The seven most common mistakes when learning to wheelie!
I need more power.
I need a 450 enduro motorbike.
I need to turbocharge my 450 enduro motorbike...
No, you just need to learn good technique.
And practice a lot.
We will only feature DR650 wheelies to show you
that horsepower and light weight simply aren't that important.
Not covering the rear brake?
You need to learn this right from the start.
Use the rear brake every time you finish a wheelie.
This needs to become instinctive,
because when you go past the balance point your brain will be screaming "Jump off!"
We have a training vide on covering the rear brake.
Get into the video or you will do this...
this...
and this.
And all you four-stroke riders, don't think that 'engine brake' will always save you.
Pushing down then pulling back on the handlebars...
a very common mistake.
Your body comes forward.
This deweights the rear wheel so it's more likely to spin.
And you lose acceleration just when you need it.
Instead, you should be pushing down through the
footpegs and compressing both the front and rear suspension.
You get extra traction, you still get lift at the front,
and your body is positioned correctly for the wheelie.
See our training vid on the slow practical wheelie.
Then you will be a real man. Ha!
"I must use the clutch".
Maybe on a 1000cc sports motorbike or a Harley.
But otherwise using the clutch is just a crutch for bad technique.
Sure, you can learn it later.
But in the early stages using the clutch is a bad idea.
You could be using the wrong technique and not realize this.
Because 'clutching' is lifting the front wheel anyway.
This leads to the next point.
Try not to pick up speed.
When your technique is good, the front wheel lifts high with a minimal increase in speed.
This means you've achieved good technique.
Instead of completely relying on throttle,
you have weighted the suspension and timed it with moderate use of throttle.
Mistake number six?
Starting with fast wheelies!
We all dream of the fifth gear wheelie down the street.
Admiring girls throw their panties at us.
But if you were serious about wheelies then start slow and practice your drills.
You're less likely to kill yourself and you will learn a lot faster again.
See our vid about the slow practical wheelie.
Also we strongly advise you don't wheelie on the street.
We have enough idiots doing this already.
It helps to close down our riding areas.
And finally don't aim for the balance point straightaway!
Sure, it looks cool.
Yes, there's a very small chance girls will throw their panties at you...
and maybe even some guys.
But when you are learning, just focus on technique.
Lift the front wheel a little and make sure you cover that rear brake.
The harder you push for the balance point too quickly, the less you will learn.
So there you have it!
The seven most common mistakes...
at least in my opinion.
We have quite a few wheelie training vids...
stand up wheelies,
slow sit-down wheelies,
covering the rear brake,
the small practical wheelie,
and for the brave of heart and
large of testicles (or ovaries) the 12 o'clock wheelie guide.
And remember if no one sees your wheelie it never happened!
I should say of course that I am no expert but we have spoken with
various pro level riders in putting these vids together.
So if you end up as a paraplegic sue them, not me.
There is nothing that beats the feeling of when you really start to get it right!
There is a lot of 'pose value' to wheelies.
But if you are serious about your enduro riding, then wheelies can teach you so
much about balance throttle control and clutch slipping.
And there is a lot of practical value too especially when it
comes to getting over logs and other obstacles.
Good luck!