Performing a horse or "wheelie" is a technique that can be very useful when we go out on roads and it is necessary to overcome logs or small obstacles.
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Making a wheelie with your motorcycle is as simple as finding the balance point using the throttle grip.
To practice wheelies, I recommend finding a place without traffic and if possible with a soft surface, such as beach sand or grass.
Remember to always keep your right foot on the stirrup, because if the wheelie gets out of control, by activating the rear brake we will be able to lower the front wheel.
Types of rocking horse
It is possible to differentiate two types of horse mainly:
1 - Foot horse (gas blow): This type of horse is characterized by being very showy, since the motorcycle driver needs to be standing to control the distribution of weights of the motorcycle. It is the easiest wheelie to practice.
2 - Seated wheelie (with clutch): This type of wheelie is characterized by starting the wheelie with the motorcycle in motion. This type of wheelie is the most used if we are looking for long distances to a wheel.
How to make a wheelie without using the clutch?
Most of today's enduro motorcycles have enough power to steer the front wheel without using the clutch, only with the power of the engine.
Below I explain the most important steps that we must follow to perform a wheelie or wheelie safely on your motorcycle without using the clutch.
Guide to make a wheelie with gas shot step by step
Find a place away from traffic, straight and flat
Find a place where there are no obstacles that could hinder the maneuver. If there is a slight slope the process will be much easier.
Another important point is the grip. The stone paths are not the most suitable for practicing this technique since unless it is well compacted it will facilitate the skidding of the rear wheel, making it difficult to perform the wheelie.
The grip of the tires on asphalt is very good, although I do not recommend it for beginners ... for what may happen.
Start rolling in second (or third) gear
The trick is to maintain a not very high speed in which we are able to maintain the revolutions of our motorcycle just before the power stroke.
When you give a gas tip, what we want is to add a little RPM to our motorcycle where its power begins, we do not want it to reach the maximum revolutions.
The appropriate zone is to be around 1/3 of the revolutions that the engine generates.
Stand up and slightly bend your knees
Look at the photo at the beginning of the post. Do you see how the position of the body is and the knees are somewhat bent? That is an excellent posture for learning to wheelie.
The feet must be flat on the stirrups, make sure you are not on tiptoe, as it may be necessary to apply the rear brake to balance our motorcycle.
Lean back slightly
What we are not trying to do is hold on tight to the handlebar and pull it back. We are only distributing the weight of our body towards the rear to make it easier to raise the front wheel.
Think for a second and then add a touch of gas!
Although it sounds contradictory, what we want is in that second or tenths of a second to cut gas, in order to lean the bike forward for a short period of time.
This movement will generate a preload in the suspension that will help to lift the front wheel off the ground in a smoother way when hitting the gas.
Keep gas and control the wrist
Raising the front wheel is the easy part.
Now that we have the front tire in the air, that's when throttle control and balance come into play.
Ideally, use the accelerator until you find the equilibrium point where we can maintain speed.
How to make a wheelie by biting the clutch
Unlike standing wheelies, this type of wheelie can be performed in a seated position, using the clutch to help lift the front wheel.
Guide to making a wheelie using the clutch step by step
Chop the clutch
To perform this type of wheelie it is necessary to have the motorcycle moving in first gear, moving slowly.
By grasping and releasing the clutch for an instant, what we will achieve is to rev the engine and deliver the power directly to the rear wheel, which will generate a sudden lift of the front wheel.
As you release the clutch, you may also need to pull back on the handlebars gently to remove the front wheel from the ground.
Make sure you have your foot on the rear brake to control the lean of the bike.
Start by lifting the wheel off the ground a few centimeters and with practice, you will feel more secure and you will be able to get wheelies for longer periods of time as well as raise the front wheel more easily.
Use the rear brake
When the rear brake acts on the back of the motorcycle, what it generates is a change in the distribution of weights of the motorcycle that implies the lowering of the front wheel.
When we step on the rear brake while doing a wheelie, the front wheel will come down very easily.
It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the use of the rear brake in order to control the height of the front wheel.
Find the balance point
Before trying to find the balance point using the gas, remember that you can always lower the front wheel using the rear brake.
To find this balance, the only possible solution is practice. The more we practice, the easier it will be to find this point where it is easy for us to keep the wheelie.
Maintain the balance point
When you find the balance point that we mentioned before, you will feel much more comfortable while doing the wheelie.
When you notice that the front wheel begins to fall, you only need to give a pinch of gas, very soft, until you find the balance point again and maintain it.
Throttle control is vital. If we give too much gas, we may need to use the rear brake to avoid falling off the bike.
If we apply too much force to the rear brake, we will lose acceleration, so we will tend to lose the height of the front wheel.
Tips for beginners
1 - Do not try to do the wheelie too fast. To practice in second or third gear it will be more than enough.
2 - Do not sit or lean too far back.
3 - Do not pull on the handlebar to lift the motorcycle. Use the gas and your weight to raise the front wheel.
4 - It may not turn out right the first time. Don't despair and keep practicing. You will improve over time.
5 - The more you practice, the better it will turn out for you.
6 - My recommendation is to practice until you reach the point of equilibrium with the first blow of gas. So you will be able to make wheelies much safer
7 - Don't forget SAFETY: Make sure you wear gloves, boots, a helmet and even knee pads. The last thing we want is to fall down and hurt ourselves.
7 TIPS to avoid crashing when doing a wheelie.
Remember that whenever we are riding our motorcycle there is a risk of falling.
When we start practicing the wheelies, that is when we have the best chance of falling, since we are exploring a new terrain in which we still do not know the limits of our bike.
Control your right wrist. If you are too aggressive on the throttle, you may end up on the ground.
Always keep your right foot on the brake, so that you can lower the front wheel quickly if it passes the balance point.
If you have more than one enduro or motocross motorcycle, learn to wheelie with the one with the least power. The more power the engine has, the more likely it is to crash.
Make sure the terrain where you are going to wheelie is as flat as possible. Possible obstacles or potholes can cause an accident.
Directly related to the previous one, it checks that the straight is long enough to perform the wheelie without colliding with possible obstacles during the course of it.
Balance point control is key.
If you are slightly overweight, you will need to adjust a little less posture to make the perfect wheelie.
Whether you are going to do a simple wheelie or if you are going to ride with friends, make sure you always carry the appropriate safety elements.
Tips for making longer wheelies
Try to keep the front wheel in the air, most of the time, but go as slowly as possible. This technique will help us to distribute the weights more efficiently as well as to have absolute control of the gas and the rear brake.
While doing a wheelie, try turning the handlebars to the side, while keeping your touch on the throttle.
Try to stand on the footboards of the motorcycle for as long as possible.
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