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K2Snow
09-10-2003, 10:59 PM
ok, i already searched for some "how-to wheelie" threads, no help. basically, here is my prob.... i ahve a stock 300ex. i can wheelie fine standing on the grab, using throttle to get the front up, no clutch work. i can ride those fine... i want to learn how to ride a wheelie sitting down. my problem is, i can't get the front up sitting down! i'm a pretty small guy, so i'm afraid that i'm not heavy enough to just lean back and give it gas. the wheels just spin, and it is even worse when i try to use the clutch to get it up. i know the 300 is capable of it, cause i've accidentally flipped the thing on occasion taking off too fast. i was thinking it might be the surface i am riding on, but it can't be. i have tried several pretty decent surfaces but the wheels always just spin. so, what is the easiest way to get the front up in 2nd gear, while rolling slowly? i know how to find the balance point and work the break, just can't get front end up right now...

oh yea, and i can't do a friggin stoppie either, i lean wayyyyy forward, slam the front brakes, but the whole bike just slides!!!!

ny300exrider
09-11-2003, 01:18 PM
i know exactly what you mean. im only 110 pounds and it took me so long to learn how to sit wheelie. a way that i use is to roll in 2nd gear... lean forward a tiny bit while STANDING jerk back on the bars , and lean back onto the seat and stab the throttle so your sitting. keep practicing. practice is the key it took a while. i CANNOT stoppie, same thing happens with me but i can wheelie pretty far sitting now

Fast250EX
09-11-2003, 02:58 PM
I can do any wheelie just fine and I am 107 pounds, lol!

As for the wheelie sitting down, I think it is a cross between bad timing (you pull your weight back at the wrong time) and lack of traction. Mostly lack of traction. All I can say to help you is keep trying. It is very hard to give wheelie tips over the net.

Stoppies I suck at. I never can seem to be consistent. I can do it on grass but only certain grass. On blacktop I can do it pretty good but if it comes over on you on grass it's gonna hurt. On black top it's gonna hurt like hell.

Another cool thing I recently mastered is driving around only on your 2 wheels on the side. It's fun trying to stay balanced doing that.

I hope your wheelies get better. Good Luck!

flyin#5
09-11-2003, 03:25 PM
you just have to practice. when you get on the gas just lean back. i dont know ive never really had the problem of not getting the front end up. with my blaster 1-3 i can pull it up no problem just by hitting the gas.

Toadz400
09-11-2003, 03:26 PM
Originally posted by Fast250EX
Another cool thing I recently mastered is driving around only on your 2 wheels on the side. It's fun trying to stay balanced doing that.

I hope your wheelies get better. Good Luck!

nooo you took that from me, lol. i've been doing them forever, i started out on my lt 185 many years ago and now i have it mastered on my 400ex, i can ride them for as long as i want, as long as i have room.

i'll try to get some pics of me doing it soon. i call it my "2-wheel special":blah:

JLanphear
09-11-2003, 06:35 PM
I think Fast250ex is probably right about the timing, that is really important.

I think NY300exrider has a good technique for you to try. Should be easy enough in 1st or 2nd....Give it a little bit of throttle so you are rolling somewhere around the base of the power band....Stand up, then kind of bounce your rear-end on the seat. You want to time it so you are nailing the throttle about when you are hitting. The spinning problem is probably a result of not having enough weight on the back tires when you gun it.

A friend of mine has a 300ex and that wheelies nearly as good as a stock 400ex...Stoppies on that are much easier than my 400, maybe cause I got bad brakes, but the 300 does seem a little shorter and if that is the case it will help.

Back to wheelies for a second....if you can't get them on grass or hard pack dirt find a place where you can ride that is paved....it WILL clutch up. I can sit backwards on the front end of my 400 on pavement and it will come up with the clutch...spins a little, but not much. So I would think that if you were sitting on the seat on pavement like normal it shouldn't spin at all really.

Stoppies.....these can be hard depending on the surface too man. A grassy lawn is usually pretty hard because grass is pretty slippery. A cut field works better...pavement works the best. This has a lot to do with timing too. I have a couple tips for you but practice is the only sure fire thing. First off, don't be scared of it....typically when you are scared things don't turn out how you want them. If the quad starts to go over frontwards you can jump off over the handlebars...well, maybe not if you are thinking about it...lol. Worst case scenario the quad ends up on top of you...normally it won't hurt a bit. Throw on a chest protectors and elbow and knee pads if you really wanna be safe. Anyway, here is the technique....get cooking along in 2nd gear and start to come to a stop, kind of pumping the front brakes, downshift when needed and keep on the brakes smoothly now....you don't need much speed to get the rear end up in the air so as you are coming to a stop (this is what takes practice, judging the speed) let off the brakes slightly and sort of double or tripple pump them...on the last pump squeeze pretty hard and throw your weight forward...you can push with your hands and squeeze your legs around the seat. Keep trying that and you'll get 'em.

Okay, I'm done rambling, hope this helps man.

-Josh

Fast250EX
09-11-2003, 07:27 PM
Originally posted by Toadz400
nooo you took that from me, lol. i've been doing them forever, i started out on my lt 185 many years ago and now i have it mastered on my 400ex, i can ride them for as long as i want, as long as i have room.

i'll try to get some pics of me doing it soon. i call it my "2-wheel special":blah:

Lol, I've done that before but never really took too much time on it until I saw a 'shee do it at the last drag race and wheelie competition. I just got to trying it and it isn't too hard. He could actually do a slalom while he was on his side. I can just go straight or go in circles.

JLanphear, that tip on the stoppies sounds real good so I may try to get a jump on that sometime. I just don't think those are my cup of tea. I like to do wheelies more. I have actually done a few new ones to my lineup. The heelclicker wheelie and the one where you sit down, take one hand off the bars and reach back and touch the ground. Any new ones you been working on?

JLanphear
09-11-2003, 07:40 PM
Cool man, hope that helps. One other thing I forgot to mention is that a safer way to do them is sitting with your legs over the bars...it's also easier to bring the back end up.

That's good that you got some new stuff in your bag of tricks....I'm running out of things to think of doing....got this one down, gonna try it no handed maybe this weekend...haven't gotten to ride for like 3 weeks....

http://www.ncaa-inc.com/Josh/0824/PANA0260.JPG

400ex#18
09-11-2003, 07:58 PM
that is a sick wheelie! But for info on wheelying..another way is if you know how to j-hop on a bike, Then act like you are going to and when you feel the shocks to start to come back up then hit the throttle! i used to ride a 300, and it isn't hard at all, once you get it! You will prolly feel like a fool once you get it down and not realize it was that easy! That is how i felt!

K2Snow
09-11-2003, 10:49 PM
thanks for all the tips guys, should help a lot. and jlanphear, i appreciate you taking the time to type all that bro. about the stoppies, how does pumping the brake make it easier to bring the rear end up? also, do you ride the stoppie like on a street bike or is it pretty much a dead stop and lifting the rear? as for the wheelies, any tips on clutching it up? i don't really have a place to ride on the asphalt and i really don't wanna learn how to wheelie on the cement, i'd rather get it down on the dirt first. i mainly ride the dunes and at a little dirt area off of the freeway. i can wheelie fine on the beach, the sand gets packed hard from the tide. i even flipped it right over once when i was gonna race a guy. i pulled in clutch, gave it full throttle, and let go. i figured the tires would spin in the sand, but instead the quad went right over. anyway, not gonna be able to try the new techniques for another couple days, but any additional help would be awesome. thanks again for the tips, and i definitely have to give jlanphear some credit for typing all that up, and sweet pic too bro

JLanphear
09-12-2003, 08:42 AM
Not a problem man, hope it helps ya out.

I'm not a physics expert so I can't really explain why pumping the brakes helps with stoppies, but I'm guessing it gets all the weight to the front wheels or something. Depending on how good your brakes are you may not even have to pump, but mine you do. You also don't really need to be in 2nd gear and then shift down to first, but again, that helps the weight transfer to the front.

I can't actually roll them very far, maybe 5ft max...but I haven't really practiced rolling them very much. I have seen video of a guy rolling them 55 feet, and he says he can usually get around 70 feet...pretty sick.

Clutching a wheelie....well, you wanna slip the clutch out pretty fast while rolling on the throttle pretty good too. You don't want to pop the clutch because you will either come up too fast or just spin. There really isn't a trick to it just gotta practice and feel it.

Like Fast250ex said, it's hard to give good tips on the net....it's hard to explain the techniques...hopefully what I'm saying makes a little bit of sense. Otherwise take a trip to VT and I'll show you how it's done. ;)

Nausty
09-12-2003, 12:37 PM
lol, doesn't really have much to do w/ the topic but I just gotta awsome new wheelie trick i'm gonna try. I can't wait to try it out and I am 90% sure I can do it and its gonna look ****ing sick!:blah: I"ve already got one wheelie locked down that i've never seen before that is really hard and looks really awsome.

Fast250EX
09-12-2003, 02:55 PM
JL,
That wheelie is just incredible. I am not all to fond of facing backwards doing a wheelie. I just don't have the confidence to do it and having friends that are good at wheelies to compete with really helps. Guys around here that are any good at wheelies are few and far between. I can do many but you are one of my inspirations I guess you could say. I look at what you do and try to match it or at least come up with maybe a simpler variation. I can't see how you could think of anymore wheelies. You have already done some that a year ago wouldn't have even been considered reasonable. So in the words of Joe Dirt, "Keep on keepin' on, brotha!":D

Toadz400
09-12-2003, 03:19 PM
Fast250EX, what kind of quads are in that wheelie competetion? i can't really see a 229ex winning in a wheelie competetion against 400ex's and other 400's, i've ridden a 229 and it's just a lot easier to wheelie better and longer on the 400.

K2Snow
09-12-2003, 03:41 PM
lanphear, i'll try pumping the brakes. i know my brakes are still fine, the wheels totally stop when i hit them trying to do a stoppie. the whole bike just slides to a stop. for some reason the back end just doesn't wanna come up. i'm gonna try sitting with legs over handlebars, and really high on the tank. see if that works. as for wheelies, sounds like i don't really need to pop the clutch, but the way you explained it makes a lot of sense. rolling off rather than just popping it should be pretty easy. i'd make a trip up to vt for sure if i still lived on the east coast, but i'm in cali now :ermm:

Fast250EX
09-13-2003, 05:16 PM
There was only one other guy there that competed with a FST 426EX. I think I could beat any other quad with mine in a wheelie contest. It just has a very good balance point. Different people have different styles and I just got 20" Razr's that help a bit more too.

And stop calling it a 229EX. It may be only that but it tries hard not to be. :D

lildude
09-13-2003, 06:49 PM
i think the best way to do a weelie is start in first gear and get going and let off the gas and the gears will slow down the bike kinda putting the weight in the front then (standing) lean froward and jerk back to a sitting posistion and like right when you jerk just pin the throttle and that should bring it up.....whats fun to do is get it riding on its 2 side weels let it slow down lean over the side and then do it and pop it up on 1 wheel but you normally cant ride them for more than a second.

ive been trying to get into doin trix while doing weelies but i cant do to much yet i tried one sitting backwards yesterday but that feels uncomfortible

i think the one where i do a no footer with both feet off the left side plus take my left hand off or the one with the feet over the bars is the best i can do now

i would try to get some pics but i forget how to post them:confused:

Nospowered400
09-15-2003, 06:21 PM
I can walk wheelies all day but mine pulls to one side so I have to put it down. Does anyone else have this problem and what is causing it? Same pressure in both tires.

Toadz400
09-16-2003, 04:53 PM
Originally posted by Nospowered400
I can walk wheelies all day but mine pulls to one side so I have to put it down. Does anyone else have this problem and what is causing it? Same pressure in both tires.

maybe something is bent in the back which causes it to turn? maybe your axle? swingarm?:confused: (just a guess)

Nospowered400
09-16-2003, 04:57 PM
Well its not the axle cause it did it with the stocker, I have a axcaliber now and it still does it. It started when I put on the new tires, same pressure and even switched sides but still no help. I have no clue:(

Atreyu
09-16-2003, 05:02 PM
Your tire pressure is off..make sure they are even..;)

Toadz400
09-16-2003, 05:33 PM
Originally posted by Atreyu
Your tire pressure is off..make sure they are even..;)

actually i've been doing a lot of wheelies and my right tire is about 1 psi less than my left and it doesn't pull to either direction, goes straight.

flyin#5
09-16-2003, 06:29 PM
no two tires are made the same. i swear every stupid day i look at my 20" shots and swear one is 1" bigger than the other one. and it also pulls to one side.

Toadz400
09-16-2003, 08:02 PM
Originally posted by flyin#5
no two tires are made the same. i swear every stupid day i look at my 20" shots and swear one is 1" bigger than the other one. and it also pulls to one side.


hahaha for the love of god mike get new tires!! they are sooo bald!!! and no you can't wait until christmas, unless you don't plan on riding in the snow...because there is NO way you're going to grip.

speedy400
09-16-2003, 08:52 PM
Originally posted by Toadz400
hahaha for the love of god mike get new tires!! they are sooo bald!!! and no you can't wait until christmas, unless you don't plan on riding in the snow...because there is NO way you're going to grip.
lmao its true mike:ermm: . well.... I dunno, that 1/32 of an inch left of your tires grip pretty well.............................................. ......:confused2

but yeah, I remember one time my realator tires were like 1/2 a psi off and they just turned like a crazy, changed the psi , they were perfect
-darren

LazeR
09-18-2003, 02:11 PM
I have heard that tires from the factory, or wherever are not the same size all of the time.....try to change the air pressure in one to get it to be the same size

brandon025
09-18-2003, 04:03 PM
The easiest way to learn how to wheelie is to practice on a hill. Most of your wieght is back and the front end will come up easier. It works.

JLanphear
09-18-2003, 06:13 PM
Originally posted by brandon025
The easiest way to learn how to wheelie is to practice on a hill. Most of your wieght is back and the front end will come up easier. It works.

That's also the best way to learn how to flip over backwards ;)

flyin#5
09-18-2003, 06:33 PM
Originally posted by Toadz400
hahaha for the love of god mike get new tires!! they are sooo bald!!! and no you can't wait until christmas, unless you don't plan on riding in the snow...because there is NO way you're going to grip.

:ermm: wanna lend me some money? they have enough tread for now. ill wait till they pop then ill get new ones. they still work........ sorta:rolleyes:

K2Snow
09-18-2003, 10:53 PM
Originally posted by JLanphear
That's also the best way to learn how to flip over backwards ;)

I got that down already.

spud400ex
09-19-2003, 02:42 PM
Originally posted by Nospowered400
Well its not the axle cause it did it with the stocker, I have a axcaliber now and it still does it. It started when I put on the new tires, same pressure and even switched sides but still no help. I have no clue:(

do you put one foot on the grab bar or do you sit down when you wheelie?

Nospowered400
09-19-2003, 02:53 PM
Both

K2Snow
09-30-2003, 11:18 PM
Ahh, finally got the cajones to lean back on the thing and give it some gas. She comes right up now, damn. I just keep getting afraid the thing is gonna flip over on me. I just gotta realize that it is a low speed "maneuver", and that even if it does go all the way over, just tap rear brake to bring back down. It's all psychological. I got the balance point good with one foot on the grab bar and one on the shifter. I'm sure I'll do better sititng down when I ahve access to the rear brake. ANd thanks for the help fellas.

4wheelboy
10-01-2003, 09:45 AM
dont be afraid of flipping over its all in your head. thats how i used to be till i got comfortable on wheelies.:)

darkevil
10-02-2003, 07:39 PM
Practice a lot and it will come. I learn to wheelie on my quadracer 250 that all my friend said that is Un-wheeliable ;) Just practice hard and dont be affraid to flip over.

Post some pics guys I like to see nice wheelies pics