How to wheelie a F800 (yeah right!)

[MD1]

Far too much sensible stuff appearing here. I'm just a rebel waiting for menopause, so for your amusement...
Disclaimer - the writer takes no responsibilty for your irresponsibility
I also make no claims to be an expect by any stretch of the imagination and this is my personal take on the subject. I find it easy to wheelie a powerful 4 cylinder (who wouldn't?), so this post is about my technique for the F800 twin.

To me there are two camps for wheeliers; 1. power or 2. balanced.

Power -rely on horse power alone and either give up at the rev limiter or change up a gear and run to redline again..and repeat. This to me ends up at ridiculous speeds and cost me a brand new bike. The bike was 2 weeks old and the gearbox hadn't loosened up -see my excuse coming here... I was changing from 2nd to 3rd in seated position when I got a false neutral . Bike flipped backwards and somersaulted down the road into little bits and wrapped around a pole. The experience didn't do me much good either. Since then I haven't dared a gear change. Especially with the not so smooth F800 box.

[u]1. Power</u>. On the F800 I can only do this seated in first gear. Second gear just doesn't have the sudden hit of torque required to lift a 183kg bike and the belt probably sucks a bit of the 'jerk' you need to the back wheel. So it's ride along at about 6-7000 revs, power off then full on and lean back a bit, tilt your head back as well helps. It should rise up fairly quickly. I think this next tip is the key point for people struggling to learn how to hold a wheelie up for more than a split second without slamming the front down hard. To me the important bit is, as it rises do not panic and resist the instinct to close the throttle- slowly roll the throttle back a bit. Each time you try, roll back slower and hey presto, you will overcome the nerves and find you hold the wheel up longer and more importantly, you feel more relaxed about it. Next it's a case of practising rolling the power on a bit..off a bit..on a bit, SMOOTHLY so you can get a few more metres each time. To be honest I don't bother much in 1st, so I haven't ever ridden more than a few seconds seated in 1st gear. I find it much harder to find the balance point seated and it feels too much like it might flip backwards. Which leads me to my preferred option.
2.[u]]Stand up and balance it</u>
1st gear is too slow to maintain any distance on one wheel so it has to be 2nd, if not 3rd for the brave. To lift in second I have to stand up, which is handly because I feel more in control and safer standing believe it or not. Plus it looks cooler, a bonus.
At about 6500-7000revs (sorry I'm not too sure because I go by engine sound not looking at the rev. counter). Simultaneously stand up and lean forward over the clocks, close throttle a bit, roll on full power and pull directly upward on the bars. The natural reaction is to pull upward and backward at an angle - which wont work I've found. To start the wheel lifting I must pull directly vertical.
Once it's coming up, say half way to balance I start to lean back a bit with my body, stand straight in the saddle cowboy (John Wayne comes to mind here). All my control is then through my arms and throttle working together in perfect harmony, I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect...... (sorry burst of a coke anthem took over there). Where was I. Oh yeah, to keep balanced I move the handlebars back and forward. Sometimes it feels like they will almost touch my stomach as the front comes up too far because I try and keep my body/spine in the same position the whole time. My bodyline doesn't change, It's the bike's line that changes by floating back and forward, a bit like a shock absorber bouncing to and fro while the passengers are cushioned from the bumps. I hope that analogy works.
In 2nd gear I can regulate my speed from 90kph to about 125kph - which has me about a bees dick in length short of hitting the limiter. I know when I have landed the front and looked down in horror to see I'm well into the redzone, past 8500. I have hit the rev limiter when lowering but not for ages. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The landing. To avoid damaging the fork seals and who knows what else, I back off a bit of power to start the front lowering and at the same time you start to sit down on the seat, but before bum hits seat, I roll the power on for blue murder to get a soft touchdown that wouldn't ruffle a feather. It's usually here that I discover I am well beyond the redline and close to hitting the limiter. But that doesn't matter so long as the front wheels lands as soft as a babies bum.
make sure you straighten the front wheel up on landing of course. I have experienced crossed-up landings and seen friends near ejected from the bike by the tank slappers that follow. Mind you some of them have been ejected from bars by slappers, same difference.

Myth - folks will tell you to cover the rear brake i.e. have your foot over the brake pedal. The gun wheelie guys I know all admit to claiming to do this, but we all secretly confess that if push comes to 'oh shit it's going over', we wont think or have time to try the rear brake to bring it back under control. I have tried to remind myself to place my foot over the pedal, and I do if seated, but especially when standing it's unlikely to work - the throttle is my escape route. Which is why I am now gun shy to change gear!

I find the F800 is a brilliant bike with great engine control allowing me to balance once standing up on one wheel, and I can steer it a bit left or right, ride over crests uphill and downhill which really surprises friends following.
I will get some video taken sometime soon I hope when I can arrange the time place and camera set up.
Until then, take care folks and ride responsibly. Time and place and all that.

[Kaj]

Here in Finland Police will take your licence for a few months if you get caught. Since the riding season is only few months long, I don't want to take that risk. So, no wheelies on public roads (tracks are another story).

For the rest of the braves, don't drop your bikes.

[Herrdirektor]

Article 5 of the roadlaws is what applies to the Netherlands when police will take your license away for doing a wheelie on the public road.

Anyway, I think that MD1 simply explains how to make a wheelie. Up to the forum members to simulate this on the public roads or race track.

Tnx for the info, but I'm too chicken to do that with my precious bike and life.

[Roadpizza]

Now that was just plain fun to read! Thank's for taking the time to put your thoughts on the matter down in such detail.

[MD1]

Cheers Guys. I wrote that while in a cheeky frame of mind. Please don't read this and go out and crash your nice bike, hurt yourself or worse, or lose your licence because of my late night ramblings above. I started on dirt bikes so wheelies were essential.

I am a law abiding model citizen, no really!, but motorbikes are my vice. Everyone should have atleast one vice. I accept that some of my riding may cost me my licence one day. Wheelies would most likely be a lose of licence. Some kind Cops have issued instant fines but if they deem the circumstances were careless or dangerous riding to others then it's big trouble here too ( Court appearance, large fine and disqualification). Better that than my life I know.
I am very careful about where and when. Go find some empty country roads and fresh air and all that. Usually it's at track days or controlled motor sport events.

It's all about FUN. But safe fun OK.

[rb800]

hahaha, thanks for the advice!! I would love to say I'm going to go straight out and practice away on a runway somewhere. But I'm not, I'm far too much of a chicken. Nice reading though!

[Flopp]

Count me tarred and feathered too. Always wondered how it was done but I am far to much of a wimp to try it.

Unfortunately, my confidence level is getting kind of high on the bike atm. Many times I have found myself at far above (read 2x and more) above the limit in city driving (on major city thoroughfares the limit is already 90kph). The bike is just so stable and confidence inspiring at any speed that it is so easy to find an opening and just go.

I really have to start riding like an old man again. The city cops really frown on speeding bikes because of all the trouble the 600 rockets cause. Count me very lucky so far.

[Petro]

Thanks MD1. Except you shouldn't tempt people (like me).

I'd love to be able to do one - but wouldn't try on the F800.

For thode who might more seriously be tempted: check out YouTube first!

[the1sen]

Mark, you're the man, sir. got me a long distance wheelie form 1st to second, but now i can do 2nd gear wheelies because of you!

please tell Barry i said hi.

you rule.

[MD1]

Originally posted by the1sen

Mark, you're the man, sir. got me a long distance wheelie form 1st to second, but now i can do 2nd gear wheelies because of you!

please tell Barry i said hi.

you rule.

Share the knowledge, share the love. That's what this site is all about. Well done mate. You are keen getting a gear change. I don't trust the klonky beemer box enough to try a clutchless shift and haven't got the hand/foot speed to clutch in, upshift,clutch out before the front end drops back to earth! That I must practice.

On previous bikes I could clutchless upshift near the redline, but only from 2nd to 3rd.
My best wheelie buddy jumped on the test bike F800ST I tried in Decmeber 06 before buying and he instantly went 1st to 2nd no trouble. Show off.

[Mystic]

Hey Mark,

I'll pop over and you can show me on your bike. (I'll ride) I manage to get the front up a bit but its usually a case of oh shit and then I put it down again. Have this recurring thought that its just going to go straight over. And with cars immediately behind me I hesitate but with your input above and what I think it means below I'll have another go in a place with no cars behind me.

It seems to me the solution is to go buy a rat bike and get the routine sorted. For those of you in Auckland you'll find they run stunt days out at Whenuapai air base where you can practise wheelies, stoppies go in circles doing wheelies etc. I think you need to look on kiwibiker for the days they're on. A GPZ550 from the mid 80's is going to cost all of $500, change the rear sprocket and get the gearing right down and you should be able to pull wheelies with ease. And if you drop it you buy another GPZ 550 for spares. Once your sorted then take to the F800.

So what your saying above is that you use the slowing revs to compress the front forks and use the rebound to lift the bike. So this becomes a timing issue, decelerate and accelerate with the rebound to pull the front into the air. If you accelerate after the rebound you could be working hard. So you'd need to pull on the way up or near the top of the rebound to keep the lifting going.

I'll be done your way in the next month or so you can show me then. I've been passed up here on a country road by a bike that was fair moving. The rider pulled a wheelie as soon as he got in front of me and kept it going for the whole straight down and up hill. Impressive.

I've just realised I have a rat bike of sorts an old XR250 that I was going to sell off. Hmmm.

Mark is an off roader or a road bike better to practise with. That is do i sell the XR and buy the GPZ.

Cheers and thanks for the post.

[MD1]

Yeah sure Des, you can try it on my bike to avoid wrecking yours - - NOT!

I'd say have a play on the XR250 first to get used to the sensation. A good bike to start on. Falling off on the dirt used to be a fairly painless affair. Pick yourself up, dust off and at worse you had a snapped $10 clutch lever. Not sure about trying a small/mid size old road bike. They wont have much get up and go. More Hp = much easier to learn to wheelie.
Yes, powering off for a sec seems to compress front and rear suspension which helps. From what I've heard the softer your set up/extended spring at the rear wheel means your initial burst of drive will be soaked up in compressing the rear spring rather than rotating the bike up the sproket.
Let me know before you come down so we can meet up.

[Aigeas]

lolol

Are you stupid MD1, like all the braves!
it should you take a Greek passport!

[ig0r]

hello many frends plenty! i am for drive with the weely! thank you for this info!

but, i am go too far up i think because my wife is falling off these seat and when she is doing these moto is throw me off onto the streets next to my wife. so, i am taking these moto onto dirt like you say and is for worse measures i think because only much dirt is fly out from back weel and i am not doing weely!

i think these is fun to be. i am doing many time for to practice but moto is broken now! one mirror is fall of and breaking water mashyna is broken with moto glass to. i am for fix these and then to the weely again! thank you for this info!

[Flopp]

I am really beginning to feel sorry for ig0r's wife.

[Kaj]

According to my notes, there is only two members here who types i instead of I when speaking about himself.
ig0r and (guess who).

Sorry for this info!

[badcat]

Originally posted by Kaj

According to my notes, there is only two members here who types i instead of I when speaking about himself.
ig0r and (guess who).

Sorry for this info!

Would this someone also have a major problem with ducks?

[Mystic]

Originally posted by MD1

Yeah sure Des, you can try it on my bike to avoid wrecking yours - - NOT!

I'd say have a play on the XR250 first to get used to the sensation. A good bike to start on. Falling off on the dirt used to be a fairly painless affair. Pick yourself up, dust off and at worse you had a snapped $10 clutch lever. Not sure about trying a small/mid size old road bike. They wont have much get up and go. More Hp = much easier to learn to wheelie.
Yes, powering off for a sec seems to compress front and rear suspension which helps. From what I've heard the softer your set up/extended spring at the rear wheel means your initial burst of drive will be soaked up in compressing the rear spring rather than rotating the bike up the sproket.
Let me know before you come down so we can meet up.

Yep I would guess hard on the rear and soft on the front. Under braking thr front would compress. The softer the front, the greater the rebound and I would guess the easier to lift. It doesn't matter how gutless then orad bike is if you change the sprocket you'll kill the top end but you'll wheelie all day long. I thought the stunt bikes all did this. Including Chris on the F800. From memory an article mentioned he changed the front and rear pulley.

Time to visit the kiwi biker forum me thinks. This post could well be the catalyst that has me making the stunt days up here.

What we need is over the top crash bars for the F800 that allow it to be dropped over and over.

[Doodads]

I was riding south on Interstate 270 today, there was medium traffic both ways. I saw two guys on the northbound side in the traffic, going about 60 mph, doing wheelies. Unbelievably stupid.

[Mystic]

Yeah I agree there is a time and a place.

Adding to the MD1 thread I found this on Kiwi Biker, it's a good read for adding a bit more info to how to do a wheelie.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=28024


and also you can buy cages for bikes

http://www.freestyleingenuity.com/

Check out the video on the top right showing the cages in action when you click through to the mroe no cages part.

MD1 I've been having a go and with a bit more nerve I may just get there. I'm going to switch to the dirt bike in the garage that I'm getting together to sell and play on that.

Cheers.

[Noyah]

I'm still on the 1gear seated wheelie, trying to shake the feeling when the bike comes up.
Slipping the clutch is something i cant seem to figure out.

I'm not sure what i want to do with my wheelies, I'm not interested in stunt riding and not interested in highway speed wheelies(high speeds).
I prefer "power wheelie" 1 gear - wheeeeeelie - back to normal

I'm sure i will try standing up second gear uiils in the future but for now I'm happy with my little noob wheelies

Thanks for sharing MD1

[AZ-J]

There is a video here for how to learn to wheelie, Flash Player req'd



Enjoy the lesson

[Mystic]

Originally posted by TweetyOne

There is a video here for how to learn to wheelie, Flash Player req'd

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...38402466&hl=en

Enjoy the lesson

That was brilliant, thanks. Hopefully that'll help get the front staying up longer. I still don't like the feeling though.

Thanks TweetyOne

[AZ-J]

Originally posted by Mystic

That was brilliant, thanks. Hopefully that'll help get the front staying up longer. I still don't like the feeling though.

Thanks TweetyOne

My pleasure. That a Britten for your avatar? Beautiful and saw it live at the Art of the Motorcycle show years ago.

[Mystic]

Originally posted by TweetyOne

Originally posted by Mystic

That was brilliant, thanks. Hopefully that'll help get the front staying up longer. I still don't like the feeling though.

Thanks TweetyOne

My pleasure. That a Britten for your avatar? Beautiful and saw it live at the Art of the Motorcycle show years ago.

Yep a Britten and I've sat on one. Sadly I never got to ride it. The real curse is that all the photos I had taken of me came out badly. The flash didn't work so they're very dark photos.

A beautiful bike though and skinny.

[AZ-J]

My pleasure. That a Britten for your avatar? Beautiful and saw it live at the Art of the Motorcycle show years ago.

Yep a Britten and I've sat on one. Sadly I never got to ride it. The real curse is that all the photos I had taken of me came out badly. The flash didn't work so they're very dark photos.

A beautiful bike though and skinny.

Funny you should say skinny, always thought if the F800S was a V-twin instead of the paralllel twin, how skinny it would be. But it is so smooth as the counter-balanced paralllel twin, you have no complaints from me.

[Roadpizza]

Here is a site from the French that is pretty entertaining..... http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_4507_en.html

[keithr]

Mine are strictly 1st gear wheelies, havent perfected 2nd gear wheelies yet. During the wheelies I sometimes get "rear wheel hopping" (bouncing) brought on by the rear tyre losing and regaining traction.

Methinks, it was the wheelies that aided and abetted in the destruction of my rear tyre

[de100kb]

LOL, thanks Roadpizza, it was quiet amazing to see the front come up.... hey, what the..... that's MY bike!

[Crinkly]

No mirror extenders yet absolutely no sign of elbows!

Proof that you lot all talk a lot of nonsense

BTW:

Hello!

[AZ-J]

Originally posted by de100kb

LOL, thanks Roadpizza, it was quiet amazing to see the front come up.... hey, what the..... that's MY bike!

MINE too, and I was so facsinated watch that entire thing, I actually downloaded it as a Windows Media File, and I can play it again and again FULL SCREEN on the monitor-it's a gas! What a great "training" tool, as well!

Can't wait 'til it cools off here, and it's coming soon! Then I can practice the technique... maybe.

[alteregovw]

I have now done my first wheelies thanks to this post!!

I did a few first gear ones and it is kinda fun to just pull it up a little bit when taking off. You can just twist it as much as you want to get the front a little up or a lot up. I don't know if I'll ever do the 2nd gear ones,,, at least not this season.

[Roadpizza]

Proper thanks for the F800S video goes to Billy Corgan of the Français F800 Discussion. That's my bike too!

[MD1]

Originally posted by alteregovw

I have now done my first wheelies thanks to this post!!

I did a few first gear ones and it is kinda fun to just pull it up a little bit when taking off. You can just twist it as much as you want to get the front a little up or a lot up. I don't know if I'll ever do the 2nd gear ones,,, at least not this season.

Ah good. I have corrupted another soul . My work is done!
Good on you for giving it a go. Wheelies add a whole new dimension to riding for me.
Just enjoy the buzz of your front wheel lofting in the air in 1st. Each time you go a metre further is just reward.
I followed a couple of cars last weekend doing a wheelie and the arms waving approvingly out the windows and wide eyes staring out the back windows were the icing on the cake after a day out riding.
Although it almost backfired a few weeks ago when I did a wheelie closing in on a small car ahead only to discover the next car ahead was an unmarked Police car! 100kpm zone so I slowed to 80..the cop slowed to 80...the small car passes the slowing cop car. I slowed to 70..cop slows. Next bend I quickly stopped and told my friends to ride on and I would find them later. I waited 2 minutes and caried on. Oh shit, short distance ahead there is the muflti car at the side of the road! I did a u-turn about 30 metres short of him and high tailed out of there, took the first side road and hide up a farmer's driveway.

[SRXy]

Originally posted by MD1

Originally posted by alteregovw

I have now done my first wheelies thanks to this post!!

I did a few first gear ones and it is kinda fun to just pull it up a little bit when taking off. You can just twist it as much as you want to get the front a little up or a lot up. I don't know if I'll ever do the 2nd gear ones,,, at least not this season.

Ah good. I have corrupted another soul . My work is done!
Good on you for giving it a go. Wheelies add a whole new dimension to riding for me.
Just enjoy the buzz of your front wheel lofting in the air in 1st. Each time you go a metre further is just reward.
I followed a couple of cars last weekend doing a wheelie and the arms waving approvingly out the windows and wide eyes staring out the back windows were the icing on the cake after a day out riding.
Although it almost backfired a few weeks ago when I did a wheelie closing in on a small car ahead only to discover the next car ahead was an unmarked Police car! 100kpm zone so I slowed to 80..the cop slowed to 80...the small car passes the slowing cop car. I slowed to 70..cop slows. Next bend I quickly stopped and told my friends to ride on and I would find them later. I waited 2 minutes and caried on. Oh shit, short distance ahead there is the muflti car at the side of the road! I did a u-turn about 30 metres short of him and high tailed out of there, took the first side road and hide up a farmer's driveway.

the 1st gear ones are working nicely atm...not getting much distance atm...but I'm working on it

[Kaj]

Yesterday I managed to get a wild wheelie (by accident). I was accelerating hard, was already on fourth gear, road went up and suddenly dropped down (almost like a jump). Rear tire was on the ground, but front went towards sky for a long time. Speed was about 140 - 150 km/h. Although I didn't do it by purpose, it didn't scare me at all, bike was really stable and landing was nice and smooth.

I was smiling quite a long time afterwards.

[kismetcapitan]

people wheelie with impunity in Seoul, and I've seen some brave souls hold a wheelie from stoplight to stoplight. I say brave because the taxi drivers are hellbent on getting in everyone's way, and when you see a wreck, there is inevitably a taxi involved.

The police only really get involved if you're riding in a pack, and then even then, you simply won't get caught, because you can zip away far faster than they can catch you. Riding on highways is unfortunately illegal, but see above - it doesn't really stop people, basically motorcycle couriers who understandably won't take the really really long way around, and Hayabusa/liter bike owners, as there's no other place to really ride and get things cooking.

The one technique Korean police have developed, and works, is they'll have a plainclothes cop standing at a crosswalk intersection. An unmarked cop car will radio to the cop on the sidewalk (who's got an earpiece receiver). He will then cross the street with the rest of the mob of pedestrians, but then will suddenly reach over and snag the keys out of your bike. At that point, you're dead in the water, and the cops haul you over to the side and ticket you.

[batamali]

Hey Kismet,

I thought living in Serbia was interesting but it seems like S.Korea is much more...
Here we have riders which regularly attend car rallies, wait in the crowd and than race them (cars) what makes the crowd very happy... if the cops start to chase them, it's a bonus and everybody is hilarious

[kismetcapitan]

I now add the "speedbump" technique - any bump in the road will do so long as you hit it correctly. Roll on in 1st, and once you're going, slam on the throttle hard. The front will go light, and then hitting the bump will get you airborne

[holyroller]

Share the knowledge, share the love. That's what this site is all about. Well done mate. You are keen getting a gear change. I don't trust the klonky beemer box enough to try a clutchless shift and haven't got the hand/foot speed to clutch in, upshift,clutch out before the front end drops back to earth! That I must practice.

On previous bikes I could clutchless upshift near the redline, but only from 2nd to 3rd.
My best wheelie buddy jumped on the test bike F800ST I tried in Decmeber 06 before buying and he instantly went 1st to 2nd no trouble. Show off.

I don't know how it is on other bikes (it's 10 years since I last owned a 125 until this one), but I finally got my eye in yesterday on clutchless upshifting.

Accelerating in 2nd to a little over 5k and rolling off the power but only enough to slow acceleration rather than induce engine braking and it snecked in clutch free as smooth as you like. at the same power I was able to do the same into 4th and 5th. Less engine rock and no hint of a problem in the gearbox. I think I'll be trying that some more.


Thanks MD1 on the OP, I can see one badly bruised f800 bike and rider coming along and it's most likely to be me. It's all experience.