Gary_Semics
PR Member
The Art of the Wheelie
(part 3)
(part 3)
Starting the wheelie
When you want to start the wheelie sit about half way back on the seat use second or third gear from a relatively slow speed for that gear. You want to be in the bottom of the power range so the engine has a long way to make power before it revs out. Pop the clutch out and pull back on the handlebars hard enough to bring the front end up into the balance range.
Once you have it up
Now that you have it up in the balance range it’s all a matter of body movement and throttle control. The throttle control is most important. Unless you are really, really good at wheelies you are going to be doing a power wheelie to some degree. This means you will continue to pick up speed as you go along. The less speed you pick up the better but that is easier said than done. As you pick up speed your going to have to shift to the next gear if you want to continue to awe the by standers with your wheelie skills. Make sure you shift at the right time and make it a very smooth shift; nip the clutch as you upshift. How do you know the right time to shift? You have to feel when the angle is right. The correct angle is about a quarter of the way to the front of the balance range. When you make that beautiful upshift that allows the front end to continue to fly you’re going to pick up more speed. So you don’t want the front to be too high, if it was you wouldn’t need to upshift and pick up more speed. And of course you don’t want the front to be too low or you will loose the wheelie. As that gear runs out upshift to the next and so on until you’re in 5[SUP]th[/SUP] looking for 6[SUP]th[/SUP] and the fat lady is standing and singing.
Standing Wheelies
Standing wheelies are very similar in technique as sitting wheelies. The major difference is that the only thing keeping you on the bike is pulling back on the bars and of course the footpegs. When you do a sitting wheelie you have the handlebars, footpegs and seat. I would say the degree of difficulty is about the same.
You can still order Doug's DVD online at; http://www.amazon.com/Doug-Domokos-The-Wheelie-King/dp/B003DHSE2I
To be continued next month