bike back in the day usually came back with the rear fender between their legs and in much pain from flipping it over  Love those Answer handlebars,they don't bend 

[eigenvector]

I said I never learned how to wheelie and I meant it.  That said, the very very first time I ever rode a motorcycle, and Honda Fatcat it bucked me off the back and dropped me on my tail.  You wouldn't think a bike like that could do that.

And I hear you Don - my Sabre is the same way, those vacuum carbs when then not in tune can get scary uncontrollable when they start to bog.  I have done a straightline burnout on that.  Wasn't just the pavement I left a skidmark on:)

[b52bombardier1]

Does anybody worry about the oil pump pickup sucking air when doing wheelies?  Can the engine lose oil pressure?

Rick 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[Terry in Australia]

I've got an old 1981 Yamaha YZ250 still in the barn,last year of air cooled, that I got in 1985. Its got a ported cylinder etc on it and has what is like a light switch power band. It will go from humble to wheelie in most gears very quickly. Most  of my friends who rode that bike back in the day usually came back with the rear fender between their legs and in much pain from flipping it over  Love those Answer handlebars,they don't bend 

Ha ha, I've still got my Honda XR500RE Eric, the RE was a whole new design to try to bridge the gap between 2 stroke and 4 stroke enduro bikes and they dumped the old 26 BHP XL engine for a 41 BHP hotrod, so in a bike that weighs less than I do, it's way too easy to get the front wheel up, up, and over!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Does anybody worry about the oil pump pickup sucking air when doing wheelies?  Can the engine lose oil pressure?

Rick 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

No there's more than enough oil (and the motor is not upside down) and how long are you planning to pull a 12 0'clock?