The Secret to Wheelie Your CB1100 (Jon's Moto Garage)

[rdprdp01]

"That was a CB1100! There is no way that dude was up on one wheel!!”

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Although I understand and have embraced power, speed, handling, and performance on a motorcycle with exuberance, there is one aspect of hooligan behavior that has absolutely no allure for me: popping a wheelie. I have popped more than one in my day, but the experience doing so always left me flat. I felt like a clown in a circus, riding a unicycle.

I was also distracted by my natural concerns about the pain and suffering inflicted on whatever motorcycle I owned at the time. Forks, chain, and sprockets not to mention oil starvation and engine damage are at least possible outcomes of riding a wheelie too far or landing too harshly.

In the East Bay of California, I believe I may be the exception, not the norm.

Motorcyclists are popping wheelies on streets and highways much more frequently in my locale. A recent event in Hayward, CA vividly reminded me of that reality:



This kind of behavior concerns me because it exposes pedestrians, cars, cyclists, motorcyclists, and anything else sharing the road to a needless hazard, in my opinion. As I prepped for this Thread, I was surprised to learn that many motorcyclists claim that popping a wheelie is the greatest moment they have on a motorcyclist.

If wheelies are the reality of street riders, I went looking for someone who had a tutorial about popping a wheelie on a CB1100. I was quite certain there would be nothing to find. Humbly, I have posted the link in this Thread. 

If you are going to pop a wheelie, I hope you select a location that is safe for you and others. The author of this video is clearly skilled, thoughtful, and shares the love of the wheelie on a CB110. If this speaks to you, please be safe.  I hope this video reinforces any technique you may already use or enhance your approach. Take care, "Two-Wheels-Down" David