MotoBum's second thousand motorcycle wheelies project is complete. The complete weblog, including the final post containing pictures and video, is located at:
http://another1000wheelies.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label 1000 Wheelies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1000 Wheelies. Show all posts
Monday, August 4, 2014
Friday, November 2, 2012
1000 Wheelies Project: The End / The Cake Ride
The 1000 Wheelies Project is over. It's done. It's complete. There are no more motorcycle wheelies to pull in this project. And it's taken two years to record this feat. October 19, 2010 - October 28, 2012 are the official dates for the, count them, one hundred Moto Morning Wheelie Sessions (MMWS) that made-up the 1000 Wheelies Project.
As an overview, the task was for me, MotoBum, to get good at pulling respectable motorcycle wheelies. All that really needed to be done was to transition the bicycle wheelie skills to motorcycle wheelie skills. It sounds easy on paper. In practice, it's a small bit tricky.
See, the rear brake on a motorcycle is under the right foot -- the toes no less. A bicycle has a nifty handbrake to control such details. Just squeeze with the right index finger. Easy. Using the right foot compared to one finger is like having cerebral palsy, or so I'm told. And use of a rear brake is mandatory in executing choice wheelies.
Body english plays a big role in a wheelie. For example, on a bicycle, one can pull on the handlebars quickly to make the front tire come a foot off the ground. Try that on a motorcycle. You'd be lucky to get the suspension to uncompress half an inch. So, on a motorcycle, as the rappers say, "you've got to pop-the-clutch, yo." While that's not exactly a fact. It is the truth, in philosophy. A good hard launch of power on a motorcycle is something that just really isn't possible on a bicycle. It lofts the front effortlessly.
Which brings us to throttle control. Yeah. Like, how many throttle cables per year does the the average Joe stretch beyond manufacturer specification on a bicycle? Zero. Right? Zero. And that's the real obvious difference between a bicycle and a motorcycle. Motorcycles have throttles and bicycles have nada. Nothing. No throttle. No power. No gas to modulate.
I've overcome all these issues.
These past 1000 documented motorcycle wheelies have taken me from hopeless uphill balance-point chaser to bonafide semi-pro motorcycle wheelie puller. I have sponsors. Just check out Righteous Stunt Metal next time you need an easy-pull clutch lever. That's all I have to say.
And riding over a cake on one wheel during your 1000th wheelie is something that I can highly recommend.
Moto Morning Wheelie Session -- MMWS -- Log (All 1 - 100 sessions):
coming soon...
The Last 10 Wheelies Video with The Cake Ride:
Special thanks go to T-Bird, rug rat Maja, Josh RSC/Righteous1 Miller, Last Minute Ryan, Ghostface KLR, Swamp Monster, E-rock, Superstar Wendy, Shotgun Ruthie, and Mrs. Moore for enabling this life-long motorcycle addict with time, parts, labor, garage space, tools, tequila, cake, rock and roll, wifi, photography, passion support, and the 10 minutes here and there to pull the 10 wheelies or so required to pull off a stunt like this.
See Also:
1000 Wheelies Project: The Intro
1000 Wheelies Project: 250 In
Hard Brake to Hard Break
1000 Wheelies Project: 750 In
And...
Another 1000 Wheelies
And...
Third 1000 Wheelies
As an overview, the task was for me, MotoBum, to get good at pulling respectable motorcycle wheelies. All that really needed to be done was to transition the bicycle wheelie skills to motorcycle wheelie skills. It sounds easy on paper. In practice, it's a small bit tricky.
See, the rear brake on a motorcycle is under the right foot -- the toes no less. A bicycle has a nifty handbrake to control such details. Just squeeze with the right index finger. Easy. Using the right foot compared to one finger is like having cerebral palsy, or so I'm told. And use of a rear brake is mandatory in executing choice wheelies.
Body english plays a big role in a wheelie. For example, on a bicycle, one can pull on the handlebars quickly to make the front tire come a foot off the ground. Try that on a motorcycle. You'd be lucky to get the suspension to uncompress half an inch. So, on a motorcycle, as the rappers say, "you've got to pop-the-clutch, yo." While that's not exactly a fact. It is the truth, in philosophy. A good hard launch of power on a motorcycle is something that just really isn't possible on a bicycle. It lofts the front effortlessly.
Which brings us to throttle control. Yeah. Like, how many throttle cables per year does the the average Joe stretch beyond manufacturer specification on a bicycle? Zero. Right? Zero. And that's the real obvious difference between a bicycle and a motorcycle. Motorcycles have throttles and bicycles have nada. Nothing. No throttle. No power. No gas to modulate.
I've overcome all these issues.
These past 1000 documented motorcycle wheelies have taken me from hopeless uphill balance-point chaser to bonafide semi-pro motorcycle wheelie puller. I have sponsors. Just check out Righteous Stunt Metal next time you need an easy-pull clutch lever. That's all I have to say.
And riding over a cake on one wheel during your 1000th wheelie is something that I can highly recommend.
Moto Morning Wheelie Session -- MMWS -- Log (All 1 - 100 sessions):
coming soon...
The Last 10 Wheelies Video with The Cake Ride:
Special thanks go to T-Bird, rug rat Maja, Josh RSC/Righteous1 Miller, Last Minute Ryan, Ghostface KLR, Swamp Monster, E-rock, Superstar Wendy, Shotgun Ruthie, and Mrs. Moore for enabling this life-long motorcycle addict with time, parts, labor, garage space, tools, tequila, cake, rock and roll, wifi, photography, passion support, and the 10 minutes here and there to pull the 10 wheelies or so required to pull off a stunt like this.
See Also:
1000 Wheelies Project: The Intro
1000 Wheelies Project: 250 In
Hard Brake to Hard Break
1000 Wheelies Project: 750 In
And...
Another 1000 Wheelies
And...
Third 1000 Wheelies
 |
| The 996th Wheelie |
 |
| The 1000 Wheelies Project Cake |
 |
| The 1000th Wheelie with The Cake Ride |
 |
| Wheelied-on Cake |
 |
| Two-year-olds Love Wheelied-on Cake |
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
1000 Wheelies Project: 750 In
With wheel-up experience comes grace, or rather, being graceful. I no longer panic when a wheelie isn't going exactly like I imagined it would - I just correct it. The more I do this, the more I realize that a motorcycle is just a big bicycle. You just ride it. And the really amazing thing is that once a motorcycle is at or just over the balance-point, the weight disappears. Riding motorcycle wheelies are a great pleasure. I plan to continue performing this action long after this project comes to a close.
And what will it take to close this project? 250 more motorcycle wheelies in 25 more Moto Morning Wheelie Sessions. Stay tuned.
See Also:
1000 Wheelies Project: The Intro
1000 Wheelies Project: 250 In
Hard Brake to Hard Break
Friday, March 9, 2012
"Kawasaki KLR650 Motorcycle Crash"
In celebration of the one-year anniversary of MotoBum's backing it in crash during Moto Morning Wheelie Session #43, here's the crash-only segment of that ride.
The broken collar bone ended up healing well. But ouch, don't try this at home, kids.
"Kawasaki KLR650 Motorcycle Crash" video:
The broken collar bone ended up healing well. But ouch, don't try this at home, kids.
"Kawasaki KLR650 Motorcycle Crash" video:
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Hard Brake to Hard Break
We'll never forget The 1000 Wheelies Project's Moto Morning Wheelie Session #43. That's the one where MotoBum lost track of time, stayed out for an hour-and-a-half over the usual 15 minute session length, and got so aggressive with the front brake while backing it in that he lost the front and lowsided into oblivion... breaking his collar bone in the process.Yes. That is what happened. I'll never forget it. It was the silliest thing I'd done all day - that Saturday, March 26, 2011. I picked-up ADVstunt1 from the ground (my KLR 650), looked for damage and found, amazingly, none except for the scratched crash cage, rode home, decided that the right shoulder was a little clanky, and drove myself to the emergency medical clinic. The doctor said I was suffering from a broken collar bone, gave me some "pain killers" (which must have been sugar pills because they didn't do anything), and gave me an arm sling and a referral to another doctor that might be able to patch me up.
The specialist doc says I should be back to hard-core dirt biking and ADV Stunt riding in about 8 weeks. I love to ride motorcycles! I love wheelies! Come on body -- mend! Come on time -- pass!
Here's a few clips from Moto Morning Wheelie Session #43. The crash is near the end.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
1000 Wheelies Project: 250 In
My main learning has been to abandon what is unskillful. Letting go of fear is always difficult. But trusting yourself to pop a 400lb machine straight to balance point from almost a dead stop takes courage. Fortunately, I am brave. And I can do it. I’m getting a little better with using a foot brake instead of my index finger and being over the balance point is becoming more routine than scary. I must say that I’m a bit sad that the heavy heart pounding has left me -- in other words, the thrill of danger is gone. I’m starting to pull moto wheelies with confidence and style. Yes!
With a quarter of this project done, I seem to be on track to wheelie a motorbike endlessly by the heat of the summer 2011. Only time will tell.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
1000 Wheelies Project: The Intro
I’ve heard that if you want to do something well, do it a thousand times and you’ll be better at it. That’s what I’m doing. I’m learning to wheelie a motorcycle well.
Over the past five years, wheelies have become a focus area for me. I woke-up one day and had a vision — a glimpse, if you will — of life-purpose. Wheelies excite people. So I decided to wheelie well. I got a big tricycle and a couple of trasher bicycles and spent a little time each day learning to balance on the rear wheels. It worked. Now I’m a wheelie master. In fact, I’m one final examination away from earning my Master’s in Wheelies from the University of Greenlake - but that’s another story.
The thing is, what I really want to learn is how to wheelie a motorcycle well, not just a bicycle. The bicycle angle was always a bit of a cheap cross-training exercise. I actually have difficulty believing I’ve gotten as good at it as I have. Uphill, downhill, slanted uneven ground, over bumps, around corners, crosswinds, doing coasters over the balance point... all are no problem... on a bicycle. Now my mission is to translate what I know without thinking into hot moto mono action.
Three times a week I take my Kawasaki KLR 650 to a parking lot for practice. I call this practice a Moto Mono Wheelie Session, or MMWS for short. The goal with each session is simple: get some wheelie time.
In the last month, I’ve done 11 sessions. My theory is to do about ten wheelies a day, sleep on it, and then do some more. That’s how progress is made. And it’s working.
The first 60 wheelies were horrible... absolutely just chasing the balance point. The KLR weighs roughly 20 times as much as my bicycle. That translates to slow-reacting heavy-handed inputs to correct left-right balance (steering) and a sense that I, of course, could easily be crushed upon loop-out. Fortunately, the KLR’s big single cylinder engine has lots of engine braking and a decent rear brake, so looping-out will only occur if, knock on wood, I’m really not paying attention.
Another big difference while wheel-up on the behemoth is that the rear brake is activated with the right foot instead of the right index finger. That means brain rewiring. What was second nature now requires a bit of thought. And instead of reacting (without thought) to unexpected conditions, now a thoughtful response is required just to get the brake dragging. Fortunately, I find learning fun and have not had any close calls with true danger.
By wheelie number 80, I figured out how to get the KLR up to the balance point. It seems way up there. I figured it’d take about 450 wheelies to get to that point in the learning curve. I have a feeling that learning curves are not always linear though. We’ll see where I am by the time I actually have done 450 moto wheelies.
Around wheelie number 110, I started to get more comfortable, a bit more bicycle-like. I just pop-up the front end as close to balance as I dare, at this stage in the game with a big heavy bike, and ride... standing tall high above the parking lot. That’s where I’m at. The next MMWS will be the wheelies numbered in the 120s on my 1000 Wheelies Project counter.
With the first 10% of this project under my pyramid-studded leather belt, I’ve learned a few key points on how I wheelie a motorcycle. In addition to trusting the rear brake, being smooth, and being comfortable (possible subjects to be discussed elsewhere), I offer the main key learning I got out of my first hundred wheelies. Keep in mind that I share this only for your reading pleasure. So, don’t go out an maim yourself with your motorbike after reading about “how MotoBum does it.”
KEY POINT: Do not dump the clutch. It took me a few sessions to realize that the rear tire has an easier time staying hooked-up and that the front wheel gets higher off the ground by not just revving the engine and dropping the clutch. The pros will tell you that is uncontrollable. It’s true. Instead, a more gentle approach is necessary. I just slip the clutch and give the bike a good hard launch. That’s it. (Note: a KLR is a long, heavy, underpowered motorcycle. Bringing up the front on the power alone does not bring the machine up anywhere near the balance point.) Just as on a bicycle, a good wheelie pop will bring the front end high enough to be just under, at, or just over the balance point.
Will I be able to wheelie a motorcycle well after 1000 wheelies? Maybe. Will I be better at it? Definitely. Some people say you can learn to do extraordinary things in a day. Others say it takes years. Who to believe? It depends. But one thing is for sure - if you’re not better at something after doing it 1000 times, do it another 1000 times and then see where you’re at.
Over the past five years, wheelies have become a focus area for me. I woke-up one day and had a vision — a glimpse, if you will — of life-purpose. Wheelies excite people. So I decided to wheelie well. I got a big tricycle and a couple of trasher bicycles and spent a little time each day learning to balance on the rear wheels. It worked. Now I’m a wheelie master. In fact, I’m one final examination away from earning my Master’s in Wheelies from the University of Greenlake - but that’s another story.
Three times a week I take my Kawasaki KLR 650 to a parking lot for practice. I call this practice a Moto Mono Wheelie Session, or MMWS for short. The goal with each session is simple: get some wheelie time.
In the last month, I’ve done 11 sessions. My theory is to do about ten wheelies a day, sleep on it, and then do some more. That’s how progress is made. And it’s working.
The first 60 wheelies were horrible... absolutely just chasing the balance point. The KLR weighs roughly 20 times as much as my bicycle. That translates to slow-reacting heavy-handed inputs to correct left-right balance (steering) and a sense that I, of course, could easily be crushed upon loop-out. Fortunately, the KLR’s big single cylinder engine has lots of engine braking and a decent rear brake, so looping-out will only occur if, knock on wood, I’m really not paying attention.
Another big difference while wheel-up on the behemoth is that the rear brake is activated with the right foot instead of the right index finger. That means brain rewiring. What was second nature now requires a bit of thought. And instead of reacting (without thought) to unexpected conditions, now a thoughtful response is required just to get the brake dragging. Fortunately, I find learning fun and have not had any close calls with true danger.
Around wheelie number 110, I started to get more comfortable, a bit more bicycle-like. I just pop-up the front end as close to balance as I dare, at this stage in the game with a big heavy bike, and ride... standing tall high above the parking lot. That’s where I’m at. The next MMWS will be the wheelies numbered in the 120s on my 1000 Wheelies Project counter.
With the first 10% of this project under my pyramid-studded leather belt, I’ve learned a few key points on how I wheelie a motorcycle. In addition to trusting the rear brake, being smooth, and being comfortable (possible subjects to be discussed elsewhere), I offer the main key learning I got out of my first hundred wheelies. Keep in mind that I share this only for your reading pleasure. So, don’t go out an maim yourself with your motorbike after reading about “how MotoBum does it.”
KEY POINT: Do not dump the clutch. It took me a few sessions to realize that the rear tire has an easier time staying hooked-up and that the front wheel gets higher off the ground by not just revving the engine and dropping the clutch. The pros will tell you that is uncontrollable. It’s true. Instead, a more gentle approach is necessary. I just slip the clutch and give the bike a good hard launch. That’s it. (Note: a KLR is a long, heavy, underpowered motorcycle. Bringing up the front on the power alone does not bring the machine up anywhere near the balance point.) Just as on a bicycle, a good wheelie pop will bring the front end high enough to be just under, at, or just over the balance point.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)