when you guys can ride a wheelie from one highway exit to another on a power wheelie let me know, because the only way I can do it is clutch up, I have never had a chain break from clutch ups, and unless your clutch is already on its way out clutch ups wont hurt it ither.

anyways the thread starter wants to know about clutch ups not power ups

 

first off let me start by apologizing to rel123456 for jacking his thread but i don't take very well to comments like rideoncbr is making.

rideoncbr - please let me know if i'm taking your comment the wrong way but it doesnt sound like a helpful reply to me right now. granted i'm not riding the longest wheelies but i'm pretty sure 4+ miles is good - even for a power wheelie. i guess you just assumed i didn't have this on lock. ive bee doin 12 o'clocks since friggin 2002 on a stock TL1000r. you shouldnt just fire off a comment like that before you at least find out who it is your making the comment about. thought this board was open forum to help people with our past experiences, successes and failures, not to make comments like you did. how do you friggin know whether or not i can make it from one exit to another?

again, sorry rel123456 for the jack, just trying to give you other options too.

 

I'm gonna have to agree, due to the fact that I can hit bp and hold it for quite a while on a power wheelie.

 

Regardless of whether you do a clutch or power up, the only way to get proficient is to practice. pick one and stay with it until your comfortable, if then you wish to practice the other, go ahead.


I personnally started with power ups. got that down and started doing clutch ups. for me clutch ups are easier and more controllable. Powerups were very jerky and violent when they come up. Clutching was smoother for me.


Whatever position you decide get comfortable with before attempting a wheelie. go to an area with NO traffic and a decent pavement. ride around and manuever the bike in whatever position you wish and get a feel for how it changes as opposed to sitting. (standing or straddling both front and rear pegs.) IMO when i tried straddling both sets of pegs the bike would always lean to the right because the weight on your right leg was at a lower center of gravity and influenced direction of travel more on initial take off.


Now having never ridden an F4i (mine was F2), The easiest way for me to explain a clutch up is kinda generic. i cant give you specific RPM numbers. they also vary from rider to rider because of rider's height, weight, and bike condition as well. they are a good baseline but are not set in stone for you as an individual.


Remember clutching up doesnt use a full pull on the clutch lever. you are simply "slipping" it into the friction zone long enough to raise the RPM into the higher end of the powerband. the difference in HP, torque, and acceleration from the time you started to slip the clutch to when you release at higher RPM is what gets your wheel up. just keep in mind that it is a very quick motion with the clutch lever.


Start straight up, if you begin to wheelie while leaned a lil bit it will pull the bike and is hard for a new rider to compensate/correct for.


roll on to the lower end of your powerband. now slip the clutch while simultaneously adding throttle. release clutch fully. (Tip: i use one or two fingers to slip the lever and keep the rest on the bar.) How much throttle you add will dictate how fast and high you will come up. start slow and get a feel for the sensation. as you get more comfortable add a lil throttle at a time and you can come up higher. try to keep your position on the bike as close to the same everytime as you can (Whether standing or sitting...). you can adjust from there if needed. some people like to give a tug on the bars as the release the clutch. I didnt do it but my buddy did, again personal preference.


REMEMBER TO COVER REAR BRAKE!!!!!


Ok. I by no means am a professional stunter. thats just the best way i know how to explain the way i do it. take it how you wish and tweak you fit your riding style.

Good luck, gear up, and ride safe.


-Fearless-

 

i personally power up my wheelies, but as many said ur way up in the rpms to actually ride them out very long. my wheel isnt up until like 8 grand, and it shoots up pretty quick from there. personally i rev up to around 8grand release the throttle and twist it right back up, and as im throttling i pull up on the handle bars too . i also just sit 'em down cuz i dont like the way it feels when im standing and the bike goes up. as many have said its personal preference, and i am by no means a pro at this. im also a relative noob to the whole stunting thing in general...so take what i say with a grain of salt...i think thats the phrase...

 

Personally speaking, I can't do wheelies ..... But I have read with great interest, what everyone has said. Maybe one day I'll have a "brave moment" Haha!

Be safe!

 

HAHA I'll offer my single-time experience with clutch wheelies. It was completely accidental, but I'll explain how it happened. I got the green light at an intersection and took off in first gear. I was going about 30mph when I tried to grab second, but my shoe got caught on something (ive always thought it to have been the ankle bracket in front of the chain) so I was stuck in neutral for a fraction of a second. The rpms jumped to around 8,000 and during the next fraction of that same second, it finally clicked into 2nd gear. When this happened, my handlebars floated right up to my face. So based on that horrifying experience, on an F4i at least, if you're going 30mph in second gear, revving to 8,000rpms and dumping the clutch will lift your front end with no problem and it will happen smoothly enough that even a person who wasnt expecting it to happen can regain control of the situation and set it down smoothly.

 

This video helped me alot.

 

haha I watched that vid too, it gave me and a friend some good pointers from the pros themselfs :P