My XJ rode a Wheelie!!

So I go to dinner and decide to let my buddie ride my bike. No riding meant I COULD drink a few drinks
He has ridden my bike once before, but the sync and mixtures made it run "just ok."
So now that I have the bike performing well, I say RIP IT WIDE OPEN
So I am in a car following 100 yds back.
Then BAMM he has a 12"-24" wheelie going.
FYI, my friend is more than capable of riding one.
This is also on a relativle closed road with great pavment.

WOW, I tuned my bike well enough to wheelie 8O

 

I see the hesitation in this post because you think people will rip on you for being associated with this poor behavior. But I understand the excitement of owning a bike that can perform like that. Good for you for getting the bike going that well. Sure these old bikes take some work, but they'll go like a bat out of hell once you get them in the zone.

I also was shocked when my bike pulled a wheelie. It was not nearly as high as yours but made me smile just as hard.

 

SWEET! i need to get a new clutch, because mine feels like it wants to pull up right before the clutch lets go, around 7500rpms. NOW I WANT TO KNOW IF IT WILL!

 

It's funny, a week or two ago I accidentally got the front wheel up an inch or two. I say 'accidentally' because, sure, I was givin' 'er, but it has NEVER come up before, even when I was trying. When I got it 13 years ago, I was dumber and she was weaker.

The guy who sold it to me all those years ago doesn't like me telling him how well she's gettin' on without him.

 

I have lifted my front wheel about three time now when gettin on it from first-second. If I were younger I would do it on purpose and I am positive if a guy knew what he was doing the bike could ride one out.

 

Long time ago (bike been off road the for over 10 years) I tried my last wheelie (did a few small ones prior). I tried like i had ridden my dirt bike and poped clucth from a stand still. She when straight up and pushed me off onto my feet, afraid to let her fall on it's back I shoved her back down with all my might, seat hit me in the A$$ and poped me in the air forward landing crotch 1st on the tank....ouch never tried again.

 

SWEET story Ass.Fault! I don't have expirience with too many street bikes but from what I hear shaft drives are a lot harder to do wheelies on.

 

Hi,
I don't know, never had any others to really compare (shaft vs chain) but I am guessing that having a light single or twin under ya is probably easier than the big 4 cylinder of the XJ's (not sure if all XJ's are 4's ?). But again, nothing to compare with.

 

I get my bike off the ground 2"- 4" daily.. I haven't tried 2 do a "full" wheelie yet. I never done one on a cruiser before.. I just might have 2 try before I start hackin' into her this upcomin' week! 8)

 

I did an accidental one last week! I saw some guy about to plow into the back of me, and I had it in neutral at the light. I wanted to hurry up and get out of the way, so I let out the clutch and hit the gas... then realized I was in N, popped it into gear, revs still up, dumped the clutch... I was freaking out about the guy behind me about to hit me as the light turned green.. I had the front wheel wayyyy up! Up so far, I could no longer see pavement. Scared the crap out of me, but I got it back down. No more neutral at the stoplights for me. I still can't believe it yanked the front wheel up so effortlessly like that. I was only giving it about 1/4 throttle, but high RPM

 

Always stay in gear @ lights, thats advise I will never forget.
Might save you neck one of these days.

Shafties tend to have a lot of non-efficent movment of the rear wheel.
Less energy(torque) = less wheelie.

Front ends on our bikes seem heavy.I can pick up the rear and move it around on the side stand. But the front seems to be more weight though.

 

Shafties are a bit less efficient (can anyone remember the last racing shaftie?)... but also don't tend to be setup as sportbikes.

The 650 makes ~60-70 hp and weights ~500-600? lbs. It carries the weight low, and is relatively long wheelbase.

My 600 makes an honest 100hp rear wheel, weighs in very close to 400lbs and it is shorter - with a steeper rake. Not only that it's geared for wicked acceleration in 2-4 with 5-6 only being modestly more steep. Really - the first 3 gears can do any speed you want... and the first 2 gears will do any legal posted limits in the USA. 3-6 just are there to keep the revs down

The 600 wheelies just fine... I'm replacing the steering head bearings as a result of racing/wheeling done by the previous owner.

Now if you want really fun wheelies... get a small displacement 2-stroke, or an RC51...

 

I used to wheelie my moms 650 maxim and my dads 750 maxim all the time. We would have contests to see who could hold it the longest. I never did get the 1-2 shift mastered without it dropping down. My dads 750 steering head bearings were shot by the time we sold the bike - they had flat spotted from all the hard landings. We were even jumping them until I ripped off the collector and took out a new tire I had just bought. I wasn't making much money back then so I figured out the jumping was costing me too much.

I had one accident on the 750 while wheeling. The throttle had been sticking and I hadn't fixed the cable yet. Well, as you can guess I wheelied it up and the throttle stuck open wide. I wasn't thinking and tried to ride it out while trying to get it to free up. I should have just thumbed the kill button. I ended up going over and laying it down. We had the full cross engine guards with cruise pegs. That saved the bike all but the rear turn signal. Broke my glasses and my pride (was trying to show off). I picked my butt up off the pavement and walked over and picked up the bike. Straighten a few things and ride it home.

My seca Turbo (with 750 engine) pulls incredible power wheelies. No double clutching - just hold on when the power band opens up. I can ride it through 3-4 gears on one wheel on that bike. We are fixing that thing up finally after many years from sitting and am pretty excited to feel that boost again. Before I quit riding it the bike would keep up with my Vmax when it was on the boost.

The Vmax is heavier and harder to control the wheelies on it but I still do very well with it. I've got a few videos on youtube (user - one2dmax) showing me drag racing the max and getting the front end up. I even have one showing me drag racing my 4 wheeler for fun at the end of the season and yanking the front up on the launch.

Later,

Sean