wheelie or not to wheelie

[johnb2012tenere]

Umm yea no thanks on the wheelies....so if I crank it wide open in 1st at a slow roll, will the front end come up? How about in 2nd? Figured I would ask so I know what to expect. I have no desire to be riding on one wheel, even for a few feet.

 

[Karson]

depends on what traction control setting it's on - WOT in 1st or 2nd will only very briefly lift the front tire off the ground an inch or two in TC1, a little further in TC2, and as far as your hearts content with TC off.

 

[Nimbus]

TCS light might flash, but the wheel won't come off the ground more than an inch or so at WOT in 1st. If you hit a rise in the road however, the front may come up until the TCS shuts it down.

 

[Don in Lodi]

My old XL600 was a hoot to wheelie... haven't been able to get a rise out of this beasty yet with over 30k on the clock.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

TCS1 with slow roll to full throttle may lighten the front end, but probably won't lose contact with the earth. Fast roll would increase your chance of seeing daylight between the wheel and ground, but TCS1 shuts it down pretty fast. Slow roll TCS2 similar results. Quick roll with TCS2 will get you off the ground for a few seconds, but as has been mentioned, even TCS2 shuts you down and puts your wheel back on the ground.

Personally I don't find the Tenere all that willing to wheelie without making an effort. If you're concerned about it just lean forward over the tank during acceleration. With more weight over the front, it's not going up on you. Throttle away to your heart's content.

 

[Mzee]

I don't wheelie.

 

[Combo]

depends on what traction control setting it's on - WOT in 1st or 2nd will only very briefly lift the front tire off the ground an inch or two in TC1, a little further in TC2, and as far as your hearts content with TC off.

::026:: ::26::

 

[RED CAT]

Turned OFF TC and turned ON SS a few weeks ago to drag race my buddy on his Triumph 800XC. Wasn't leaning far enough forward and the front end reached for the sky, backed off and got air in 2nd too. That's at 4000ft. Bet it would do better at sea level. Yes I did beat his Triumph. ::012::

 

[greg the pole]

it wheelies just fine at sea level. tc2 but shut it down quick.
It's a pain having to shut off the tc just to have some fun.
the grippier the tire, the easier she'll buck. The knobbies, slide more than anything, and that's a hoot too.

The cure is around the corner. enter the fz9 ::26::

 

[erenet]

leave your bike in TC1 and it wont wheelie.
Now with the reflash I prefer to do my little wheelies in second gear (no clutch), too aggressive for my taste in first gear with TC off for wheelies. I don't think my rear tire would last long if I was able to turn off the TC from our handlebars on the go, I think I like it the way it is .

 

[Checkswrecks]

Bounce the pegs before the throttle and it comes up real nice, TC off. What I keep chickening out on is coming far enough back to balance it like a dirt bike. Guess that because the Tenere weighs so much.

TCS1 with slow roll to full throttle may lighten the front end, but probably won't lose contact with the earth. Fast roll would increase your chance of seeing daylight between the wheel and ground, but TCS1 shuts it down pretty fast. Slow roll TCS2 similar results. Quick roll with TCS2 will get you off the ground for a few seconds, but as has been mentioned, even TCS2 shuts you down and puts your wheel back on the ground.

Personally I don't find the Tenere all that willing to wheelie without making an effort. If you're concerned about it just lean forward over the tank during acceleration. With more weight over the front, it's not going up on you. Throttle away to your heart's content.

 

[Curt]

Turn off TC and it will happily do a backflip...

I've always been unhappy that we have to be stationary to change the TC setting. OTOH it may have kept me out of trouble!

 

[scudrunner]

Yup, she just spins for me with the Mitas tires. Wheelies very easy with a pillion however ::013::
Even in TCS1...

 

[erenet]

Having to be stationary to change the TC setting may have kept me and my licence out of trouble on road as well. Forgetting to set it to TC2 or Off before going up a bumpy steep hill of gravel road it's a different story, it can be frustrating when you have to stop half way when the bike wants to roll back, put it in neutral, hand off the handlebar to switch modes then back in gear again, not fun.

 

[X5]

Not easy to wheelie. In Florida, any MC wheel that leaves the road for any reason means you may loose your license. ::010::

 

[BravoBravo]

Not easy to wheelie. In Florida, any MC wheel that leaves the road for any reason means you may loose your license. ::010::

We have the same law here in Ontario, Canada as well. Technically, we are not even supposed to stand up on the pegs while operating a motorycle on the street. Ontario Regulation 455/07, pursuant to the Highway Traffic Act, defines "engaging in a stunt" as a number of activities, including, "driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to lift some or all of its tires from the surface of the highway, including driving a motorcycle with only one wheel in contact with the ground, but not including the use of lift axles on commercial motor vehicles," and "driving a motor vehicle while the driver is not sitting in the driver’s seat."

Welcome to Ontario, the land that fun forgot.

-Bruce

 

[snakebitten]

Try riding a KTM 950SM to work with laws like that. They may as well ban the bike.

My wife would wheelie that crazy thing.

 

[greg the pole]

We have the same law here in Ontario, Canada as well. Technically, we are not even supposed to stand up on the pegs while operating a motorycle on the street. Ontario Regulation 455/07, pursuant to the Highway Traffic Act, defines "engaging in a stunt" as a number of activities, including, "driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to lift some or all of its tires from the surface of the highway, including driving a motorcycle with only one wheel in contact with the ground, but not including the use of lift axles on commercial motor vehicles," and "driving a motor vehicle while the driver is not sitting in the driver’s seat."

Welcome to Ontario, the land that fun forgot.

-Bruce

years ago a cop tried to nail me with stunting. I took one of my hands (left) off the bar to scratch my back. Stunting in alberta is an open ended ticket decided by the judge.
After doing some digging, there's a ticket specific to what I did. $25 worth. ::014::

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Not easy to wheelie. In Florida, any MC wheel that leaves the road for any reason means you may loose your license. ::010::

Since I only wheelie where people won't see me, that law doesn't bother me much. I get very annoyed at the sport bikers around here who think they are special by doing wheelies in traffic. I wouldn't shed a tear for any of those a-holes losing their license. They scare the general public, foster a bad attitude about motorcycles, and put other people at risk.

I love a good wheelie and do them every chance I get, but they are witnessed by only deer and hawks.

As for Checkwrecks saying he can't find the balance point...I don't even try with the Tenere. Way higher than I want to go with this big a bike. Too much slamming down of weight when I bring it back down. My S10 wheelies are rarely more than 2 or 3 feet off the ground, probably more like 1 foot most of the time. I have the WR for the longer, higher stuff.

 

[snakebitten]

years ago a cop tried to nail me with stunting. I took one of my hands (left) off the bar to scratch my back. Stunting in alberta is an open ended ticket decided by the judge.
After doing some digging, there's a ticket specific to what I did. $25 worth. ::014::

No way. You got cited for riding with one hand on the bar? Seriously?

I don't want to hurt anybodies feelings, but that is a mockery of freedom. Imagine a sheriff in Dodge city enforcing something similar on driving your horse and buggy through town while smoking a cigar.

I'm too old for this world anymore. Just shoot me. I can't wave at someone while I drive down the street. Punishable offense.