question about wheelies and shifting

[Dirtytoes]

i was reading some wheelie tutorials today just to kind of educate myself and some of them said to shift while in a wheelie.....1. let go of throttle, 2. (without touching the clutch) shift up 3. get back on the gas.....is that even possible? ...to shift up or down without pulling the clutch? and if so, is it possible on an ex (tried it today, didn't work)

also, sometimes when i take the bike up, the wheel/forks turn and the bike doesn't come down staight....it scares the crap out of me.....i'm a noob to stunting....am i just pulling the handle bars when i take it up or is something else causing it? is there anything i can do to keep it up straight so it comes down straight?

[Mintbread]

Unless you are taking your hands off the bars, you are the reason the wheel isn't staying straight. Glance at the position of your bars before you drop the wheel or just consciously think about where your hands are and keep them even upon landing.

[guitar guru]

Yes, it is possible to shift without pulling in the clutch. It just requires a lot more force.

[MotoF150]

when I said you can shift without the clutch you guys told me I was full of it and made fun of me, it is instant death when guys are NOT holding on tight to the handlebars while doing a wheelie, if anybody has questions on how to ride a wheelie they shouldn't be doing a wheelie in the first place. Its dangerous don't even try it.

[Mintbread]

One is not born with the knowledge of how to wheelie.

[earwig]

Yes you can shift without the clutch but if you are smooth enough you can use it while in a wheelie. Make sure you keep your right foot over the rear brake in case you go too far back just give it a super light tap to either drop the front or get you back on your balance point. If it looks like your wheel is straight when you come down but feels like it isn't... it probably is straight anyawy and you are feeling the force of your front wheel having to start spinning again... you will also start to see some flat wear spots on your front tire.

[BigChickenStrips]

if your going to ride wheelies, make sure and bring a friend with a camera so we can all watch the video of your bike doing cartwheels when you fall off. (those vids never get old) j/k

but seriously, that inability to shift without the clutch, thats God's way of telling you wheelies are not for you.

[DivideOverflow]

clutchless shifting is bad for your transmission too... you are basically forcing it without releasing the pressure of the clutch plates. At certain speeds, you can shift without the clutch somewhat easily (when the rpms are at the correct level for the next gear up).

However, I still don't recommend clutchless shifting unless you want to replace important stuff.

[Dirtytoes]

if your going to ride wheelies, make sure and bring a friend with a camera so we can all watch the video of your bike doing cartwheels when you fall off. (those vids never get old) j/k

i actually got a couple of successful wheelies on tape but when i transfer them to my computer, it comes out really crappy, probably becaz my pc is too slow.

clutchless shifting is bad for your transmission too... you are basically forcing it without releasing the pressure of the clutch plates. At certain speeds, you can shift without the clutch somewhat easily (when the rpms are at the correct level for the next gear up).

However, I still don't recommend clutchless shifting unless you want to replace important stuff.

if its really that bad for the engine, then i don't think i'm even gonna do it.

but aside from all of this, i have question about wheelies in General and i know your gonna say something Moto.

... if anybody has questions on how to ride a wheelie they shouldn't be doing a wheelie in the first place. Its dangerous don't even try it.

i've tried both but which works better is the "Correct" way poppin a wheelie?

1. rev up to w/e rpm and slip the clutch at the same time.
2. rev up to w/e rpm, keep it steady at i.e 7k rpm, and then slip the clutch?

and for you guys, is it easier to put the left leg on the rear peg?

[Sev]

Just be careful, oh and slipping the clutch will ensure you never wheelie.