[Marine]

Okay...I told myself I'd never trick my bike but as of a week ago I've been trying to slowly and safely try wheelies and stopies...

My stopies....as of yesterday I was getting real good and gaining some confidence in my stopies. I was getting my back wheel up about 12 inches or so...I think. Anyway today I tried to do a stoppie and my front wheel is skidding instead of sticking to the road...and I almost had to ditch my bike. My bike is doing this consistantly now and i dont have ANY confidence in doing stoppies at all now because my front wheele is skidding. Anyone know why this is happening?


My wheelies....I'm starting of with 1st gear wheelies...I'm starting at about 15 mph and pulling the clutch in and reving to about 7500-8000 rpm and letting the clutch go....I can get the wheel to pop up and it goes right back down. I'm not sure why its not staying up. Any ideas what I can do to get my wheel to pop up and stay up?

Thanks for your future posts.

02 ZX6R (Yellow)

 

[Weezy]

I've skidded a few stoppies because of uneven pavement, but I think a big factor could be if your tires are warmed up enough. I refuse to clutch up wheelies (burned one out before, in a short period of time)so can't help there. Good luck w/your stunts.

 

[Marine]

I think you're right about my tires not being warm enough. Today is about 15 degrees colder than it was yesterday and i was trying my stoppies after about 3 minutes of being on the road this morning.



02 ZX6R (Yellow)

 

[NiNjA RyDiN]

my front tire did that a few times too. and the more i tryed the less confidence i got cause i couldnt pick them up anymore. ur tires not all the way warmed up and its prolly in ur head now like it was in mine. i got a metzler new front and the thing stops like crazy.

 

[dj dunzie]

Tire compound, road conditions, tire wear and weather bro.

As for the wheelies, try this instead... rev up to around 8 or 9,000rpm, then very quickly roll right off the gas and then immediately scream it... no clutch. I call it a "hickup" some call it "drop and pop", but either way you will save from burning out your clutch and probably do better wheelies. The 6R is great for this method. Eventually you can work on holding it on long enough to try to get a shift in. I can't, but my cousin could go through a gearchange on the wheelie. Big bore bikes can just roll on power to wheelie... they say the new 636 can almost do this too... yee haa can't wait.

Anyway, just remember to do everything in moderation while you're learning, and my own personal philosophy is to avoid showing off to buddies when you're not practiced at it yet... seen an accident or two because of this, and the sick feeling in my gut watching a guy picking up a shattered bike that skid 100 feet up the road after ditching a wheelie is pretty sobering.

Have fun, stay safe.

 

[Marine]

dj...first or second gear should I do this "hick-up"?

First gear seem real jagged and jumpy, whereas 2nd gear seems a bit smoother but perhaps not as much torque in 2nd as there is in 1st.

02 ZX6R (Yellow)

 

[dj dunzie]

Yeah that's right... 2nd gear ones are a little more work because the torque isn't quite as punchy once you've got a decent 2nd gear speed going, but they're still possible. First gear is easier, and you'll get smoother at it with more practice. Second gear ones are actually fun when you get 'em down because you can cover a lot of ground with the wheelie, and there's little or no hope of flipping over backwards.

Find a nice quiet straight smooth section of road and just keep going back and forth doing first gear wheelies... that's how I learned... just remember if you keep dropping the front end down hard, it eventually takes a bit of a beating on the fork seals... nothing that can't be fixed... heh...

 

[VR6]

Another reason you may be slidding is locking up the front to fast while your suspension is set full or half stiff. You need the nose of the bike to dive then when you feel the suspension is fully compressed then you can lock up and get your ass raised off the seat a bit and lean forward. If your suspension is set stiff the bike will not dip it will be level and shocks will work against you. I must agree a cold road and tires don't help the situation. I do wheelies as well as you do so sorry I have no suggestions. Also set your front brake lever as close to bars as possible allows for two finger "endos". Peace

 

[VR6]

quote:
Tire compound, road conditions, tire wear and weather bro.

As for the wheelies, try this instead... rev up to around 8 or 9,000rpm, then very quickly roll right off the gas and then immediately scream it... no clutch. I call it a "hickup" some call it "drop and pop", but either way you will save from burning out your clutch and probably do better wheelies. The 6R is great for this method. Eventually you can work on holding it on long enough to try to get a shift in. I can't, but my cousin could go through a gearchange on the wheelie. Big bore bikes can just roll on power to wheelie... they say the new 636 can almost do this too... yee haa can't wait.

Anyway, just remember to do everything in moderation while you're learning, and my own personal philosophy is to avoid showing off to buddies when you're not practiced at it yet... seen an accident or two because of this, and the sick feeling in my gut watching a guy picking up a shattered bike that skid 100 feet up the road after ditching a wheelie is pretty sobering.

Have fun, stay safe.

I hear ya be smart about it.

FYI: the 2002 ZX6R will do roll on wheelies. I witnessed this with my own eyes. You must have some seriouse nerve though. Bike just had slip on pipe and perhaps 1/2 to 1/4 tank of gas. Slight upgrade of hill. Looked awesome.

 

[dj dunzie]

quote:

quote:
Tire compound, road conditions, tire wear and weather bro.

As for the wheelies, try this instead... rev up to around 8 or 9,000rpm, then very quickly roll right off the gas and then immediately scream it... no clutch. I call it a "hickup" some call it "drop and pop", but either way you will save from burning out your clutch and probably do better wheelies. The 6R is great for this method. Eventually you can work on holding it on long enough to try to get a shift in. I can't, but my cousin could go through a gearchange on the wheelie. Big bore bikes can just roll on power to wheelie... they say the new 636 can almost do this too... yee haa can't wait.

Anyway, just remember to do everything in moderation while you're learning, and my own personal philosophy is to avoid showing off to buddies when you're not practiced at it yet... seen an accident or two because of this, and the sick feeling in my gut watching a guy picking up a shattered bike that skid 100 feet up the road after ditching a wheelie is pretty sobering.

Have fun, stay safe.

I hear ya be smart about it.

FYI: the 2002 ZX6R will do roll on wheelies. I witnessed this with my own eyes. You must have some seriouse nerve though. Bike just had slip on pipe and perhaps 1/2 to 1/4 tank of gas. Slight upgrade of hill. Looked awesome.

I should have clarified my comments. I ride with a guy who weighs 138 pounds and drives a 2001 R6 with basically no aftermarket parts except a Yosh pipe. He CAN'T NOT do roll on wheelies in straight line races... the wheel just lifts even with, ahem, ALL his weight forward over the tank... On the other hand, I weigh 215 pounds. I can't do roll on wheelies, at least not without the drop and pop routine. Most riders probably could if they're a little lighter...

 

[Marine]

do ya'll think my inability to keep my wheel up is due to my position on the bike?

like I've said, I've gotten the wheel to pop up but it goes back down as fast as it did coming up. My first instinct is to lean forward when i give it the gas its needs to bring my front end up. Is that my problem? If so, its going to break.

When I see other people do wheelies the bike seems to just come up so easy. I just don't get it! =(

02 ZX6R (Yellow)

Edited by - Marine on 12/03/2002 13:26:51

 

[VR6]

quote:
do ya'll think my inability to keep my wheel up is due to my position on the bike?

like I've said, I've gotten the wheel to pop up but it goes back down as fast as it did coming up. My first instinct is to lean forward when i give it the gas its needs to bring my front end up. Is that my problem? If so, its going to break.

When I see other people do wheelies the bike seems to just come up so easy. I just don't get it! =(

02 ZX6R (Yellow)

Edited by - Marine on 12/03/2002 13:26:51

Yup, gotta lean back takes some nerve though

 

[Weezy]

Get those revs up for those power wheelies, Marine. Sit back, but don't pull on the bars. Once your first big one comes up near the balance point, it'll likely scare you (I sure was) but you'll get used to it. Try to stay relaxed, and get up to speed quickly. Also, my bike definately wheelies easier as the gas tank gets emptier. BTW, how far are people riding out 1st gear power wheelies?



Edited by - Weezy on 12/03/2002 22:28:18

 

[Mpir3]

no need to use the clutch in first gear...i slip the clutch a little in second gear for standups but first you should have no problem getting it up...just takes time and comfort..BTW: my bike is geared down one in the front and every once in awhile it will come up in first with a roll-on..

 

[-gary]

Mine is one down and two up. Here at 1400' in OK, if you stick it in first, it'll pull up at about 10000 and carry it all the way to redline. I get up on the tank and feather it down. Then about 10 or 11 in second, it'll pull up again.

That's not even trying.

-gary
'02 6R

 

[Slapshot]

Believe it or not, my problem was the position of my hand/wrist on the throttle (keep in mind, when I say wrist position, I mean as taught in the Motorcycle safety course, pretty much straight). When I first started trying wheelies, I would be in 1st gear, go up to about 8K on the RPM's, let off the gas and then immediately crack back on the throttle. Now because my wrist was straight when I started off, the crack back back on the throttle wasn't enough because my wrist was almost at 90 degrees and I wasn't getting WOT. So, when I do a wheelie NOW, I grip the throttle in such a manner that when I crack back on the throttle, I'm at wide open throttle. So my wrist is sort of rolled over? It's hard to explain, but trust me, the first time I did it the front end shot up so fast I almost pooped. I'm still not good at wheelies, but I get the wheel up everytime now. At this point, it's a matter of trying to get comfortable enough to ride it out a while. BTW, I'm 5'11" and way 180 lbs, I don't sit back on the seat either, just normal riding posture. I don't know if what I just typed makes any sense to anyone, but maybe someone can use the info.

//SLAPSHOT//
'02 ZX-6R

 

[hartholomew]

ive been reading all your posts for the past month and trying all your stuff...especially about the power wheelies, clutch wheelies are just too sudden...any way i dont know why but my bike just rockets forward when i try jerking it up in 1st anywhere above 6k rpms...some guy i know tried my bike and could do 2nd gear lofts in like 5 mins...but the weird thing is that he said to jerk it up at 4k...tried it the other day and whoa... was i shocked..never thought the power band was at 4k...the furthest i ever rode out in 1st was all the way to the limiter....i was going, going then it just came down...i was wondering like huh? then i looked down and saw 14500rpms....shit...

 

[hartholomew]

anyway what im trying to say is that everybody has to experiment...who knows your bike might even come up at 3k?!and the seat posture and pulling on the bars thing helps...but dont experiment every singkle hour of every day or your ninja will be pissing itself by dinner...stay safe...

 

[iowazx6r]

Clutch wheelies are against my religion. I believe in the rev up, close the throttle, snap it back open method. Much more predictable. I almost looped my f1 dropping the clutch not even trying to do a wheelie. Only thing on the bike was my hands. Needless to say it was brown trouser time.

If you insist on doing clutch wheelies try 2nd gear. Your momentum will give you more time to save yourself if you screw up.

Your inability to keep it up is one of two problems (or two of two):

1.) Wrist position. Be sure to crank it fully open. This means turning your knuckles away from you more when you grab it and pull it back.

2.) Your lack of testicular fortitude. Which is normal. Being on one wheel on a 400 lbs bike going 20 mph can be a little scary. Especially since it's an uncomfortable low speed.

My advice is try 2nd gear clutches or first gear throttle cracks. Do your fork seals a favor, when you come down from a wheelie make sure you're giving it full throttle. This way you don't slam into the ground. Usually if your wheelie is too much simply shut it down a bit and then open it back up once you're coming down.

Now I shall address your stoppie problem. Heat up the tire more. =) That will fix it. Also, someone told me about 30 rough stoppies and your rear shock will be FUBAR. I've got a few on mine, but I've stopped doing stoppies.

Finally, let me leave you with this picture of my bike. It explains itself.

Dan...comfortable enough with his manhood to ride a 600.

 

[99zx6r]

Finally got a video of my first stoppie on the web. Just click on MVC_015V.MPG and view file. It is a small quick one but it was my first. I could get them higher and ride them for a few seconds now, well I used to till my friend crashed it and twisted the frame. Hope the link werks?
http://angelfire.lycos.com/cgi-auth/webshell?fromPreferences=preferencesMain&newpref=1&currentDir=