Final Session Pics and Vid

MotoBum's Third 1000 Wheelies Project can be found at: http://third1000wheelies.blogspot.com/

The Last Ones

Ghostface KLR, Shotgun Ruthie, and Last Minute Ryan joined me in my favorite desolate local parking lot to take in and help celebrate that last ten wheelies of this project. I can't say they were particularly great wheelies. I can say they were fun though. That's been the trend.

Some photos and video were captured at this session. The documentation will be forthcoming.

It has been a long road to get to this point. And I still have a lot of work to do. I won't stop. I'll continue the quest for the Ultra Wheelie.

Counter: 1,000

Having Fun

I took today's wheelie session lightly. That made it even more fun than usual. And fast. Also, I shot a 10-minute static video to review my performance. I have to say that the wheelies feel much harder to perform than they look (on a motorbike at this point in my development).

Counter: 990

Bad is Good

It was a bad session. If each whoolie wasn't a chaser, it was out of control. Just. Bad. 

The wonderful part was that I was out there doing my thing. It's what I love to do. And I had fun every second of it. 

Sometimes a bad Moto Wheelie Session is a good one anyway. Just because.

Counter: 970

Anything Better

Is there anything better than experiencing a well executed motorcycle wheelie? Of course not. That was my exact thought upon the first wheelie of today's session. That, and "why do I not do these sessions three times a day every day?"

Counter: 945

Pants On

With a low sun and a refreshing cool temperature, this Moto Wheelie Session brought 40 more sit-down WR250R wheelstands to my experience. I focused more on proper bicycle-style launches -- getting a good pop and catching rotation on the brake in order to keep speeds low. 

As a side note, I discovered that backing in a WR250R is about as much fun as you can have with your pants on. 

Counter: 915

First Pop

The first wheelie of a Moto Wheelie Session is always the best. And the best feeling. With a rev, a clutch let-out, a tug, and a braking to keep from looping out, I always still find myself in awe that wheelies are possible. And that I'm doing one.

Counter: 875

First Gear

At the end of today's session, I went and pulled a couple of second gear wheelies. As I've always known, they are a different ball of wax. Throttle control seems completely different. I imagine I'll have to pull a few thousand wheelies in each gear to learn how to really get motorcycle wheelies down pat.

Counter: 840

A Few Degrees Higher

Today's session brought the realization that the WR250R's sit-down balance point is way, way, up there. Just like the boys riding dirt bikes on the streets of Baltimore, I must actually look under the handlebar to see ahead. With this insight, and the best throttle control I've ever displayed, my whoolie performance did not degrade after number 20 for the session.

I am getting better every day.

Counter: 800

Dream Machine Post Meridiem

I am chasing my dreams...

Often by chasing the balance-point...

But I know what it takes to overcome that deficiency...

For I am a Master Wheelie Artist.

Counter: 765

Dream Machine Ante Meridiem

This morning's Moto Wheelie Session was a genuine, old-school MotoBum, Moto Morning Wheelie Session (MMWS). I went out, had the time of my life, and realized that my dream bike was right there... right between my legs... and that I was riding it on one wheel. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Counter: 735

Smoothness

Everything works out better when you're smooth. Just like a bicycle wheelie, being peaceful, calm, and still is essential for really feeling the balance point. I'd gotten all this figured out with KLR stand-ups, but these sit-downs on the WRR are another story. The comparatively snappier engine combined with a less powerful feeling brake make getting smooth tricky. I'll keep working on it.

Counter: 695

Warrioring

Some days we're tired. Some days we're energetic. Some days we're happy or sad. Some days it's sunny, rainy, windy, dark, bright, cold, or hot. But no matter what, it's important to just keep on doing what we do -- just because we like doing it.

Counter: 665

Spooked

This rainy Moto Wheelie Session brought lots of wheel spin. It was particularly slippery. Mid-session, several clutch-ups shot the front wheel up much harder and faster than the others. With the unpredictability of launches, I found myself just chasing it for the second half of the session. Oh, well. It's all about fun.

Counter: 635

Sitting Back

Today's dusk Moto Wheelie Session had light rain, wet ground, and tons of fun. Sitting way back on the WR's banana seat significantly improves control and launch grip. I found myself using much more throttle upon clutch-up to compensate for tire spin as the lightweight WR likes to slide much easier than bigger bikes. Occasionally, the launch slip would not occur and I'd end up aborting due to the simple fact that the front end shot up to near b.p. sooner than I expected. At least I'm getting a variety of experience out there.

This wheelie session brought me back to two basic understandings I've long held. The are:

1. bicycle wheelies are so much easier than motorcycle wheelies
2. motorcycle wheelies take more balls than bicycle wheelies because if/when you get it wrong on a moto, you know it's going to hurt

Counter: 605

20 Up

Today's Moto Wheelie Session epiphany is that... well... okay, maybe no ah-ha moment happened, but I did get another twenty Two-Fiddy wheelies done.

Counter: 580

25 Ups Again

Yamaha WR250R's have, what some people call, a wheelie button, which, to say, is a large wheelie zone while near the b.p. combined with an insanely forgiving side-to-side steering feel. I've felt it since I purchased that machine in January of 2013, but, until today, never really understood it. I do now.

Counter: 560

25 Ups

An evening twilight Moto Wheelie Session (MWS) ending a beautiful Seattle day brought with it WR250R sit-down whoolies with a particular over the balance point flavor. This was the first session where I was comfortable enough to go over the b.p. on the little high revver. It sounds silly, just getting to that now, as I've been comfortable doing that on the KLR for years (standing staggered). Even more so on the WR than the KLR, smooth throttle control is essential. Just as you learned way back when, the key is to just hold the throttle steady and use the brake to control speed.

Counter: 535

Epic 75

In what seems to have been one of my biggest motorcycle wheelie sessions ever, if not the biggest, somehow the time and space was available for me to pull 75 whoolies on Two-Fiddy today. It's safe to say I'm better with the 250cc dual-sport adventure machine on beat-up pavement at low speed now. Oh, yeah.

Counter: 510

Feels Great

With a wheelie-fest bicycle ride paired back-to-back with an afternoon WR250R Moto Wheelie Session, this sunny Seattle day has shaped up to be one great feeling one. Today was the first day where the Two-Fiddy wheelies were feeling similar to bicycle wheelies. The bicycle is still 10x easier to control, but I'm getting there with the snachy little engine that could.

I spent years learning how to motorcycle wheelie a KLR with a staggered standing stance. That's pretty easy now. What I'm doing now is really learning sit-down motorcycle wheelies, a la bicycle. For me, standing and sitting motorcycle wheelies are like lions and tigers; they're two different animals.

This year is the one I plan to nail the sit-downs so that I may accomplish my dreams.

Counter: 435

Restart

10 done. I restart this project now after months of distractions. I am back!

Counter: 405

75?

The estimate of wheelies pulled since last publication is 75. It's a total guess. Since the last report, I underwent prep for The Dirty Crew's Oregon Background Discovery Route expedition, went on the expedition (many wheelies happened there), recovered from the expedition, and did a lot of commuting since.

Counter: 395