How to Ride a Wheelie on a Motorcyle
A wheelieis a maneuver in which the front wheel of a bike is raised above the ground while balancing the bike’s body on its rear wheel. It is one of the most famous stunts performed on a bike or motorcycle. Despite its popularity, it is one of the most risky stunts in which the rider risks his life.
Besides this, riding a wheelie is not as difficult as it looks and can be learned lucidly with just few useful steps as mentioned below.
Choosing the proper motorcycle:
It is vital to choose a bike that is suitable for a wheelie. A preferable motorcycle should have a good power to weight ratio i.e. the bike should be light and powerful. For example, a 125 cc 2 stroke Dirt bike would be a good choice for beginners.
Tip: Remember that two stroke bikes are ideal for a wheelie since their engines have more acceleration as compared to a four stoke motor.
Safety first:
Always wear your safety goggles while riding a motorbike. Wear a good quality helmet and other safety equipments for protecting your knees and elbows properly. The usage of crash cage bar is always recommended in order to prevent the bike from falling.
Selecting the form of stunt: Usually there are two ways of performing a wheelie:
~Static wheelie.~Dynamic wheelie.
Static wheelie:-
In this type of stunt, a person performs the wheelie by abruptly accelerating a stationary motorcycle in order to give the front wheel a lift. While adjusting the throttle properly, the bike continues in motion on the rear wheel. The following are the steps for performing the safest form of wheelie.
Adjust your position on the bike so as to put more weight on the rear wheel.
Shift the first gear while pulling the clutch lever tightly.
Throttle up the bike in order to increase engine’s RPM significantly high.
Suddenly release the clutch lever while controlling the throttle. This would give the front tire an abrupt lift and cause the motorcycle to move forward.
Despite the dangers of wheeling, the above mentioned procedure is quiet safe because there are rare chances of loosing the control of the bike.
Dynamic wheelie:-
This is a more professional type of maneuver that requires much more practice before attempting. But still this kind of wheelie is the most popular among the enthusiasts. To perform this stunt properly, follow the given steps:-
Find a clear long and wide road that has no bumps or pits on it.
Start the engine and accelerate the bike to a decent speed of 10 to 15 miles an hour on the first gear.
Tip: It is a good practice to repeat this step two to three times in order to get a proper idea of acceleration of the motorbike.
While having a firm control of the motorcycle, adjust your sitting position more towards the rear wheel i.e. give more weight on the rear wheel in order to attain a lift.
Release the throttle and instantly pull it again. While doing this, you would feel the front wheel lifting up and all the weight being dragged to the rear wheel.
Repeat the throttling technique over and over again until the desired lift is obtained.
Therefore, performing stunts like wheelie can be a lot of fun but there is no guarantee that the stuntman would do it unharmed. Even most of the professionals are unable to perform these maneuvers properly. Thus one should take extreme precautions before attempting any such act and always remember to play this game safely and smartly.
