Wheelies; the good, the bad, and the???

[KeithRoxx]

Okay then, I'd like to take my 91 kat (750) out in a parking lot and practice doing some wheelies, but a couple of questions.

first, how durable are the clutches?

secondly and more important, will the oil pickup starve the motor when riding a wheelie?

my Aprilia Futura would power up, but I think the kat will require some clutching to get it up.

opinions???

[HS2020]

The clutches are durable, but I would not clutch any bike to get the front wheel up.

Yes it will starve the motor of oil if done for long periods of time.

Yes you can power it up. Trust me on this one :wink

[kiba]

Also, the shocks are really not designed to take that kind of abuse (remember this bike is heavy!) and you could blow one if done repeatedly or you land hard.

If you really want to wheelie it, go down 1 in front and up 1 or 2 in the back.

/kiba

[meanstrk]

Also, the shocks are really not designed to take that kind of abuse (remember this bike is heavy!) and you could blow one if done repeatedly or you land hard.

.


BS........ There ain't but ONE shock on the bike. What you are thinking is the forks and that can only be affected by hard landings. No such thing as blowing a fork, but you can blow a fork seal. Keith knows all that though.

The bike will power up, I mean, my 600 can power wheelie without using clutch.

[kiba]

Yeah, shock, fork, do as I mean, not as I say

I wish my 600 could power up with stock gearing. I have a '02 though...

/kiba

[The CyberPoet]

I've watched the entire front cage (instrument panel, headlight, cage support) drop off a 98+ that was landed badly behind lowes one night here in our area (forks bottomed out, headlight & instrument panel continued ground-ward). While you can already wheelie, I wouldn't recommend it on a Kat unless you've built experience doing it on other bikes -- and even then, it's a bit abusive to the bike.

If you are going to do it, I'd suggest starting with upgrading the fork springs (stiffer, single-rate springs -- I do sell them), and safety wiring a few parts into place. Or simply get a different bike, such as a cheap dirt bike, to do it with.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[gsxrluver]

everybike ive ever owned would power wheelie with stock gearing except for my 90 kat600 which i got rid of for my now 02 kat750....havnt been able to get my 750 up at all either when clutching,all i get is rear tire spin and when powering it just doesnt seem to have enough

[KeithRoxx]

I added the pvc spacer (5/8") and it stiffened up the front end slightly.

I am a careful rider and I've always had bikes that could power wheelie. since adding the advancer and jet kit and exhaust system, I think it can do it.

I was more worried about starving the oil pick up and burning the clutch than anything else.

[kwebbel]

I've watched the entire front cage (instrument panel, headlight, cage support) drop off a 98+ that was landed badly behind lowes one night here in our area (forks bottomed out, headlight & instrument panel continued ground-ward).

No offence but that's not the same Marc, the Kat or any other bike isn't made for flying, a whole lot of other much more severe stress will be induced to the fork and frame if you're going to fly and land it.

I keep stating this..
Wheelying a bike is NOT abusive to the bike unless you're doing it wrong.
I've been witnessing all sort off stupid things people do to their rides, like doing a stoppie and flip over, accelerating that fast they lost control over their bike and crashed, doing wheelies ending in a tankslapper, low-siding, high-siding aso aso (and mostly those "better" SS-bikes involved)
None off those things was a result of abuse, just unskilled riding/stunting Or not_thinking like my friend realized looking at a blown engine after a long wheelie with his 916, but even then we had to tell him what went wrong, he rides and doesn't know or wants to know anything about engine-mechanics. (which is his given right)



Ok reading back this post, you could label the last one as abuse.. but even then..
Wouldn't want to know how many riders over here rev their bike up to the limit before the engine is really warmed up. (THAT'S abuse)

[katman05]

Just change the gearing and the front will come up, but if you are into stunting you are better getting a different bike. Steel is heavier than aluminium.

[KeithRoxx]

not in to stunting.

I used to race ARRA at willow springs in the late 80's and early 90's.

I prefer a good fast power wheelie with a nice easy high speed set down rather than stunting.

[KeithRoxx]

seems people keep missing my main concern about oil starvation?

[Tiny1877]

seems people keep missing my main concern about oil starvation?

The very first reply covered that...

[The CyberPoet]

Others already covered it, but yes, the oil pick-up will get starved.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Mojoe]

clutches are durable......by nature they have to be.
however, if you drag a clutch enough....any clutch.....it will sort of "burn" the surface of it. it will result in a sort of hardened and more slippery mating surface. not so noticeable on a bike cuz you have multiple clutch plates that even out the wear, but on a car for example you can toast a clutch on one bad day.

as for oil starvation.....suzuki WILL keep pumping oil with front raised to a higher point than say a kawa or a yamaha because of the location of the pickup. Yamaha will stop pumping the soonest out of all of them.....or so I have been told.