So it's been coming up allot latetly: wheelies on a Harley. Some of you have no interest in this, some of us do, even fewer of you have.

Hopefuly this post will get some hits from a few of you who have.

How do you do it? What's the specific technique? Where should I be positioned on the bike? Rock it? Pull on the bars? Clutch? Throttle?

Last night I played and tried. Got the front a little off the ground by "flipping" the clutch, but my rear tire didn't seem to have the traction to lift the bike... What am I doing wronge.

Seriously, there seems to be some serious interest in this. Lets pound out what needs to be done to pull one off on a Harley.

 

Herr Monk,

I expect to be pulling the front wheel skyward on my Softail. I'm installing a Baker 22 tooth comp sprocket with the 37 tooth clutch basket gear for a drive ratio of 3.60:1. Plenty of torque down low but still capable of highway cruising at 70. The bike is configured for barhopping so it's not a problem either way.

I have a 200mm tire, so I figure I'll have to sky the tire from a roll. I can easily spin it now with the 3.37 gearing I'm running. It's all about having the bulls to try it enough to see which technique works best, and what you're most comfortable with.

I'm thinking an abrupt roll on in second gear shold do it for me. Watch the crash landings. Want to roll out of the throttle to soften the touchdown. Preserves the fork seals. Guys real good at it, pull the front wheel in 1st and shift into 2nd and keep it there. I like the look of the front wheel going skyward at the shift and settling back down as you're into it.

In my dirt and sportbike days, used to practice wheelies all day long. It's all in feel and balance. Practice where it's safe. Good luck.

V1

 

Thanks. What I'd really like to do is just change out the first gear, I like the other five. But 1st is way too tall. I'm at just over 2000 rpm at 30mph, the bike hasn't even come on yet. I cruise on the highway allor to, so I would want to leave 5th and 6th alone. But, like I said, 1st is way too tall. Without clutch play the thing doesn't even come un 'till I'm almost at 30

 

2000rpm's at 30mph???? In first gear???? Are you sure your tach is working right????

 

Okay, so I exagerated a little it's about 20mph at 2krpm, at 30 it's about 3.5...

Sill, I'm used to cruisers that are redlining first by 30mph at the latest. Taking it up to 50 puts it right around redline.

 

how do you post video on here..........?.....................

alot of diifference between a dirt bike and a harley........every dirt bike I raced, you just twisted the trottle and the bike would come up........nothing technical...other than balance...................like was said before...on the harley....Ive found it best to get my pull between gears.....preferably 1 and 2nd.....but i can between 2nd and 3rd................wind it out in 1st.shift to second with a buch of clutch and a bunch of throttle......and bring it up.............................................. . .. ...

 

Mine comes off the ground under full throttle in 1st and 2nd when the girlfriend is on the rear........counterbalance I suppose?

Then comes the chewin'.........


"What's that honey?"

"I can't hear you for the wind and engine."

"Huh? OH yeah, I love you too!!"

"Hold On!!"

[sm=gears.gif]

 

For some reason I seedamaged sheetmetal and road rash coming!!!!

 

That's only after we stop and she catches me.......[sm=outcold.gif]

 

I know this was asked on the last wheely post but WHY get a dirt bike a 6/7 hundred pound harley just seems ?????????dumb