Personally I'm a big fan of a double drop of the clutch; a rapid partial release then pull to bounce the suspension followed by a faster release while raising the revs throughout the manoeuvre to bring the front up fast. Starting off lower in the rev range and catching the raising revs will allow a rapid but smooth lift of the front wheel, aided by the rebounding suspension the front comes up as fast as you're willing to dump the clutch with the application of very little power. Using this technique allows you to practice clutch modulation which is integral to effectively entering a high wheelie, IMO. Start off cautiously with a slow clutch secondary/complete release and gradually bring the front up faster as you gain confidence (you might want to give your clutch a rest after 4-5 attempts if you're slipping it a lot, just go ride for 5min at cruise to let the oil cool down). While you are progressing concentrate on terminating the wheelie by tapping the rear brake as you close the throttle, this solidifies the rear brake response which I assure you you will appreciate the first time you get near a loop out. When you're more confident you can use the same technique to terminate a balance point wheelie or quickly exit a wheelie if something unforeseen occurs. If you're right on balance simply shutting the throttle briefly is typically plenty to bring the front down, opening the throttle again as you drop the wheelie will save slamming the front forks. Practicing balance point wheelies on a bicycle is a great aid as they also rely on a rapid lift and you can develop a feel for entering balance point rapidly in a safer environment. They also more rapidly respond to body position changes which will accelerate your progression in this regard on the moto :-) Another great aid is watching wheelie videos and listening to the revs and clutch modulation, trying to replicate that sound/action and seeing how quickly the action is performed is a good mental aid. When you get better at wheelies you can begin incorporating gear changes... On my MT09 I like to begin the wheelie in 2nd and change to 3rd as I bounce the wheel up. This allows me to cruise at ~80kph just in the lower mid range where the engine has response but is still quite soft on delivery. MX body armour, knee guards and a tshirt/shorts is great for hot weather slow speed practice. Safe practicing, there's an awful lot that happens quickly in a wheelie, don't beat yourself up too badly if you loop it, it'll make you sad but it's just a bike... Fix it or buy another one!
Listen your gonna get it soon, I went to wheelie school cause I was scared of everything, plz practice rear brake, nothin else matters. I learned on a DRZ, best wheelie bike, now I have a 690 just like yours Rotty out so it will wheelie in 4th gear at 55mph. I am now a master wheelie guy on the 690 SMCR. took me 4 months to learn to wheelie 6 hrs a week practice. No kidding, your gonna get it sooner then me. I;m 55 yrs old too.....
I'll get there.. just trying to get the fear aspect out of my head but practice makes perfect!! I'm tempted to buy a DRZ and just throw that damn thing around..
Glad to see you getting the front end up! I just started tryna wheelie mine as well, 2nd gear around 25 mph on my smcr pop the clutch works great for the clutch ups, you can even ride them easier and that front end won’t yank up so quick cause ur in first and scare the life outta you…just figured I’d drop what’s been working for me! Nice job!
Damn I wish I was closer I’d come practice with ya. Great advise tho man I agree the biggest thing is taking it slow and not rushing it. I used to ride dirt bikes and wheelie all the time but basically relearning on my smcr cause of the power lol but I will say I think on the 690 2nd gear and dump the clutch(not crazy high rpm) will help you tremendously! Keep it up brother!
Hey man next time you’re going to practice hit me up. I’ve been practicing a lot on the KTM and can at least pop one in second and ride it through second pretty well. But I’m picking up a fully tricked out grom tomorrow and we can mess around on it, I think it’ll be a lot less scary lol.
I notice that you lean forward while trying to do a wheelie. I suggest to begin in a realy low speed like 30kmh, then tap the rear brake for a little bit suspension, then pull slightly in the right moment the bike backward while dumping the clutch with a strong bit of gass. Dont forget to cover youre feet over the rear brake you can touch it a little bit while wheelieng thats not a issue. And to really do a wheelie you have to shift to the 2 or 3 gear for the best speed in a little bit low rpm.
Rare brake is the most important to get down. I found sliding your butt back so your arms are only slightly bent helps you stop leaning too far forward. Accelerating through first just popping into second for a bit and dumping the clutch to be the winning combo to learning. I managed to get it passed balance point the other day and that rare brake saved me 🤣 You'll probably be surprised at how low your revs can be to get the front wheel up. On my drz 400 i can get the front up to balance point in second at 22mph, would be even less in first. Still waiting on my Smcr to get back to me has been 4 month waiting for parts :((
The rear brake is life 😆 A sweet setup is to have a Rekluse clutch and left hand rear brake. I rode a 450 set up like that and the control afforded by the hand activated rear brake was sick. Was "backing it in" in no time, and of course controlling wheelies with the hand brake was super easy.
Thank you!! This means so much to me, it's hard to look at numbers all the time and see little growth but I'm in iot for the love of bikes and to help people out!
I saw in one of your videos you had passenger pegs on your bike. I recently bought an SMC-R and my wife would like to ride with me, where did you find the ones you have?
They should come from the factory, dealer provided. If you bought your bike used and they don't have pegs you could probably find some Factory KTM ones online but I have yet to find a "cool" aftermarket solution.. I have the ones from KTM when I bought new
@@LifeWellRidden thanks for the info! My is a 2023, I guess I probably should have inquired more when I purchased the bike. I'll contact the dealer and see if I can purchase them through them
It’s the SP Connect mount with the vibration dampener and phone case. You NEED the vibration dambiner, I went through a camera system on my iPhone without it 🙃 they are badass tho!
Well I use a helmet setup and the DJI's are for any distant shots or heavy wind. They are amazing but not as easy as using the Rode around the house and in the garage
Nice watching your progression. When I was younger and had a 1200 Suzuki Bandit I use to wheelie that all the time. Also a friend of mine ran a wheelie school so went there a few times too. Now present day and being a little older my balls have shrunk and don’t and can’t wheelie like I used too 😂. Keep it up, literally. 😁
@@LifeWellRidden That’s exactly it. See if there is a wheelie school near you. It may cost you a few $$ but it’s better than dropping your own bike. And you’ll feel more confident knowing it’s not your bike as well 😁.
Personally I'm a big fan of a double drop of the clutch; a rapid partial release then pull to bounce the suspension followed by a faster release while raising the revs throughout the manoeuvre to bring the front up fast. Starting off lower in the rev range and catching the raising revs will allow a rapid but smooth lift of the front wheel, aided by the rebounding suspension the front comes up as fast as you're willing to dump the clutch with the application of very little power. Using this technique allows you to practice clutch modulation which is integral to effectively entering a high wheelie, IMO. Start off cautiously with a slow clutch secondary/complete release and gradually bring the front up faster as you gain confidence (you might want to give your clutch a rest after 4-5 attempts if you're slipping it a lot, just go ride for 5min at cruise to let the oil cool down). While you are progressing concentrate on terminating the wheelie by tapping the rear brake as you close the throttle, this solidifies the rear brake response which I assure you you will appreciate the first time you get near a loop out. When you're more confident you can use the same technique to terminate a balance point wheelie or quickly exit a wheelie if something unforeseen occurs. If you're right on balance simply shutting the throttle briefly is typically plenty to bring the front down, opening the throttle again as you drop the wheelie will save slamming the front forks. Practicing balance point wheelies on a bicycle is a great aid as they also rely on a rapid lift and you can develop a feel for entering balance point rapidly in a safer environment. They also more rapidly respond to body position changes which will accelerate your progression in this regard on the moto :-)
Another great aid is watching wheelie videos and listening to the revs and clutch modulation, trying to replicate that sound/action and seeing how quickly the action is performed is a good mental aid.
When you get better at wheelies you can begin incorporating gear changes... On my MT09 I like to begin the wheelie in 2nd and change to 3rd as I bounce the wheel up. This allows me to cruise at ~80kph just in the lower mid range where the engine has response but is still quite soft on delivery. MX body armour, knee guards and a tshirt/shorts is great for hot weather slow speed practice. Safe practicing, there's an awful lot that happens quickly in a wheelie, don't beat yourself up too badly if you loop it, it'll make you sad but it's just a bike... Fix it or buy another one!
Listen your gonna get it soon, I went to wheelie school cause I was scared of everything, plz practice rear brake, nothin else matters. I learned on a DRZ, best wheelie bike, now I have a 690 just like yours Rotty out so it will wheelie in 4th gear at 55mph. I am now a master wheelie guy on the 690 SMCR. took me 4 months to learn to wheelie 6 hrs a week practice. No kidding, your gonna get it sooner then me. I;m 55 yrs old too.....
I'll get there.. just trying to get the fear aspect out of my head but practice makes perfect!! I'm tempted to buy a DRZ and just throw that damn thing around..
@MiamiJato I have a drz400sm and am considering wheelie school here in South Florida. What was your experience like and would you recommend it?
Glad to see you getting the front end up! I just started tryna wheelie mine as well, 2nd gear around 25 mph on my smcr pop the clutch works great for the clutch ups, you can even ride them easier and that front end won’t yank up so quick cause ur in first and scare the life outta you…just figured I’d drop what’s been working for me! Nice job!
For me only 1 gear some how second wont work
I'll go for 2nd next time and increase the speed a bit and see what happens!
Nice job dude! You've got a great start.
Hey Cason! It was great to meet you at BFR yesterday. Thanks for the tips and the fun ride!
Hey man! It was great to meet you as well! Small world for sure hahah
Here for the progress. Keep em coming! You should try the ABS wheelie bar.
I've been thinking about that! Have you used one before??
Stay at it bro! You got this!! Love seeing it!
I'm facing exactly the same issues but keep on trying 😊
I can't get the hang of dumping the clutch but at that instant I am not gripping the left hand grip so I bail out.
What I envy about you more than anything else is that spacious, clean and safe practice space!🤘🤘🤘
Dude I found a hell of a good spot.. I still suck but at least I know I'm in a fresh environment ahahah
Your youtube skills are very good. Keep it up
Thank you!!
nice vid, btw spoke covers are cheap and add some cool colors to the bike.
I have seen those! But offseason plan is to outfit these damn wheels into something really cool..
Damn I wish I was closer I’d come practice with ya. Great advise tho man I agree the biggest thing is taking it slow and not rushing it. I used to ride dirt bikes and wheelie all the time but basically relearning on my smcr cause of the power lol but I will say I think on the 690 2nd gear and dump the clutch(not crazy high rpm) will help you tremendously! Keep it up brother!
Hey man next time you’re going to practice hit me up. I’ve been practicing a lot on the KTM and can at least pop one in second and ride it through second pretty well. But I’m picking up a fully tricked out grom tomorrow and we can mess around on it, I think it’ll be a lot less scary lol.
OHHHHH hell yeah! A grom?? those things would be awesome for wheelie practice! Where are you located? (about)
Are u Canadian bro?
Sadly no.. I'm located in the Chicago, IL area! Side note: I have been to Toronto many times for hockey and plenty of other parts!
Why turn off the abs?
I remove every limiting factor to the bike just in case, not sure if it’s the right way but works for me
I notice that you lean forward while trying to do a wheelie. I suggest to begin in a realy low speed like 30kmh, then tap the rear brake for a little bit suspension, then pull slightly in the right moment the bike backward while dumping the clutch with a strong bit of gass. Dont forget to cover youre feet over the rear brake you can touch it a little bit while wheelieng thats not a issue. And to really do a wheelie you have to shift to the 2 or 3 gear for the best speed in a little bit low rpm.
Heck yeah I will give it a shot!! THANK YOU!
Rare brake is the most important to get down.
I found sliding your butt back so your arms are only slightly bent helps you stop leaning too far forward. Accelerating through first just popping into second for a bit and dumping the clutch to be the winning combo to learning. I managed to get it passed balance point the other day and that rare brake saved me 🤣
You'll probably be surprised at how low your revs can be to get the front wheel up. On my drz 400 i can get the front up to balance point in second at 22mph, would be even less in first.
Still waiting on my Smcr to get back to me has been 4 month waiting for parts :((
Love your content ma bro ❤
The rear brake is life 😆
A sweet setup is to have a Rekluse clutch and left hand rear brake. I rode a 450 set up like that and the control afforded by the hand activated rear brake was sick. Was "backing it in" in no time, and of course controlling wheelies with the hand brake was super easy.
Thank you!
I need to try the pop into 2nd trick I feel like that would be really good but I'm just as scared to get to balance point as I am of going over hahaha
That sounds sweet! Have you seen the thumb rear brakes?? It's more oif a MotoGP thing but I bet that would be sweet on the 690
Just wanted to thank you for the content u make. It's really underapreciate, but it's gonna pay off. Quality is insane
Thank you!! This means so much to me, it's hard to look at numbers all the time and see little growth but I'm in iot for the love of bikes and to help people out!
no problem at all man and I get it. Just keep going, it all make sense@@LifeWellRidden
I saw in one of your videos you had passenger pegs on your bike. I recently bought an SMC-R and my wife would like to ride with me, where did you find the ones you have?
They should come from the factory, dealer provided. If you bought your bike used and they don't have pegs you could probably find some Factory KTM ones online but I have yet to find a "cool" aftermarket solution.. I have the ones from KTM when I bought new
@@LifeWellRidden thanks for the info! My is a 2023, I guess I probably should have inquired more when I purchased the bike. I'll contact the dealer and see if I can purchase them through them
Which mirrors do you have ?
😂😂 🔥
Ooof
ua-cam.com/video/hg8utdwkOk4/v-deo.html
What's the phone mount on the bike? I want to put the same one because i have the cumpan monitor too
It’s the SP Connect mount with the vibration dampener and phone case. You NEED the vibration dambiner, I went through a camera system on my iPhone without it 🙃 they are badass tho!
you using the DJI mics now for recording audio while riding or still the rode ones ?
Well I use a helmet setup and the DJI's are for any distant shots or heavy wind. They are amazing but not as easy as using the Rode around the house and in the garage
Nice watching your progression.
When I was younger and had a 1200 Suzuki Bandit I use to wheelie that all the time. Also a friend of mine ran a wheelie school so went there a few times too.
Now present day and being a little older my balls have shrunk and don’t and can’t wheelie like I used too 😂.
Keep it up, literally. 😁
Hahah this is the best damn comment! I feel ya like I am more worried about breaking something, missing work and insurance than the bike..
@@LifeWellRidden That’s exactly it. See if there is a wheelie school near you. It may cost you a few $$ but it’s better than dropping your own bike.
And you’ll feel more confident knowing it’s not your bike as well 😁.
@@Robbiemoto I didn’t even realize they exist!! I have to look now
you sound like Motobroo with the screams, lol......
Ugh, your video editing is cringe bro. You learn from the videos you watched in science class in elementary school?
Damn straight! Didn't realize science done teached me so many skillz!