i have an addiction.

photomike666 · Post by **photomike666** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:04 pm

I know a guy who blew the clutch basket on a 1200 bandit. It's a pure wheelie machine (UK Wheelie school uses them), but the power takes it's toll. If you doing power wheelies it's better than the harsh clutch up, but if you use the power to 6/7000, shut and open hard, that will also have a harsh snap on the chain, clutch and gearbox. It's not the power but the sudden change from no stress to full stress that does the damage. As long as you ease the power back in on landing it'll be OK on forks and steering bearings.

OR so I've heard - I'm also crap at hooking the front up, but I'm getting better.

x913 · Post by **x913** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:06 pm

motorcycles were not made to do wheelies so every wheelie is putting exess strain on something. i too was addicted to wheelies on the YZF600 but kinda started to worry about my licence. if you cluctch them up then it puts massive startin on the chain and sprockets, and even if you don't cluch them (i too only pull it up under power and hold it through first) it is still not good on chain and sprockets and of course bearings etc as mentioned above. changing gears is not good unless you pull it up in 2nd, 1st to second shoudln't really be done without a clutch and of course you can't use a clutch when shifting in a wheelie.
have fun and have some mechanical sympathy for your bike and Never clutch them up

thats my 2c anyway

Shaman · Post by **Shaman** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:16 pm

Yeah, I definitely pull way too many wheelies to be classified 'normal'.

photomike666 · Post by **photomike666** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:24 pm

Shaman wrote:Yeah, I definitely pull myself way too much to be classified 'normal'.

Shaman · Post by **Shaman** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:31 pm

Heheh glad someone picked up on the sarcasm...

I got about 2" off the deck once... after revving to 12k and letting clutch go from a rolling start.

My gearbox loves me.

Damon Z1000 · Post by **Damon Z1000** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:04 pm

Mina wrote

i keep trying but the 7 wont come up.

Cus ya tooooooooo fat

ninja9 · Post by **ninja9** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:05 pm

I nailed it in 1st from a rolling start and accidentally got the 9 to scrape the exhaust and ductail - just before I started pedalling behind the bike with my feet dragging. Apparently it looked like Fred Flintstone, but I still don't know how I landed it and didn't come off as I couldn't find the rear brake. I am now kinda over the wheelie thing. Well for a while

Gosling1 · Post by **Gosling1** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:20 pm

ninja9 wrote:I nailed it in 1st from a rolling start and accidentally got the 9 to scrape the exhaust and ductail - just before I started pedalling behind the bike with my feet dragging. Apparently it looked like Fred Flintstone, but I still don't know how I landed it and didn't come off as I couldn't find the rear brake. I am now kinda over the wheelie thing. Well for a while

sounds *unreal* - got any photos ?? They would look great......

mitch179 · Post by **mitch179** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:41 am

ninja9 : ROFL!! man i would pay to see footage of that.. or a live demo

photomike: i dont close it and snap it back open, u dont need to, u just build up to say 6k (this is how i do it ) then without actually closing the gas at all just give it a healthy squirt of gas so the drive train is always loaded up, and narp im not keen on clutching them up... and yep when its coming down i give it a hand full so its a nice smooth landing, the only ones that have felt remotely dodgey on landing were when i had my friend on the back

it was an accident.

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:31 am

mitch179 wrote:ninja9 : ROFL!! man i would pay to see footage of that.. or a live demo

photomike: i dont close it and snap it back open, u dont need to, u just build up to say 6k (this is how i do it ) then without actually closing the gas at all just give it a healthy squirt of gas so the drive train is always loaded up, and narp im not keen on clutching them up... and yep when its coming down i give it a hand full so its a nice smooth landing, the only ones that have felt remotely dodgey on landing were when i had my friend on the back it was an accident.

Yeah, thats how i do it too.... I tried the closing the throttle bit for a while but found it easier just to open the throttle quickly from a rolling start...... get up to about 50-60 in first gear and then just open very very quickly... the front comes up nicely...

I did a nice one this morning....

MadHatter · Post by **MadHatter** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:51 am

I must admit I'm also addicted.
There's just something about the feeling you get floating through the air at 100km/h. . It's a perfect balance of a whole heap of forces that come together to give you a rush like nothing else I know.
Most people get over them eventually, but I did my first wheelie three years ago and the first thing I do when I get on my bike after being away for a while is a wheelie down the street. I'm not all that amazingly good at them, but I don't crash and none of my bikes have ever shown any evidence of abuse. - I use the clutch to get it up there so I go through clutches slightly quicker than usual (but I also do drag racing!) but thats about it. As long as you put it down gently all should be ok.
Busting the perfect full lock wheelie past an excursion of nuns gives me a similar feeling to that elusive perfect corner.

ninja9 · Post by **ninja9** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:16 pm

Gosling1 wrote:
ninja9 wrote:I nailed it in 1st from a rolling start and accidentally got the 9 to scrape the exhaust and ductail - just before I started pedalling behind the bike with my feet dragging. Apparently it looked like Fred Flintstone, but I still don't know how I landed it and didn't come off as I couldn't find the rear brake. I am now kinda over the wheelie thing. Well for a while
sounds *unreal* - got any photos ?? They would look great......

I get my ductail back this week after plasticwelding, so will put some shots up of the remaining damage: the exhaust, tail lights.
Unfortunately noone was videoing it. I am sure it would of won Wanker of the Week Award on Australias Funniest Home Video.

Gosling1 · Post by **Gosling1** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:40 pm

ninja9 wrote:......Unfortunately noone was videoing it. I am sure it would of won Wanker of the Week Award on Australias Funniest Home Video.

mate - those good video's could win you a 50" plasma tele !! we can all come around and watch it then

Keep Up The Good Work

ninja9 · Post by **ninja9** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:09 pm

[quote="Gosling1 Keep Up The Good Work

[/quote]

I will practice keeping up the good work, just don't dump the clutch at 6000rpm from a rolling start in first and expect to maintain dignity!!

dumber · Post by **dumber** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 6:51 pm

i also love the wheelie! i had a F*$KED zxr7 that just wouldnt do it. i revved hard and went slow but the bitch wouldnt get up. i then bought a zx9 2001 model and 4 some reason thought 150cc extra ment no plwer difference... no damage 2 the bike but f&*k knows how i got out of it.

anyway i believe that bikes we ride may not be designed for wheelies but they were not designed to get you from a to b efficentally, cheaply and safely. they were designed to peform and if you spent the short life of your sport bike commuting then you have wasted alot of money on something you never use. u want a commuter - get a scooter. you want a commuter that gives you one hell of a trip - get a ninja. so long as u dont hurt anyone or anything... nothing wrong with a wheelie.

fyi i am shit at them