Wheelies and Balance
From DirtyTorque
How to Wheelie
The wheelie has captured the attention and imagination of riders and spectators alike since the inception of dirt bike riding.
The movie “On any Sunday” starring Steve Mc Queen and several stars from that era proved to start a dirt bike craze, with Jeff Ward wheeling a trails bike slowly in first gear a few hundred meters in the movie. What made Jeff Ward’s wheelie antics really impressive is that he was probably only 10 years old when he appeared “on any Sunday”. From the first time I saw Jeff Ward wheelie I knew that was something I really wanted to be able to do one day. It took me many hours of practice, rear fenders and roasties but by the time I was 15 years old , I had mastered the slow balance wheelie with my rear brake on my trails bike.
Here are a few tips to help you start your first chapter off , “on learning how to wheelie”
- It’s best to try and use a bike without a killer power band like a trails bike, Yamaha TTR 125 - TTR 230 , 125cc , 200cc 0r 250cc 4 stroke.
- A recreational Quad like the new Yamaha Raptor 250 is very easy to learn how to wheelie on in first gear because when you reach balance point before flipping, the Quad rests on the rear fame bar. ( on most occasions)
- It’s best to learn how to wheelie in first gear because if you get it wrong you can jump off the rear of the bike and run behind the bike and probably save it.
- A field or a smooth dirt road on an incline are the most suited areas to learn how to wheelie.
- Takkies or Army Boots give you a much better feel for the rear brake than MX Boots.
- Balance point is the point where your front forks are parallel with the ground.
Now that we have spoken about the ingredients and location we move on to the wheelie.
- Pull off in first gear sitting in the middle of your bike.
- Press the rear brake pedal with your right foot to get a feel for it and to make sure your rear brake is working while your bike is in motion.
- Now put your head over the handle bars to compress the front forks while your foot is resting slightly on the rear brake pedal.
- Using one or two fingers you slip the clutch and accelerate at the same time.
- Your front wheel will start to lift, keep the throttle action smooth while accelerating .
- Just before balance point (front forks parallel with the ground) you must ensure you are ready with the rear brake and clutch.
- The rear brake if pressed will stop you from flipping but you need to use the clutch and throttle again to stay at balance point to maintain your wheelie.
Extra Wheelie tips
The best way to learn how to co-ordinate your clutch, throttle and rear brake control.
- Practise mini-wheelies in succession.
- A mini wheelie means to lift your front wheel about 30 cm off the ground.
- When you have lifted your wheel about 30cm off the ground DAB the rear brake and then pull the clutch in , a split second after dabbing the rear brake.
- Every time you do a mini-wheelie you will learn the basic art of the wheelie process and gain confidence
- Practise mini-wheelies in succession for about 100m then turn around and practise all the way back to your starting point.
Remember it takes many hours of practice to wheelie like a pro but even if you are busy it only takes 10min of practice a day. Don’t give up if you don’t succeed at first and remember to keep your bike in first gear otherwise you will blow your confidence if you flip at speed.
Hang in there at Balance point, don’t give up and remain positive if you want to be a wheelie king.
Reference
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William Gillitt aka Wild Will has been operating dirt bike riding tours and academies in the heart of the ZuluKingdom, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa for almost 3 years now. He is an accomplished rider having achieved success in a range of disciplines and still he remains impassioned to ride every day of his life.
