wheelie tragedy

1965 Views 26 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Ben-Diesel, Aug 30, 2003

bumblebee

Discussion Starter · Aug 22, 2003

Here is my story, I was out riding one day on my 2002 zx-6r. I was following my friend in his car going to the bank for a quick withdraw. As my friend is in the bank i decide to practice my wheelies in a plaza parking lot. So im doing wheelies the whole time im waiting, on my last run getting ready to exit the parking lot i hit the throttle in first bring the bike up nice, looking in front of me i realize the parking lot is getting smaller and that the curb is getting much closerso i bring down the tire and lock up the back brake ans hit the front. As i begin to slow down i feel that im in the clear so i try to turn the wheel left while applying the front brake hard and next thing i know im over the handle bars on my side with the bike on my leg, that hurt like hell. So i tell myself im never gonna do wheelies in small parking lots a because theres no room to stop.
A week later which is tonight i decide to do a wheelie at my friends apartment in the apartment complex which is much smaller than the plaza parking lot. My dumbass even tells my friends that im not gonna do a wheelie in the parking lot bc its to small, well once i sit on the bike, there i go front tire in the air not realizing that there is an even bigger curb in front of me so i jamm on the brakes lock the back of course like an idiot, not able to stop before the curb i try to lift my front tire so i dont hit it that hard, didnt work i go barreling over the curb, somehow manage to keep the bike up and just stop myself from going through some poor guys sliding door window. I was about five feet from going into this guys living room with my bike. Im pissed bc my front rim is dent about 2 inches deep and cracked in the center. Im not sure how much a new rim goes for but i hear its a lot, so im prettied screwed. I did a $500 wheelie tonight im so proud of myself. I will post the picture of the rim tomorrow so you guys can see how messed up it is. I have never seen a motorcycle rim like this, im an idiot. My dumbass will be doing wheelies once i get my new rim, am i an idiot if i keep doing wheelies? All my friends think im stupid for doing that shit. I dont know all i know is that im pissed, sorry for the book[xx(]

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Flash Ahhh

· #2 · Aug 22, 2003

Bee,

Sorry to hear you messed your bike up and I hope you can get it fixed affordably.

No comment on how/when/why/where you were doing your wheelies. LOL

-Flash

resistance1216

· #3 · Aug 22, 2003

That is just a chance you take when you do a wheelie something crazy happening. Hope your back on your bike soon though.

DEZixxer

· #4 · Aug 22, 2003

repeat what Flash said...

devulge

· #5 · Aug 22, 2003

Look at the bright side...you can get a black rim now & have 1 black & one yellow...that would look pretty damn cool.
I did this on my yzf600r..after I ran into a friend who was stopped on the other side of a blind corner....now doing that makes you feel like an ass.

Ben-Diesel

· #6 · Aug 22, 2003

Originally posted by devulge

Look at the bright side...you can get a black rim now & have 1 black & one yellow...that would look pretty damn cool.
I did this on my yzf600r..after I ran into a friend who was stopped on the other side of a blind corner....now doing that makes you feel like an ass.

Ouch, yeah that's much worse.[xx(]

Bee, just fix it up. What's done is done. And practice in larger areas dude.

-Ben

TheDemonOfMine

· #7 · Aug 22, 2003

doing wheelies in small parking lots is pretty dumb but that one where you grabbed the front brake and tried to turn that takes the cake, if you're really in trouble and decide to turn rather than hit something if you jerk the bars the opposite way the bike will lean nice and hard and you'll be turned around like nothing. If you're gonna hit any brake in a turn make it the rear one that way if it loks up you kick the rear end out instead of flying over the bars with the front brake.

arturo3rd

· #8 · Aug 23, 2003

i had a dream about running out of room when wheeling. thats weird it happened to you.

bumblebee

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 23, 2003

I thought i'd add a picture to let you guys see what foolish riding can do.

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IslandZXR

· #10 · Aug 23, 2003

Damn...that looks worse than just dented... that looks crushed...

JoeC

· #11 · Aug 23, 2003

Thats not bad, I looped mine and riuned all fairings, front rim, stator cover, bent subframe. 9 days in the hospital, one bone grinded totally off by road, and numerous broken bones and stitches. did this on july 27th trying to be a bad ass at a stunt show. I love the wheelies too, just don't loop that bitch. it happens alot easier than you'd think.

EricLA

· #12 · Aug 23, 2003

At the risk of sounding like an asshole, maybe you should brush up on your basic riding skills. If you need to get your bike stopped in a hurry you need to be on the front brake hard not the rear. And when you're on the front brake that hard, you sure can't try to steer. It's possible that you could have saved yourself from those incidents if you had reacted better. Maybe not. Anyway sorry to hear about your misfortune. Hope you can fix it for cheap. You should probably also check out your forks, you might have bent them when you hit the curb.

scootergmc

· #13 · Aug 23, 2003

No doubt you did damage to your forks. And yes, you're an idiot for doing wheelies everywhere. Listen to your friends.

sixftnine

· #14 · Aug 23, 2003

Originally posted by bumblebee

sorry for the book[xx(]

[:M68]
what's a $500 dollar wheelie?

Ben-Diesel

· #15 · Aug 23, 2003

In regards to stopping;

When you emergency brake, hit your rear brake the hardest at first, as you begin to decelerate, gradually shift the aggressive braking fron the front to the rear. You'd be suprised how hard you can use the front brake. You should practice the DMV's stopping test. Get good at it and practice often. It'll save you from stuff like this.

If I've said anything incorrect, someone feel free to put me straight.

-Ben

EricLA

· #16 · Aug 23, 2003

Did you mean to say hit your front brake first?

If your rear wheel is still on the ground that means you can brake harder on the front. Watch Rossi(or any other rider) braking for a turn in a MotoGP race. His rear tire is usually floating over the ground. Obviously the rear brake ain't doing shit. I'm not saying the rear brake is useless, it's just not that useful for maximum braking.

To be honest I have my doubts about the DMV's data on stopping distances. I think the stopping distances for using front brake only and using both brakes are very close for modern sport bikes that can roll stoppies for days on end. Those distances came from bikes that could never lift the rear wheel. In that case, then obviously using the rear brake will shorten your stopping distance.

Originally posted by Ben-Diesel

In regards to stopping;

When you emergency brake, hit your rear brake the hardest at first, as you begin to decelerate, gradually shift the aggressive braking fron the front to the rear. You'd be suprised how hard you can use the front brake. You should practice the DMV's stopping test. Get good at it and practice often. It'll save you from stuff like this.

If I've said anything incorrect, someone feel free to put me straight.

-Ben

Ben-Diesel

· #17 · Aug 23, 2003

The DMV's stopping distance is based on speed. The faster you can stop at a shorter distance at a faster speed is the key. If I go 35 mph and can stop in such and such feet, that's better.

What I was saying in the above is you have to let off the rear brake as you come to a stop. And this is under the condition that you're emergency braking, not normal stopping. As the weight is shifting from the center to the front of the bike, your back tire will skid and the bike will fishtail. To avoid that, gradually lay off the pressure on the back tire and you're free to stop harder on the front. This has helped save my behind on many ocassions.

-Ben

bumblebee

Discussion Starter · #18 · Aug 24, 2003

I hope my forks are not bent because they cost about $1100 to replace. As far as braking goes i did jam on the front brakes also but i was so damn close to the curb that there was no chance of stoping. I ordered a used rim for 300 dollars and im still looking for a tire. I also have to replace the rear tire because two weeks earlier i got a nail stuck in it. I was gonna order a new one that day than this happened. So now i have to get two tires, this sucks i cant afford this shit. As far as the $500 wheelie, that wheelie cost me $500 so that what i mean by it. Its not definite that my forks are bent right bc if they are im screwed no more riding this season.[V]

STRIKER

· #19 · Aug 24, 2003

Glad you're not damaged but keep it up and your brain may be. Heed this as a sign - 3rd time's always the one. You've already had 2 close calls so don't be stupid.

Personally, I'm too reckless and dangerous a person to be riding a motorcycle, so I made a oath to myself that I will never learn or do stunts. I think they're cool, and appreciate the skill to do them but my ego doesn't need me to be able to do it.

Unless you're getting paid to risk injury or damage your bike then don't do it anymore. You've already proved you can so what else you gotta prove?

bumblebee

Discussion Starter · #20 · Aug 24, 2003

LOL your right about me having nothing to prove but my problem is, that my brain is already damaged thats my problem, until im dead or cant do any more tricks im not gonna stop, I know im an idiot but i love the thrill of the tricks[

)]

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