3 words...Wheelie For Safety 

/thread

Like many others, I dislike wheelies and stunting on the road.  As a guy in his late 30 who rides anything other than a Harley, I get tired of the 'tude that riding sport bikes generates among the non-initiated who immediately assume that just because I ride sport bikes I ride like that kid in the shorts and flip flops that whipped around them doing 80mph in a 25 mph zone and then wheelied away from them. It creates a horrible perception for all of us and, like someone else mentioned, makes it that much harder to get treated seriously by other motorists, public safety workers, etc.  And how many of us have been pissed because some idiot cager ran over us or someone we know and basically got away with it, only getting some stupid "improper movement" ticket or something equally meaningless?  I have to think that our bad image plays into that to.  After all, if you ride a sport bike and get into an accident the default position by non-bikers is "he was probably riding like an idiot."  Now stunting isn't strictly responsible for this perception, but it sure as hell doesn't help.

Also, as a side note, my opinion of even professional stunters took a hit last year at the AMA races at VIR.  I was leaving the vendor area on my 1098S, heading back to the campground, when one of Jason Britton's teammates apparently decided I was in his way.  He whipped around me to the left, into oncoming traffic entering the vendor area, and then made a hard right turn toward the paddock, completely cutting me off in the process.  I was on the front brakes hard enough that the back wheel was in the air to avoid T-boning him.  I was NOT amused.

Quote from: Pancake81 on July 11, 2008, 09:24:57 PM
well... this is kinda a tough one for me to comment on. Seems how I am ussually the guy writing the articles on How to Wheelie  . I can see where you guys are going with the squidishness, responsabiltiy, safety, small members  , and young and stupid comments. I consider myself an above average rider in the twisties, well above on the stunting and who cares about in a straight line  . Now I work out of town and away from my beautiful S4, so when I am home all I want to do ride, and ride hard. This doesnt mean hit the freeway and do some 3 mile wheelies, but rather hit the twisties. Now if I come over a hill am I going to wheelie down the other side? Damn Straight! and up the next hill if I can hold it. Am I a squid? To some of you sure... anyone over the speed limit is a squid. Am I going to change my style? I dont see why I should. I am riding within what I believe to be my limits, and we all break the law anyway. For example, all those exhaust that say "For Offroad Use Only", thats you too my fellow law breakers.

Now please dont ask me what I do for living and we should be ok 

EGADS. I am with U on this one brother. I will even take it one step further. I still occaisionally pull the wheel down the main drag. "Trying to get attention" Ya, possibly. But usually I am egged on.
I really get a kick out of some of you riders that think. " Oh,, its ok as long as we do it in a safe enviroment" Where would that be ? ?.
I just did a 2 day trip, 1400 kms(900 mile ish) Over half was mountains roads. What a blast. But,,, to say that its ok to drive fast on these roads. Ha, more fricken blind corners, rocks on road & very slow going sight C-ers. Made for aot of adreniline rushes. Like I said "what a blast"
For anybody to buy a 100 HP motorcycle (sport motorcycle) & then ride it like a tourer,,,,,,well,, to each ther own.
I am fairly confident in my riding skills. I havent gone beyond "MY LIMITS" for many many yrs.
I know it isnt everones "Cup of tea", & I also know that there are people who actually drive the speed limit,,"All the time" (How,, I am not sure !!! )
Stats will show that more of us squids get into accidents... & I wont argue that. But,,, I bought all my bikes to have fun on,, & that I will do

PS: No "LA",, I wasnt referring to U,,,,,tho U did say it as well. I hear alot of this. "Its ok to drive fast on open mountain rds". Well,, unless they have actually closed the road off for U guys to do your little runs on,, your still endandouring others.

Hmmm,, I may have gotton off of topic slightly,,, imagine that Enough said.

Quote from: CromoMann on July 10, 2008, 07:03:30 PM
I'm a bit jealous that I can't ride a long wheelie, but it really doesn't bother me that much.

Besides, at least for the 2V engines - wheelies != 

I forget the exact result, but oil get's out of the engine and on the back tire if you stand it up for very long.  I might think that was one of my urban legends, but I saw the same thing happen to Jason Britton on a bridge crossing he did on a DS1100 HM.

No thanks - I'll keep practicing my turning and stopping.

Huh?  The breather and the drain bolt are the only two places that come to mind as to how oil could get out of an engine (not counting the fill cap)  You saw the bike puke oil onto the back tire?  Is this a 12 o'clock deal?

Please tell me a little more about that bridge crossing. . .

couldnt find the vid of jason brit on a HM, i remember he only rides his GSXR600.

As far as the wheelie oil spit thing goes, its only true for bikes with the crank case breather mod.

i can honestly say, i've never done an intentional wheelie. there have, of course, been some unintentional ones.

Monster = No wheelies

DRZ = Wheelies all day long!

puts a smile on my face like 

Quote from: ntnunk on July 12, 2008, 05:12:08 AM
It creates a horrible perception for all of us and, like someone else mentioned, makes it that much harder to get treated seriously by other motorists, public safety workers, etc.  And how many of us have been pissed because some idiot cager ran over us or someone we know and basically got away with it, only getting some stupid "improper movement" ticket or something equally meaningless?  I have to think that our bad image plays into that to.  After all, if you ride a sport bike and get into an accident the default position by non-bikers is "he was probably riding like an idiot." 

In the accident I was just in the guy fought the citation.  Mine and the stand alone witness had nearly identical stories and his was all over the place.  His defense, I have a "crotch rocket" and was going 80.  Me and the witness claimed 40 and she said she was a car length away and we had just come from a stop light.  Her Hyundai must have had some work done under the hood.  My guess is the judge didn't have too high of an opinion of anyone on a motorcycle.

My personal take on it is if you have the space go for it.  Save the stunting for a lot somewhere though.  I don't want to have wash someone's blood off my car and I am sure no one else does either.  Kind of goes with, do you play in the snow in a full parking lot or an empty one?

Quote from: Monsterlover on July 12, 2008, 06:28:35 PM
Huh?  The breather and the drain bolt are the only two places that come to mind as to how oil could get out of an engine (not counting the fill cap)  You saw the bike puke oil onto the back tire?  Is this a 12 o'clock deal?
Please tell me a little more about that bridge crossing. . .

Quote from: He Man on July 12, 2008, 07:03:45 PM
couldnt find the vid of jason brit on a HM, i remember he only rides his GSXR600.

As far as the wheelie oil spit thing goes, its only true for bikes with the crank case breather mod.

I want to say it was on Superbikes - eerlier in the year - without the old 'host' involved.  Britton was riding a Hypermotard - could've been in Portland?? - not sure, but I recall it may have been shot there.  I don't know about a 12 o'clock, but it was a pretty tall wheelie that he tried to ride the length of the bridge at a considerable speed.  By the time he neared the full length - he had to shut it down.

To what I recall - it was a stock HM 1100S - but I don't think it had the breather mod.  When I bought my '99, I was warned not to wheelie on this bike as it would suffer the same consequences.  I don't have a breather kit on my bike and all plugs are tight.

I know they mentioned oil 'puking' on the back tire, if there isn't a plumbing design problem that allows the leak to occur - then I'm guessing it may have been the angle ridden and the lack of plumbing - or 'flow' of fluids back on to the heads.  Maybe it was more catastrophic because the air cooled bike was being ridden and didn't have the oil to cool the heads.  Could < 1Mile w/ no oil at ~50MPH blow up the head?

Oh, and about the exclusive riding of the GSXR - I think I recall him riding a Ducati at Deal's Gap the first year.  To my understanding, including the Monster Challenge and Ducati Island at the GP, they've had a fair amount of Ducati coverage.  I may be incorrect, but I think he even owns a Honda now - maybe it's just where the promo dollars are coming from.
-m

For what it's worth, I've had the oil-puking-on-rear-tire issue. Not really fun.
Here's why/how it happens: long tall wheelies drink oil up(down when in wheelie) breather into the 'oil breather tank', which usually just collects and condenses a fine haze of oil-mist, and returns it into the crankcase. But a bunch of big wheelies will flood this reservoir, allowing some residual oil to find it's way into the airbox. From there, it flows out the drainage tube that exits at the bottom of the bike. This manages to 'puke' a surprising amount of oil over the rear tire, pegs, engine case, frame, exhaust... you name it... it makes one helluva mess. Cleanup sucks.
When filling up with oil, I now leave it just a c*nthair down from absolute 'full', it seems to prevent it from happening, unless you go up past BP for prolonged periods. I try to avoid that for several reasons :p

So yea. I wheelie as often and as long as possible. I pick my time and places, and tend to keep it away from the 'public areas' as much as possible. Squidly behavior? Maybe to some. But I maintain that some of the most 'squidly' maneuvers I've ever seen, have usually been performed by guys in full leather, with both wheels on the ground.

Wheelie pics seem to sell a lot of bike mags, so I think more people like them than are lettin' on.

But, but, but I can't help it.  The S4RS has so much power it just wants to wheelie everywhere, and how am I to stop it?  You crest a rise under power, and up she comes.  You accelerate hard out of a corner, ditto.  A kid on the sidewalk gives you the thumbs up, what are you supposed to do?  Then when I'm riding the Multistrada, well that's just kinda like a big old fluffy dirt bike and who doesn't wheelie their dirt bike everywhere?  By gosh it seems to want to wheelie most anytime in the first three gears, and heaven help you if you happen to flick the clutch a bit 'cause she'll do a backflip with a full gainer in a nanosecond.  Oh, um . . . no.  I don't condone wheelies.  Bad, bad, terrible things.  Definitely not.  That would be irresponsible.  I bought all these lovely bikes to dotter around at absolutely the speed limit, and nothing more.  Any show of speed or - heaven forbid - fun being had would completely trash the impeccable image we motorcyclists have worked so hard to maintain with the non-riding public at large.  Excuse me now, it's time for my sedatives and a nap. 

People who ride wheelies should be put in jail for life.  It makes "cagers" and LEOs hate all of us, it scares old people, women and children and causes anti-moto legislation to be passed.  We all know it's a FACT that most squids are on R1's and they like to wheelie.  Damm them!  Damm them all to hell!

Quote from: arai_speed on September 16, 2008, 12:43:08 AM
People who ride wheelies should be put in jail for life.  It makes "cagers" and LEOs hate all of us, it scares old people, women and children and causes anti-moto legislation to be passed.  We all know it's a FACT that most squids are on R1's and they like to wheelie.  Damm them!  Damm them all to hell!

Ducatis should be banned because they are overpriced poser bikes that give real motorcyclists a bad name. They can't ride, tend to drink coffee all the time, and set off car alarms, make babies cry and dogs howl due to their outrageously loud exhausts.


+ 

Yeah, that’s what stops me from over doing them, or doing them more often is the cost of the bike.  Although wheelies are the balls.  I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie and wheelies do fulfill that.  Most of the time I hit a real good one it was completely by accident but it felt pretty good while it was up there.   
Do them where it’s safe.  If you want to endanger yourself that’s one thing but the roads are full of average people and children as well.   Wouldn’t you feel awful if you hurt someone because you were screwing around?  I know I would.