Wheelies - Do you?

[sportrider]

The big girl will wheelie. I have picked it up in first and made it to third before I got scared with the speed. It is very stable due to the weight. I have also stood on the pegs, bounced it up at 55mph in second, shifted to third and can maintain it for a good distance. You need alot of room because it will build speed and with the softer suspension and weight you need room to slow down. I always leave throttle in reserve and when coming down I actually try to speed up to lighten the landing. I am sure it could come crashing down hard. I just bought a go pro camera, so maybe this year I can get a video on the big girl. And to think I bought this bike to slow me down and not attempt these antics that will get me in trouble.

After learning to "back it in" on my motard, I also learned the fjr can be "backed in" even with the saddlebags on.

 

[FJReady]

After learning to "back it in" on my motard, I also learned the fjr can be "backed in" even with the saddlebags on.

We're waiting for the video on that one, sportrider. Post up!

 

[rhody]

The big girl will wheelie. I have picked it up in first and made it to third before I got scared with the speed. It is very stable due to the weight. I have also stood on the pegs, bounced it up at 55mph in second, shifted to third and can maintain it for a good distance.

sportrider,

What you said makes perfect sense to me, I have tried in 2nd gear on a flat straight road to bring up the front wheel in at the peak of the torque curve, around 6K without resorting to "bouncing it up" to loft the front. Impossible with my 175 lbs and less than 1/4 tank of fuel. I have tried 3rd to 2nd as well, no dice. I was going to try standing on the rear pegs for leverage advantage, and as you correctly state, need to leave some throttle room to ease bring the front back to earth gently. Between the acceleration and torque required to bring what I would guess to be in the range of 500lbs of dead weight off the ground is a daunting task. Sport bikes have it easy by comparison because they weight around 200 lbs less, even though the torque is not 90 ft/lbs like the FJR.

Just remember to keep the front rear in line if you can, missing a gear can really suck, like I said in my last post, and be careful, it is not worth ending you riding career or life for that matter.

Rhody...

 

[nofreeride]

This person seems quite enamored with FJR wheelies.

So funny. Where do you find that stuff? Somebody on the forum?

 

[Iris]

I once had this really great dream that I wheelied. I didn't just bring it up 6" either. I was riding and shifting through the gears. I was calm and relaxed and it was the coolest thing EVER! :clapping:

Too bad for me, it was just a dream......

 

[Bounce]

Caught on the security cameras at the DFW Tracon...

Interesting how, even though the angle of the camera to the bike is more acute in the 3rd picture, the headlight suddenly got brighter...

 

[sportrider]

The big girl will wheelie. I have picked it up in first and made it to third before I got scared with the speed. It is very stable due to the weight. I have also stood on the pegs, bounced it up at 55mph in second, shifted to third and can maintain it for a good distance.

sportrider,

What you said makes perfect sense to me, I have tried in 2nd gear on a flat straight road to bring up the front wheel in at the peak of the torque curve, around 6K without resorting to "bouncing it up" to loft the front. Impossible with my 175 lbs and less than 1/4 tank of fuel. I have tried 3rd to 2nd as well, no dice. I was going to try standing on the rear pegs for leverage advantage, and as you correctly state, need to leave some throttle room to ease bring the front back to earth gently. Between the acceleration and torque required to bring what I would guess to be in the range of 500lbs of dead weight off the ground is a daunting task. Sport bikes have it easy by comparison because they weight around 200 lbs less, even though the torque is not 90 ft/lbs like the FJR.

Just remember to keep the front rear in line if you can, missing a gear can really suck, like I said in my last post, and be careful, it is not worth ending you riding career or life for that matter.

Rhody...

Actually for stand up wheelies, I don't really bounce it up but rather give it a quick pull on the bars. I do use the torque. I slow down to 55 mph, go to second gear, pull on bars and gas it. Once it comes up I immediately shift to third as it uses all its power and rpm to get up. I stand on my pegs not passenger and keep my toe on the brake just in case. It comes up smooth, better on an incline. Standing wheelies are easier. Kind of like riding a jet ski (if it starts to fall down, just pull the bars up, if it gets too high, just push it down). The bike is very stable due to the weight. I will get a video soon. I have not taken the bike out of the garage yet, but I will soon.

Chris

 

[James Burleigh]

I was at a light today in the wrong lane for my onramp today and planned on pulling out in front of the cager in the right lane, he percieved my fast accelleration as a challenge to

race to the onramp and gunned it. My only option to keep in front was to open the throttle....

Can we please get to the point of this thread?--Did you beat him to the ramp? :glare:

 

[bigjimbiker]

You're lying. FJR's can't wheelie. Everyone knows that

You're dead right, Leskid, it's bloody impossible!

 

[FJRAL]

I've a buddy in CA, before I moved, a very good rider and a "Hot Dog". We were on the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains, He owns a '03 FJR with Power Commander, he'd been riding my "set up" FJ1300 I was selling to a third party, and he had just reclaimed his bike, I was waiting down the road a bit, along comes Terry in my rearview, ALL I COULD SEE was the BOTTOM of his FJR! All the way down, or back, to his rear wheel!

I've got the '04 FJRABS with Power Comander with the "Accelerator Pump" function live. I've always remembered, with 120 pound, dressed, wife on back making a left onto CA's Hwy 1 off of Hwy 84 and nailing it in first (traffic coming) front end was floating all the way to about 100. Wife was really unhappy! My FJ1300 was brutal quick, but she said she'd never felt like she was going to fall of before, said she was really holding on for dear life!

 

[Moon Man]

I had a buddy visit from out of town, he must weigh 150 tops, a little guy. He could balance point my 03 no problem at all. I could not believe it, at 200 lbs i have a hard time er, "getting it up", but he was having the time of his life.

It was really hard to be riding a Triumph Bonneville while watching that.

 

[Leskid]

You're lying. FJR's can't wheelie. Everyone knows that

You're dead right, Leskid, it's bloody impossible!

there you are! I was wondering when you'd chime-in. Haven't seen you out here since last summer

 

[bigjimbiker]

You're lying. FJR's can't wheelie. Everyone knows that

You're dead right, Leskid, it's bloody impossible!

there you are! I was wondering when you'd chime-in. Haven't seen you out here since last summer

Bin working on my "stoppies"...which are also impossible although I've found

out what "sliders" are for... (...always thought they were little hamburgers )

 

[boomerang]

My Gen I wheelied easier than my Gen II. The Gen II will wheelie if coaxed hard enough, but I've slowed down on it after finding how hard it is on the front end.
GP

It's only hard on the front end if you are slamming it back down. Let her down easy!

 

[carlson_mn]

My Gen I wheelied easier than my Gen II. The Gen II will wheelie if coaxed hard enough, but I've slowed down on it after finding how hard it is on the front end.
GP

It's only hard on the front end if you are slamming it back down. Let her down easy!

I agree. I always gas it coming down and I don't think it's too hard on it, if at all.

 

[CAJW]

Caught on the security cameras at the DFW Tracon...

Interesting how, even though the angle of the camera to the bike is more acute in the 3rd picture, the headlight suddenly got brighter...

Since you were in controlled airspace, wasn't an IFR clearance involved? Special VFR? Don't worry, can't see the tail # so you're probably safe.

 

[LetzRoll]

I used to wheelie all the time. :dribble:

While I was waiting the 6 months for my '05 FJR in '04, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the bike just so I could do wheelies. Watching one too many of what I’ll call “good wheelies gone bad” videos on the net during that time cured me. Beautiful day… some guy is going down the freeway with the front wheel in the air, all is well, then for no apparent reason, a slight shimmy, then a major shimmy… next thing, both rider and bike tumbling down the road. Not something I wanted any part of.

Not to mention how much better the FJR brakes and steers with that front wheel on the ground.

Oh well. At least I still enjoy seeing someone else do it!

 

[GypsyCaravan]

Accidentally pulled it up yesterday on the way home, ridin with cruisers. Right in front of a cop. He didn't do anything, lucky for me. Didn't mean to do it.

Have had the wheel "bounce" all the time takin off or accelerating, but didn't realize... a slight pull leaving a stop light is all it took, not even open throttle...

My wife was behind us in a cage... Needless to say, I heard about it when I got home. Wife wasn't pleased. She didn't think it was so cool... She said the front end was 18" - 2 ft off the ground.

Total surprise for me.

 

[rhody]

Just rode an 04 R1 for the first time yesterday and never realized when medium hard on the gas (2nd, 3rd) the front wheel gets light and starts skimming over the ground, my question is, do any of you R1 guys (not Big Bang engine) drive that way especially around opening radius sweepers where you get harder and harder on the gas as the corner opens up. What do you do with the head shake, back off the throttle or bring up the front and ride the power wheelie.

Serious replies please, no BS'ers, I want the good, bad, and the ugly. For those for whom it went bad, but didn't get ugly, what did you do to save it ?

Rhody...

 

[madmike2]

You're lying. FJR's can't wheelie. Everyone knows that

You're dead right, Leskid, it's bloody impossible!

At's duh fax! Evvah buddy noes em shafty drive murdersickles cain't pull nun uh them wheelies!