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How Do I Do A Wheelie? |
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What are the Riding Techniques? |
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What Do I Need To Take To A Race? |
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First off I want to point out that this answer is not aimed at people who can already get the front wheel in the air, so it won't describe the slightly more advanced technique of 'clutching it up'. It's also not aimed at those of you with 500cc two-stroke engines, as all you need to do is open the throttle. This answer's aimed purely at 'motard riders whose bike is reasonably modern, has a healthy engine and who can't wheelie - yet. |
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Now we've got that out of the way...
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The easiest gear to wheelie in without using the clutch is, obviously, first. Move your bum back along the seat slightly to move the centre of gravity towards what will become the pivot point, get your foot over the rear brake pedal (notice I said over not on - you don't want to be dragging the rear brake, just covering it) roll up to between fifteen and twenty mph and either snap the throttle closed and then snap it open again (this technique is not even remotely mechanically sympathetic and also results in quite a vicious launch) or, while still gently accelerating, snap the throttle open. No matter which tecnique you end up using, only your wrist should move - if your arm moves at all then your technique isn't smooth enough and can cause the bike to veer off line, resulting in the bike either going where you don't want it to or actually weaving while on the back wheel. Different engines have different reactions times so you'll need to experiment a little with just how long a gap you leave between closing and opening the throttle if you use the close/open technique. As for how much to open the throttle ... we're not talking about banging it to the stop, more like the way you'd accelerate aggressively away from a junction or traffic lights. You're not trying to scrape the mudguard so be careful with your right hand.
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When the front first comes up you will snap the throttle closed again - everyone does. The thing to remember here is to take your time learning how to wheelie. Do not try to get the bike vertical as this will come with time and practise. You simply can't rush these things. Start very low and work your way up, while always concentrating on smoothness not height. Also, keep your arms relaxed while gripping the tank with your knees. Flap your arms around and the bike will lose its stability, which, rather obviously, could cause both you and the machine to part company leaving you with a very large repair bill and, very possibly, badly mangled bones, too. Do not continually blip the throttle while on one wheel, either. Although there's at least one wheelie school that teaches wheelies this way, they're 100% wrong and are teaching people to crash (which is why you'll never find their name or homepage anywhere on this site). After the initial launch the throttle should be used so gently anyone stood watching or riding next to you should barely hear any change in engine revs at all. If your engine goes 'brap, brap, brap' then, on a road bike, you're simply not in control, plain and simple. Nor, because the bike's moving around quite a lot, are you likely to feel anything start to go wrong with the wheelie - well, not until it's too damn late to do anything about it, anyway... If you're having to brap the throttle rather than keeping it nice and smooth then drop some height out of your wheelie and practise holding a smooth throttle.
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If the bike starts to weave when on one wheel, put the damn thing down immediately. If you don't you're looking at enjoying a one-wheel tank-slapper. Initially the weave will hopefully be very minor (unless you've really cocked up the launch) so you should have enough time to be able to land the front wheel reasonably safely as long as you put it down straight away. If you think 'it's okay, it doesn't feel that bad' and don't put the wheel down then that weave will almost certainly become violent, leaving you in a situation where the chances of saving it are less than 1% - and that's being generous with the odds. Although I'm not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs here, but if the wheelie isn't smooth, then it isn't safe. Fact. Remember, if you land your wheelie safely then you can have another go - crash while on one wheel and you may never get the chance to ride again, ever...
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As I'm sure you can imagine, first gear can be a little vicious but it does get you used to the wheel not being on the tarmac and your 'bars being in your face rather than their usual position. But for more control second gear's a lot easier even if it is harder to initially get up. Again you'll be using the exact same throttle techniques as above but this time you'll be rolling along at around twenty five mph. You will need a more violent throttle opening action but it won't come up as fast as before and will be easier to control via the twist grip. Start off using first gear, though, as it is initially easier and you'll need the confidence this will give you before you'll get your bike up in second.
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Don't even consider trying to change gear while on one wheel until your wheelie is perfectly smooth and controlled. As with everything two-wheeled, smoothness is the key to success. As for the technique of changing gear mid-wheelie - once you're up on one wheel and the bike is perfectly upright and 'floating' (you'll recognise this sensation the second you manage it) throttle off slightly while at the exact same time changing gear without using the clutch and then return the throttle to exactly where it was before you changed gear. Sounds like too much to remember? Then don't do it until it sounds reasonably easy. Wheelies look superb when done right, but if you crash you'll look like a twat and nothing more. And if you're unlucky, looking like a twat will be the least of your worries compared to the injuries you may have... |
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As for vertical wheelies - the only safe (not that there's any such thing as a safe stunt in all reality) way to do them is by using a very difficult balancing act of throttle and rear brake. Don't even consider trying to do them until you're able to put the front wheel at any height you choose (whether that's two inches off the road or three feet) as you won't have enough machine control to practise this type of wheelie remotely safely. And if you're not capable of pulling a 100% smooth wheelie (including 100% smooth throttle control) then if you attempt a vertical minger you will crash.
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Warning - there's no such thing as a 'safe' stunt. Once you're on your bike no one can help you if it all goes wrong, which, sooner or later, it will. Always engage your brain before you engage first gear, and never forget that if you do the stunts then you'll also do the crashing. It's the way it is and there's no escaping this very simple, unarguable fact.
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What are the Riding Techniques? |
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If you just ride your 'motard on the road then you can simply ride it like any other bike, but if you want to get the most out of your bike, or you want to go racing, then there are some basic techniques that are worth practising.
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The first one is just where to sit. Under heavy acceleration, especially on wet or slippery surfaces, you need to get as much weight over the rear wheel as possible. To do this sit as far back on your seat as possible. Obviously this means you're taking a lot of weight off the front of your bike, but as the front wheel has little to do while accelerating this isn't a problem. Going into a corner, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Just before you hit the brakes, slide your body right up to the tank so that you've got as much weight going into the front tire's contact patch as possible. Yes, this can mean you're more likely to pull a 'rolling stoppie' into the corner but just as the front tire does very little under acceleration, the rear tire does very little under braking. This seating position should also be used on aggressive standing starts. |
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Now we come to the best thing about riding a supermotard bike - sliding it into corners. If you ride a two-stroke 'motard you'll find this technique very difficult indeed, but on four-strokes it's actually pretty easy ... once you've got over the fear of sliding a bike around, anyway, as it goes against every road rider's idea of how to ride. The first thing you need to do is find a nice quiet road with little, if any, traffic that, preferably, has a side road for you to slide in to. Now, ride up to the corner and take the racing line into it. Hopefully this corner is a first or second gear turn. If it isn't take a line in to it that makes it one as you don't won't to be going too fast at this point. When you're happy with your racing line, again race up to this corner, but this time leave your braking until pretty late so that you're taking the turn in a racing manner. As you approach the turn you want to be in at least one gear higher than you need. As you hit the brakes (both of them, not just the front) select the gear for the corner and then release the clutch lever - no going through each separate gear or blipping the throttle between changes ala road racing - and you should feel the rear start to slide controllably. |
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You shouldn't need much rear brake as you want the wheel to continue to turn as it slides sideways. If you feel the rear wheel juddering (you'll instantly recognise the feeling if/when it happens) then you're in too low a gear for your entry speed - feather the clutch slightly and it will go away. And that's it. Overcome your fear of sliding, add a little practise and you too can look like Stephane Chambon. Hey, I said look, not be as quick as... |
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There's one more thing to talk about now and that's how to stick your foot out while cornering. Yes, I know it seems stupid but there are a couple of things to remember if you do it. The first thing is not to dig your foot into the floor as you corner - your foot should be above the surface and only touch down if the bike slides. You also want to make absolutely certain that your foot is pointing the same way you're travelling, which is the same direction your front wheel is pointing. If you do have a slide you want your foot to kick the bike up, but you also want your leg to only move in its natural plain of travel. If your foot's pointing slightly sideways then, if you're unlucky, your foot could grip the surface and twist in an unnatural direction that can end in anything from a sore ankle or knee to utterly shattering your leg. And because the break's caused by a sideways force you're not just looking at a bad break, but a spiral break which is the type of injury that almost cost multi World GP500 Champion Mick Doohan his leg. And don't forget to make sure your toes are hard against the engine casings when you put your foot back on the pegs as you don't want them digging into the tarmac if you loose control just after the apex or if you hit one of the conveniently placed tire/hay bale walls as this could also result in your foot being spun sideways with the same possible results as mentioned above. |
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Knee Down Or Foot Out - Just What Is The Best Way To Corner? |
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Well, if the answer's 'what everyone else does' then the overwhelming answer must be foot out motocross style. But, considering supermotards have a combination of road and off-road capabilities surely the rider, too, should exploit the two different riding styles? |
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Let's look at the theory. Why does a rider stick out their foot? On the motocross track the answer seems fairly obvious - to kick the bike up when the inevitable happens and one of the tyres lets go. If the rider didn't have their foot out then the law of probability says they'd crash, losing valuable places in the race and, therefore, valuable championship points (there's also the problem of ground clearance when in ruts etc., but that's not particularly relevant in this case). A motocross rider will also stick his or her foot out to increase the weight going through the front tyre to stop the front washing out in a corner. But is the same true for 'motard racing? Just what are a 'motard racers priorities during a race? To finish and, hopefully, to win - and if winning's not possible, to then at least get as many championship points as possible out of that particular round. |
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And how does that rider obtain that goal? By circulating as quickly as possible and by reducing the possibility of crashing to an acceptable level - of course, that level of acceptability will be different for everyone, but the basic premise remains valid. |
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On a tarmac surfaced circuit how can a rider increase their corner entry, mid-corner and corner exit speeds? The entry is pretty obvious, practice braking to the point of locking up and flinging the bike onto its side as hard as you can. Whether you're hanging off the bike or sticking your foot out will make no difference here. However, your corner exit speed, and therefore your speed along the next straight, is in many ways dictated by your mid-corner speed which must therefore be one the most important areas to improve - unless you brake so early everyone comes sailing past you, obviously, but that's a slightly different argument... |
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So, what's the best way a rider can increase their mid-corner speed? By riding in such a way as to allow the bike to travel faster for a given level of traction. If you ride around the corner with your foot out motocross style, you must push the bike down - but this means the bike is at a fairly high level of lean and, thus, a reduced level of available traction when compare to the road racing technique of hanging off the bike as this actually pushes the bike up, which puts the tyres onto a larger contact patch for the same speed - and that larger contact patch equals more traction. For a knee-scraping rider to equal the low level of available traction that the foot out rider has requires the knee down rider to traverse that same corner at a higher speed.
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Plus, although the foot is stuck out to kick the bike up in a slide, just how much use is that foot going to be at the levels of lean and cornering speeds faster riders achieve on a tarmac surface where their handlebars are only around four inches above the track surface and their leg is effectively pointing horizontally to the floor? At motocross speeds it may help, but at supermotard speeds...? |
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As for the forward weight transfer of the foot out style? Well, there's no denying planting the front even further is no bad thing, but isn't it possible to also load the front with the knee out technique, too? Yes it is. Because you're sat as far forward as you can get going into the corner, you're already in the correct forward position for knee scraping. If you're body is also hanging off the side you're moving the bike's weight lower, for better corner speed, and still loading the front as you're moving your entire body weight not just your leg. |
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Obviously, when it comes to racing off-road, the entire priority of the rider changes. Yes, the main requirement is still to go as fast as possible, but now the speeds are relatively far lower yet the chances of sliding has increased dramatically. In this situation, hanging off a bike may lessen the lean angle and, therefore, the chances of sliding, but if you do slide will hanging off allow you to stay up right, to not crash, to finish the race, to gain those all important championship points? No, it won't. Just as road racers hang off their machines for very good reasons, so motocross racers use their feet to save potentially terminal slides and to increase the weight through the front tyre to hopefully make losing the front less likely, too. But surely that technique will also save a tarmac slide? Well, it might, but then that same technique has also raised the potential of sliding in the first place when the road rider's style would have allowed you to corner at that same speed with a far lower possibility of losing traction. |
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Now, before every supermotard racer reading this starts foaming at the mouth about the points raised, let's get one thing straight - we're blatantly talking about absolutes here. Absolute tarmac and absolute off-road. Except 'motard tracks aren't (or, at least, shouldn't be) a single surface type, they're dual terrain, they're both mud/shale and tarmac, so just what is the answer? Well, that's pretty simple - whatever a particular corner requires. You may have a 90% tarmac circuit where only one corner would actually be quicker if you hung off the bike, so surely that's what you'd do? If the circuit's wet using your foot may help in the slower corners where losing traction's a very large possibility; if a corner's covered in mud from the off-road section then using your foot may again be the best way to navigate that particular corner. And, if knee-scraping's so alien to you that it makes you slower no matter what the conditions are, then either practice or stick with what you're comfortable with. Quite simply, there is no definitive answer, only possibilities that a rider can exploit fully to become as good as they can be. And that's the reason for writing this, to give you, the racer, more possibilities. After all, you can't just tune a bike by choosing between the different possibilities of tyres, tyre pressures, exhausts, state of engine tune, type of engine, different suspension settings etc. until you find a combination that works best, you can also tune the rider until you find the best combination of riding techniques that work best for you, too.
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What Do I Need To Take To A Race? |
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Absolute Essentials: |
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Helmet |
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Goggles (inc. tear-offs/roll-offs) |
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Gloves |
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Boots |
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Racing leathers |
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Back protector (if not part of your leathers) |
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Very Handy: |
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Race licence |
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Enough fuel for the day (inc. two-stroke oil if applicable) |
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Fire extinguisher |
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As many relevant tools as you can take |
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Tyre pressure gauge |
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Dry/spare clothing |
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Enough food for the entire weekend |
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Enough non-alcholic liquids for the entire weekend |
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Somewhere comfortable to sleep (tent, caravan, van, B&B) |
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Toilet paper |
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Foot pump |
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Duct tape |
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Cable ties |
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Rags/kitchen roll |
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Towel, flannel etc. so that you can wash after a race |
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More money than you think you actually need |
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A sense of humour and a sense of humility |
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Spare hand and foot levers |
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Spare throttle and clutch cables |
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Kidney belt |
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Spare tires with tire levers and tire soap |
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Spare inner tubes |
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Generator and lights (with enough petrol to run gennie all weekend) |
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Lockwire and pliers |
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Bike stand |
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WD40 (or similar) |
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Full spare chain (or at least a correctly sized split-link) |
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Spare tie-downs/rope |
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Other Things To Remember: |
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Don't get pissed the night before |
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Drink non-alcoholic liquids throughout the day (it helps with concentration as you can become dehydrated without really noticing - and getting pissed the night before only makes this worse) |
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Make a list of everything you think you'll need and check it before you set off (including money, map, directions, food, drinks, toilet paper, race licence) |
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Drop your tire pressures down (a good starting point is around 25/26 psi) |
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If this is your first race then don't be even remotely concerned about being slow as no-one cares |
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Take your time to learn the circuit, learn how the bike feels at race speed and how you feel, too, and always walk the track before you race on it |
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Do not suddenly change direction if you're about to be lapped/overtaken as the rider behind you will know where he/she wants to do it - if you suddenly do something they're not expecting it could end in you both crashing. Concentrate on what's in front of you, not behind |
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If this is your first race, don't worry about what gearing to run or what suspension settings to use, just enjoy the day as you can get into that stuff when you're a little more experienced |
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Make sure your bike's perfect before you even set off to the track. |
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