On One Wheel™ has the solution to getting it up... one small step at a time. :: On One Wheel, a Motorcycle Wheelie School

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Learning To Wheelie The Easy Way

KEITH CODE’S ON ONE WHEEL WHEELIE SCHOOL
IRWINDALE, CALIFORNIA
JUNE 22

By Steve Atlas, Roadracing World

There are many things that go into being a good racer. Things like throttle control, ability to set up suspension, physical fitness, etc. It’s when all these things are put together that races are won. But to many fans and racers alike the post-race celebration is nearly as important as winning the race. And when I think of a post-race celebration the first thing that comes to mind is a stylish wheelie, carried through multiple gears at an almost vertical pitch.

Being a racer who is missing this oh-so-important skill, I was pretty excited when I found out I would be going to Keith Code’s On One Wheel wheelie school. I figured with instructors guiding me and a Triumph Speed Triple that I was told was impossible to flip over, I would be carrying the front wheel through the gears as if I was Miguel Duhamel and I had just won the Daytona 200. And in all honesty, by the end of the day I was!

On One Wheel is geared toward riders of all levels, from those who have never even attempted to wheelie to those who just want to refine their skills.

So how does one learn to wheelie? Well, the first and major limiting factor is the fear of “looping out,” or flipping the bike over backwards. Code has come up with a way to prevent this, developing an anti-flip-over device called the “Wheelie Trainer” that revolves around a hinged wheelie bar connected to the motorcycle’s swingarm. As the front wheel gets higher the wheelie bar rotates an eccentric plastic disk. At an adjustable point, set by the instructor, a microswitch is tripped and one of the Triumph’s three fuel injectors is cut out.

The left side of the wheelie bike.

If that’s not enough to bring the front wheel back down, a rod attached to the wheelie bar applies the rear brake at a pre-set height. Trust me, you want to stay off this if at all possible, as it brings the front-end back to earth in a hurry, and the resulting impact will raise the pitch of a male rider’s voice.

In theory this makes it impossible to loop it, thus giving students the confidence to experiment and find what our instructors called the key to the wheelie, the fulcrum point, also known as the “balance point” or “sweet spot.” And when they say finding that point is the key to the wheelie, they’re not kidding.

The instructors slowly bring you up to the balance point by adjusting the height at which the microswitch is activated. Once I was able to work my way up and find the fulcrum point comfortably, I was amazed at how easy it became to repeatedly find that point and how relaxed I was when I did. I went from someone who had improper technique, and struggled to ride a wheelie for 100 feet, to being able to hang the front wheel in the air for the entire length of the eighth-mile drag strip, and then some. Adding to my excitement was that by the end of the day I was shifting through multiple gears, all while being relaxed, and able to adjust my line with total control.

The left side of the wheelie bike.

I have to admit that as I write this I have not yet been able to test my skills on a motorcycle without the anti-flip-over device, and that will be the true test. But I am pretty confident of my new skills and by the last couple of sessions I was able to wheelie without using the device as a crutch.

The school was everything I expected and more. I am not one to rant and rave, but it really works. And I think all of my fellow students would agree that everyone improved, with the majority improving dramatically.

So if your post-race celebration can’t match your speed on the track, or you have fantasies of being like Gary Rothwell, or you just want to experience pointing the front end to the sky for the first time, I don’t know of any better or safer way to learn.

For more information about On One Wheel go to www.OnOneWheel.com.

RW