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wheelies - learning clutch vs power

207K views 483 replies 121 participants last post by  Wheelieaddiction 
#1 ·
Sorry if this has been covered a million times.....

Seems most guys say clutch is easier but I've always found clutch wheelies a bit wild so never spent much time with them.

Is the main benefit ability to wheelie at lower speeds? I haven't done wheelies for a long time so considering myself a NOOB again - wondering which method I should go out and practice.

I'm looking at it as an exercise in bike control (and the pure fun factor :D )
 
#456 ·
iv got a new bike since i last posted. my ktm 620 is bang it in second and full throttle untill the front came up to where i want it and then do my best to keep it there which was never long. iv got a huqvarna te 450 now and it wheelies off the powere on 3/4 throttle in the first 4 gears and popd up in 5th with a little bounce on the bars. gonna go get some practice tonorrow off road.
 
#465 ·
I've always found it best to practice on a quad. A few reasons are, you can focus more on your technique by now having to worry about your balance, a better feel for brake control since your feet are up, and best thing is if you go to far over you'll just scrape the grab bar and not flip all the way over. It works great, most peeps can have a clutched or powered up wheelie with brake/balance control down in about an hour... Really helps with getting over the fear of flipping.
 
#476 · (Edited)
Most, if not all videos I watch on YT are people clutching it up (even on bikes with enough grunt to power it up in every gear) So I figured it must be the preferred or best technique to use. I don't use the clutch myself but I can see how it would give you more breathing room before a chase has begun.

I think using the clutch is harder to do, but depending on what bike you own, it could also be a necessity *points at Grom* :lol: I've just never had the inclination (mind the pun) to use the clutch on a bike that power-wheelies in the first 5 gears, but as others have said, it's probably not the best technique. The main difference as I see it, is to give yourself a decent window under power, you need to give the bike a little persuasion by way of weighting the bike, pre-loading the suspension, or reefing at the handlebars, or all of the above. With some practice, powering it up can give you all the time you need to settle into the BP without needing to change gears.

All of this becomes a non-issue if you (unlike me) have learned to cover the RB. Then you can just slow your wheelie down, And the window becomes infinite. I guess there's possibly only one advantage to power-wheelies over Clutch-ups, that being your clutch will probably live longer.
 
#477 ·
In my opinion, You need to clutch it up if you want to get up to the Balance Point at slower speeds with the RPMs lower. You can't power up the front in 1st or 2nd in a controlled way and keep the speeds low. You said you do and maybe you got it down but 95% of people won't ever be able to on a big single cylinder bike unless its geared to be a stunt bike. On the track to wheelie down the straights just give the bars a little tug and lean back instead of forward then click through the gears :) Yes i can power wheelie up to the BP in 2nd gear without shifting(typically click 3rd to get it sorted) but thats usually 35mph +. To get a controlled slow wheelie i just don't see how its possible or probably, but thats just my opinion as i am no wheelie guru or anything.

Also i had a drz for 12years or so. 30k miles of clutch dump wheelies on the stock clutch, starting when it was bone stock and brand new. Never changed it and around 26k miles it still measured in spec. Clutch dumps or rapid clutch pulls aren't as hard on a clutch as slipping/riding the clutch. It also helps takes some of the shock out of the driveline since nearly all the bikes we talk about don't have a cush drive rear. Its much easier on a bike if the chain is already loaded up and you can just roll on the power, but if not the clutch helps slip some of the hit.

Best way to learn to wheelie a supermoto is 2nd gear, up a hill with the clutch in my opinion. The biggest mistake people make is to be too high in the revs, especially on underpowered bikes like the wr250 and drz street SMs. Anyone who is riding a 450+ knows you just twist the wrist :)
 

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#478 ·
Well said. You just made me realize that's it's not all about speed and time but about "control" which is something I didn't really factor in.

I think you are right in saying the bike will be more stable while clutching and that it would be less erratic than powering it up. Something with which I want to experiment with now that you've said it. Having not clutched a bike up since I was a child on my KX 80, I do fear it, but as you say, that's what hills are for.

I would like to ask, does having a non-waved rear rotor help with wheelie-braking ? I am just wondering if the reason I struggle to cover the rear is because my rear brake feels like some kind of retarded ABS system- What I mean by that is the calipers pinch the rotor in intervals which feels very inconsistent. Would a non-waved rotor help much in that regard ?

Cool pic's btw!
 
#480 ·
Hmm, well that is worrying. I did some rummaging around the web and found a guy with the same brand rotor who's rotor wasn't warped but rather the thickness tolerances were out. He took it to Galfer and they concluded it was out by as much as .005- apparently this is enough to cause the "pulsing".

I think this is more likely the issue with my rotor as the pulse intervals are consistently inconsistent if you catch my drift. Feels like it's pulsing multiple times per revolution, whereas a warped rotor usually only pulses once.

As it happens, I do have a brand new Galfer rotor unopened, so I'll swap them out and see what happens.

Cheers!
 
#483 ·
Finally!!!!

I have taught my unorthodox brain to cover the rear for wheelies! Oh what a glorious day!

For quite a while of forcing myself, I thought It would never happen, but like most things persistence was the key! I am now able to go past the balance point with confidence as my foot finally found a path to my brain. Problem still remains that my rear brake is pulsing quite badly, which makes things a bit sketchy when trying to feather them. Checked the bolts on the hub and aligned my wheel perfectly, but the issue is still there. Maybe it's time to switch out rotors after all.

Still having trouble clutching it up though. Kind of feel like I'm buggering up my clutch just trying. Funny thing is that I can clutch it up easily while in first gear, but in 3rd, which is my sweet spot for wheelies, I can't seem to get the rev-matching right.

I'm still stoked about the rear brake wheelie action. :bannana:
 
#484 ·
Was the Brake pads all along.

I never would have believed that the pads alone can cause such issues. The pads were stock and almost new in condition, probably only 5% worn, but apparently they were slightly conditioned for the stock rotor.

Note to self: always replace pads when changing rotors, even if the stock one's are near perfect.
 
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