What seems to be the best way to learn how to wheelie. Ive been practicing getting up trying to get to my balance point. So far the only way ive been doing it is sitting down and just gasing it while in 2nd to bring it up. Im not bouncing it, clutching it, or shifting my weight just sitting there lol. 200lbs roughly with gear.

When I get up it feels more like im just going to flip over instead of get to a balanced state. Im feathering the gas when i get it up but it feels tippy.

Any insight on how to safely (lol) learn to get my balance point? Should i be standing, using the clutch....?

no one ever looks at the stuntin forum. im beginning to think people dont know its there.

My understanding is that the balancing point of the z400 is pretty far back so you feel like you are about to flip over backwards when really you are in the balanced position.

I know that when I finally started to get the hang of it I felt like I was going to go over. But since I was in the sand when I finally went over it didn't hurt at all.

the only real way to do a wheelie is to stand up lean slightly forward, and as you lean back give it full throttle, hang on the handle bars and just gas it at the balancing point, sitting on the seat is much more difficult, mind you i can do 2nd and 3rd gear wheelies on my 250ex with my g/f on it and we both sit on the seat, i can hold a wheelie with both of us on it for as long as the straight away will let me.

dont be afraid to go too far back, all that happens is it hits the grab bar.

excactly and your friends will like laughing at you running for ur quad

Hmm I never fell off. Sounds like a personal problem.

Just hold on to the bars and hit the back brake to bring the front down, or clutch it and hop of and push it back down.......keep trying till you got it figured out.

haha ya dont tryin wheling up a hill for the first time too, if you get too high somtimes you dont have a choice to bail. to save the quad of course

learning on hills is a no no

Alot of people put their left knee up on the seat and the right foot close to the rear brake in case of going too far back. I don't ride wheelies too much.



"I can't keep my front wheels on the ground from all the torque" RR 2008

make sure you practice in a sandy area. i was messing around in a rocky gravelpit and my grab bar cought a rock and tipped the wheeler over thats how i bent my front rim abd got lost of rock rash.

This is what I do. I'm learning to just find the balance point in first gear and trying to keep the throttle at a fixed point to learn where the balance point is. I can do sit downs in second and third for a pretty good while...I just like stand-ups because you can bail easier. Try nice slow wheelies in first gear to find the balance point and work up from there.

no sand here where i live. Some grass but all the grassy spots are up/down hill.

yea left knee on the seat and left foot on the grab bar and right foot on the brake is how I do all my long wheelies.........

How often do you bail?? you must be out of control if you are bailing from your wheelies...

And, btw, the faster you are going the easier it is to find the balance point(because it is lower). Also, things happen don't happen as fast (I know that sounds backwards, read on). If you are in first gear and gas it the front is gonna come up real fast, but if you are in lets say 3rd, the front isn't going to come up as fast which will allow you to have more time to react to hit the brake or pull in the clutch. In my opinion the best gear to learn in is 2nd, then move to third, then first, and by then you should be able to shift through the gears. I suggest a 12 o'clock bar if your doing it on pavement, especially when you are learning. It is really nice to be able to set it on the bar and then practice bringing the front end down with the brake while rolling. You just have to set it back on the bar a few times, then you wont be scared anymore. Also for beginners i suggest standing up, and you can do the left knee on the seat if that makes you a little more comfortable, but you'll probably break the light with your boot. haha. Once you get real good you can shift through wheelies, sit on the handlebars, set it on the 12 o'clock bar in 5th(its SCARY!! even for me! haha), etc, etc. theres no limits when you get good. Last time at silver lake sand dunes i almost went from one end to the other without setting the front down, but i had to on comp hill cuz it got too steep.

o yea, two other hint/tips for wheelies, use a low ply tire and even more importantly let a lot of air out of your tires, but make sure they're equal. A flatter tire gives you a larger contact point which therefore means an easier to achieve balance point. the tires i use for wheelies demos have 0 psi, yep, they are just on the bead. haha.

Good Luck!!!

My BIGGEST problem is that I have REALLY big feet and my grab bar is bent up from the previous owner NOT knowing how to do wheelies, so I can't stick my foot in very far before the back of the plastic (between the grab bar and the seat) stops it, BUT I don't bail very often, just when I do end up on the grab bar and it was a quick slam on the grab bar and my foot catches the ground and pulls it out of the grab bar. Kinda hard to run after the quad with only one foot on the ground. I've only had to bail a couple of times because I hit the grab bar really hard and fast and it just threw my balance and concentration off. But they were both in first so it was easy to catch my balance and catch the quad...not like it went far.

I do agree with you on the second and third gear learning, but if someone is scared to do one really fast, then first would be good for them to learn even sitting down...not necessarily standing up. Plus, once you learn the balance point and can keep a steady throttle, it looks really good doing a slow wheelie.

I do most of sit down wheelies in second and third gear and just learning the stand up ones in first before I start flying down the road in second and third and smacking the grab bar and then ripping my leg of because I can't catch up with the quad as it's rolling...

I see, have you ever thought of hacking off the end of your grab bar and making it like the 04 and newers? It certainly couldn't be any worse than what you have by the sounds of it. or just don't put your foot in the grab bar. you are more likely to get hurt that way anyhow, especially if you are falling off. I just saw that you are looking for a new subframe, good call. If you can i would suggest building a 12 o'clock bar too because it will be much stronger than any grab bar you are going to buy amoung other advantages. anyways, good luck to all of you.

Im gonna embark on building a grab/12 bar that has 2 rungs one for my foot then an inch or so back would be the rung that touches the ground if i go to far back. My friend broke his leg above his ankle when a wheelie went bad and his foot was on the grab bar.

well i learner doing wheelies in first gear id get a rolling start and then give it some gas to pop it up. with time youll get more confident but it does feel like u will flip over. and like they all have said if u do BFD. the grab bar is there you just got to try and not freak out. ive seen plenty of people flip (even on the road ) its just going to end up standing up straight and if you hold on ull end up still on the quad! but as far as putting your left foot on the bar ive always been scared of that...WONT YOUR FOOT GET CAUGHT or soemthing...? but if you can find a flat spot on grass try on there doing it from dead stop rev up a couple times to pop fron up and when u feel that balance pt just keep giving it gas BUT NOT TOO MUCH!!

Wow, that would suck. i haven't broken my leg, but i did re-fracture my wrist when my fourwheeler stalled doing a no handed wheelie. I wasn't supposed to be riding yet, i had another week before it was totally healed, but it was a perfect day. haha.

You have a good idea there with the whole 2 rung idea. i like that.

Do you know how to build a 12 o'clock bar? if not i can get you some pics and also i will give you a few tips to building it so it turns out just right. Let me know

i'd like some pics. yours has wheels correct? i just got a couple sets of the spinning and the mounted casters and might try and build one if i get bored.

No i don't have wheels on mine, but it would be real easy to do. i could add wheels real easy, i might look into doing that depending on whether or not i break anything racing this weekend. I will get some pictures for you tomorrow of mine.

Yeah, I'm looking for a newer subframe and then I don't know what type of grab bar I am wanting to put on yet. I will probably get like one of those DG Fat Bars that are like 1 1/4" or something along those lines. I will have to look into a 12 o'clock bar as well because I don't have a welder but I LOVE doing wheelies...

Here is a picture of my 12 o'clock bar. It is simple and strong



I built it so that it sticks out just a tad further than my grab bar. I did this for two reasons. 1.) less likely to flip it over doing reverse stoppies and 2.)so that when i set the atv on the bar i can drive in that position. With the stockish length the atv doesn't quite have enough weight on the wheels to get traction to pull the atv.



Steps:
1.) Before you cut anything, tac weld your two support (the pieces that bolt to the frame) pieces together. I did this to ensure that all the lengths, angles and holes were exactly the same

2.) At this time i suggest standing the atv upright (drain gas out of bowl first) and measuring the angle that the grab bar makes with the ground. Then mark it on the stock and cut.

3.) Now you may measure the distance between the bolt holes on the subframe or on your grab bar and drill them out using a press or hand drill.

4.) Set the atv on all fours, seperate the support pieces and bolt the supports onto frame

5.) Cut your slider piece to length.

6.) Stand atv upright again and rest it onto the supports. Place the slider piece under the supports, center it and weld it into place. Take it off, paint it up and go have fun!!

Here are some pictures of mine, they weren't taken for this, but you get the idea.

@ z26 You should make a post out of this and put the dimensions up. I would love to make one! Great work

I agree!

Looks sweet too! Could you post a close up of the 12 o'clock and like half the subframe...I want to see how it's welded up there and drilled and what not...

my wheelie setup---------hope it lasts longer than the last one.

Alright, i can do that but it wont be until mid week probably. Busy today, Race tomorrow, then finals next week!!

More pics and info to come!!

wait im currious now....if you do the wheelie with your foot on the garb bar...it wont hit incase you do flip...? your foot will be safe..? i always ride with boots but idk just seems like ill hit my toes instead of grab bar idk...anyone know...?

The only part of my foot that hits is the heel, but that's also because I can only stick the first couple of inches of my foot in the grab bar with the way my bar is bent up and with my foot being so big. You just have to watch how far your foot is in the grab bar really...

Here's what I mean with my grab bar...

I guess it depends on how far in the grab bar you stick your foot, and the angle too. o yea, and the size of your foot.

I highly suggest to everyone not to even start wheelying that way, the Z has plenty of power to bring the front up without needing to transfer your weight over the rear, well mine does at least i know we all did it back when we learned on bayou 220s and honda recons, lol, but we've moved on. and you couldn't really hurt yourself on one of those either.

If you are worried about your foot and want to stand on the grab bar i suggest you build a 12 o'clock bar with an additional piece to stand on like squigy123 talked about earlier in the thread.


Just thought i would throw up a few teaser pics of me wheelying. had to be careful, it was in teh CC setup with the grab bar on with the number plate!!! Didn't want to break that!!

to make things alot easier i have designed a wheele bar and had it professionally made this has taken me a long long time not to mention the bikes....frames sup frames ive wrecked...lol and have finally come up with the final product.....it works the main emphasis on this wer a number of things safety ..it had to be lite made strong and it didnt wreck u or your bike.so and all .this im looking at marketing this new product and trying 2 get some feed back.ive attached it to a number of quads and is all good ive had guys who have always wanted to pull a wheel stand for the first time do it on the fist day and are in awe.so would u guys invest in this product ...................

Pictures would certainly compliment a sale....

Wheelies, and finding the balance point take practice, there's no real how to, that you can run out and wheelie down the street. You gotta tap the grab bar a few times, and figure out where to balance. everyone's a little different, and every quad is a little different. here's a few pics.

expect the third and last one to be removed and i really wouldnt call the first one a wheelie but gives the basic idea

believe it or not, i can hold the Zuki right there for atleast 150 ft. Can't tell much from the pic but I'm leaned back a little.

I have a 4 acre field behind my house and its all flat, plenty of room to learn in. One question though.

If you have your foot on the grab bar how are you supposed to shift up? Start in 2nd or 3rd?

Also I just bought my 08 Z400 2 weeks ago. First big 4 wheeler, had a 250 before. When I bought it, it came with Bear Claw tires. What PSI should I set them at/ would be safe? And should I keep them or put hole shots on it? I do 100% Trail Riding. But I still want speed control, and stunt capability.

you should start with slow first gear wheelies to find the b/p of the z you wont be shifting anytime soon if you have to ask.as for psi run at about 2psi in each rear and you should be good im pretty sure i expalined a good way to learn how to wheelie in this thread.you can try them in second and third but its not a real good starting point.
sorry it was another wheelie thread
.ive found a good way to find the b/p for a slow wheelie is dead stop left knee on the seat right foot over the rear brake youll need it. lol give it a couple blips pop the clutch once it comes up you can pretty much let off the gas feel it start to either balance or come back down from that point you can adjust accordingly now you will be in first so very light throttle is all you need.once you get it like this try it sitting down you will have a great idea of where the b/p is once you can ride out first you can add letting off the gas for a sec and shifting this is how i learned on my 440ex worked on my 660raptor and works on my z400 every quad has a different b/p but this will give you a good idea of how high your front tires will be when youre at that point hope this helps or atleast gets some of you started

now another thing to take into consideration is the faster you go the lower your b/p is going to be there is a point where speed can compensate and hold you up.the b/p changes with speed but thats not saying its going to be a foot off the ground if youre going fast it changes slightly.but starting with slow first gear pop ups you learn where the b/p is on the z then you can work your way up to doing dumb things lol

So if my left foot is on the grab bar then how am I shifting gears? Or when doing 2nd/3rd gear wheelies you get up to speed then put your foot there? I'm at 2.25 psi in the rears and 3 up front will that do? I am also sitting 12" off the ground to the bottom of the frame with these bear claws on here. I tried to lower the suspension using the preload adjustments but the stupid tool that came with the bike doesn't fit the slots for the adjusters.

Now the picture of the guy on the white Z, can I do wheelies like that? Or should I learn sitting sitting? Because my friend does wheelies like that and can hold them for like 300ft.

Also I Just bought my first set of Riding boots, the Thor Quadrant ATV boots. These Things are stiff as hell. Any recommendations on how to break these things in or is there a secret to how to ride with them on that I don't know.

obviously youre not going to start out shifting wheelies so get that right out of your head.sounds like you need to reread everything that i put there you move to sit downs and shifting after you figure out the b/p of the z by doing slow first gear wheelies.with the psi on the tires you should be fine.yeah you can do wheelies like that but they arent going to be long ones.as for the riding boots i couldnt tell you i dont wear them..
before taking my z apart to part out i was up to around a half mile+ on the rear tires thats after many years of practice my old 440ex was over a mile.
the z has a b/p thats about the highest ive ever seen on a quad so it will take alot of getting used to.once my part out sales start kicking in ill be on a yfz450 which im sure will go alot longer than either of the other two

No Im not going to start out trying to shift my wheelies. I was just wondering for future reference. So goes pretty much like this.....

Pop it up and get used to it.
Practice makes perfect.
Then when your good enough, go do stupid stuff.

Thanks for all the helpful info though. I guess this will be the next thing I learn to do.

yeah pretty much just doing the slow ones shows you the b/p of the z and gets you used to how high the front will be when youre there.then you do the same thing sitting down and get used to it then you can move to sitting and shifting and special-k's and all that fun stuff..when you get good at it you should be able to pop it up and just let the quad idle on the rear tires and have it hold itself there

wish i could do wheelies. cant even do bicycles anymore. damn swingarm, arms, and axle

i could bicycle mine with the axle and arms it takes alot more work than its worth though lol

yeah mine sits way lower than yours though. now my friends stock z that thing is fun!

yeah i cant have a quad sit that low around here it would be useless and get stuck everywhere and thats no fun

how hard is it to do wheelies with a +1.25 swinger?

youll have to work to get it up a little more than with a stock swinger it will also change the bp of the quad a bit..i personally have never had an extended swinger to give first hand experiance..im just going off what ive heard/know about quads with them on it it'll change the geometry of your susepnsion and where your bp is that much i do know..

Ya thet is next on my list after i get this credit card bill paid, and get some more money in my account, the after that my suspension should be done

i have taught friends that have never riden a quad in their life to weelie in half an hour.
this is my crash corse in the back wheels.

first get a flat area and start on 1 end. put both feet in the grab bar and rev up and stand up with ur knees slightly bent get to the biting point rev a bit more and drop the clutch, as u do lean back and push down. the first time u do this i want u to put it on its grab bar. do this several times. now start doing it easing off as it starts to tip you will still fall back but it should start to feel it start to fall lighter. right now u should start to know when u will tip back. when u start to feel this i want you to grab the clutch just as u get to the point. u will fall back and you will fall straight back down BUT you will start to feel it balancing for a short time. you now have the balance point.
stage 2
time to start controlling the balance its as simple as throttle and break a bit more complicated than that i supose but thats the basics. start with one foot in the grab bar and one on the peg by the brake. i prefer to do this in normal shoes as boots are bulky and it is hard to move ur foot around. get up to the balance point and brake and bring it down and do the same again. now get it up and try and keep it up gas to keep it up brake to keep it from going over. try to keep your body
still and let the bike move underneath u this way wen u come to sitting down u will fined it easer.
keep doing this then move to both feet on the pegs then sit and get cumfy cos after a bit of practice u will spend all ur time on 2 wheels hope this is helpful