Ok, its about time this comes up again. I was out in the lot today and saw another new guy loop his bike. As soon as we got over to him to see if he was ok he said "I dont know what happened, i was covering the rear brake!" Guess what people, you have to be willing to use it too. I see a lot of people who are learning to wheelie who religiously cover their rear brake but have never used it. If you have never used it you will not hit it out of instinct when you need it most. As soon as someone is about to loop panic sets in and guess what, they loop. Please, its not about covering the brake, its about being willing to use it.

Here is what I think every person who doesnt use their brake should do. This doesnt apply to those who are just learning but everyone who does not have rear brake control. Before each and every wheelie put your foot on it and give it a tap. This is a good reminder to your head that it is there. During the wheelie think about the brake, remember it has a use. Practice tapping it instead of rolling off the throttle while in the wheelie. Use it every time you bring the front end down. Dont close the throttle, ease on the rear brake.

If you do all of this you shouldnt have to worry about looping your bike. I started out always controlling the bike with the throttle and never bothered with the brake untill I started learning slow wheelies and it was difficult to re-learn my techniques. By getting used to it right away you will be a better, safer rider.

Have fun, be safe, dont worry about a few scratches.

good point - people probably wonder why I never even put "cover the rear brake" and why I comment about how if u never use the thing, covering it will never help you.

point is, when your about to flip and your kind of new at wheelies your only thinking about two things.
1. how hard its gonna hurt
2. how messed up is your bike gonna be

like kern said ( and I've almost stopped with wheelies, but picking it up again) do your wheelies, but go ahead and start learning to use that rear brake NOW

if you ever want to slow them down and/or be able to actually control them, and not just a the mercy of gravity/back pressure start touching it ever so slightly NOW. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif good post dude

ive been using the rear brake in everyday riding, trying to get the hang of it. I always cover it too, but havent yet used it, but I havent been able to really fuckin ride the wheelies long enough or whatnot to think about setting it down like that.

rear brake is my best friend.

yeah i always covered the rear brake..... but i never used it until after i flipped over............ first time u go too high your mind just goes blank.............its not your first reaction......... so i practice on a small dirt bike and now whenever my oh shit feeling kicks in , it automatically triggers my right foot to hit the brake.

right now im really only trying 1st gear power wheelies and when i let off of the throttle it brings it down

One habbit i wish i had, I always rely on my engine breaking to set me down. I tried to practise one day, but another bad habbit i have is wheelieing on the balls of my feet. In order to reach the rear break i would have to re-train myself to stand on my arches?

I've found i've been using my rear brake more and more as i get comfortable with being up on one. Sometimes ill find ill tap it unconciously when i feel myself leaning too far back. It becomes habit over time. It's especially helped when i've brought the bike a bit too far back for comfort and even when i shut the throttle completely the bike is still leaning back slow haha. A great way to remember to use rear brake was what Kern was saying about giving it a tap before bringing it up. If im doing a stand up i just make sure the balls of my feet are on the brake lever by giving a quick tap to make sure i can reach it easily if i need to. Then when i bounce and bring it up i'll find myself tapping it ever so slightly as it nears the BP. At least for me when i do this i can get to the BP perfectly or slightly under it which gives me enough room to play with the throttle to find the BP without going too far back. It has saved my ass on more than one occasion, wouldn't know where i'd be without it! Oh yea i would....prob with a few broken bones and hurt pride lol!

Ok, its about time this comes up again. I was out in the lot today and saw another new guy loop his bike. As soon as we got over to him to see if he was ok he said "I dont know what happened, i was covering the rear brake!" Guess what people, you have to be willing to use it too. I see a lot of people who are learning to wheelie who religiously cover their rear brake but have never used it. If you have never used it you will not hit it out of instinct when you need it most. As soon as someone is about to loop panic sets in and guess what, they loop. Please, its not about covering the brake, its about being willing to use it.

Here is what I think every person who doesnt use their brake should do. This doesnt apply to those who are just learning but everyone who does not have rear brake control. Before each and every wheelie put your foot on it and give it a tap. This is a good reminder to your head that it is there. During the wheelie think about the brake, remember it has a use. Practice tapping it instead of rolling off the throttle while in the wheelie. Use it every time you bring the front end down. Dont close the throttle, ease on the rear brake.

If you do all of this you shouldnt have to worry about looping your bike. I started out always controlling the bike with the throttle and never bothered with the brake untill I started learning slow wheelies and it was difficult to re-learn my techniques. By getting used to it right away you will be a better, safer rider.

Have fun, be safe, dont worry about a few scratches.



I cant cover my rear brake because I broke it off last week riding awheelie over a one lane bridge in a curve and lost it. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/bash.gif

you nailed it...

the way I learned was by riding a 50... that's the best way to learn rear brake control. I suggest that before anyone wheelie a big bike they get on a 50 and learn the feel of using a rear brake. Then at least when the time comes they'll know how to hit the brake... probably not smooth, but at least enough to get the front end down

you nailed it...

the way I learned was by riding a 50... that's the best way to learn rear brake control. I suggest that before anyone wheelie a big bike they get on a 50 and learn the feel of using a rear brake. Then at least when the time comes they'll know how to hit the brake... probably not smooth, but at least enough to get the front end down



ur right! b4 i started stunting, i was told to get comfortable on a 50. then step up to stunting big bikes. and trust me, learning the rear brake on a 50 saved me a lot of pain and money. i think anyone starting off should learn the brake on a 50. its way more forgiving.

well said people.

I just assumed most people were smart enough to realize that covering the rear brake ment to use it too

everyone knows to use it, but u have such a short time to react, doesnt mean that ur instincts will kick in to actually use it

Thought I would bump this up now that its spring again and I have seen way too many threads about people learning to wheelie and way too many people that have no buisness giving advice telling them what to do.

Thought I would bump this up now that its spring again and I have seen way too many threads about people learning to wheelie and way too many people that have no buisness giving advice telling them what to do.

:thumbup:

Im fairly new to riding let alone stunting, but I try to do a wheelie here and there. i cover my rear brake all of the time, the thing is i just never use and wouldnt know what to expect when i use it. Half the time I just close the throttle and the bike just shoots back down to the ground. :scratch

+1 that is why i usually stunt with right foot on pass. peg and left foot on shifter.. much easier for me to move around on the bike... i have never covered the rear brake... ever... the engine has enough engine braking that it is not necessary. from what i have heard, the only time this is necessary is when you are trying to wheelie at low speeds (i.e. 12'n)

+1 that is why i usually stunt with right foot on pass. peg and left foot on shifter.. much easier for me to move around on the bike... i have never covered the rear brake... ever... the engine has enough engine braking that it is not necessary. from what i have heard, the only time this is necessary is when you are trying to wheelie at low speeds (i.e. 12'n)

I will just assume that this is a joke.

If not, the reason you do it even at higher speeds/rpms is to cover your ass. No, you may never need it but then again if you ever want to push the envelope you better know how to use it and be ready to use it.

And yes, if you ever want to do slow stuff or idle wheelies then yes, you need it.

50's are where its at..

I will just assume that this is a joke.

If not, the reason you do it even at higher speeds/rpms is to cover your ass. No, you may never need it but then again if you ever want to push the envelope you better know how to use it and be ready to use it.

And yes, if you ever want to do slow stuff or idle wheelies then yes, you need it.

as a matter a fact it is not a joke... the engine braking is sufficient enough to get your ass out of a tight situation. if you are careless enough to get urself out of saving point by the use of engine breaking then ur ass needs to keep the front tire on the ground... the whole covering the rear break is the worst tip to give new stunters. learn to hit balance is the best tip(while slipping the clutch). No, i am not claiming to know everything, just speaking from experience. i have taught people how to stunt for about 1 1/2 yrs now and the people i have taugh are able to ride 1mi + wheelies on a 600 hold steady speeds(i.e. perfect balance) if ur a 1st gear wonderboy by just rolling on the throttle then just keep ur opinions to ur self :flipoff

as a matter a fact it is not a joke... the engine braking is sufficient enough to get your ass out of a tight situation. if you are careless enough to get urself out of saving point by the use of engine breaking then ur ass needs to keep the front tire on the ground... the whole covering the rear break is the worst tip to give new stunters. learn to hit balance is the best tip(while slipping the clutch). No, i am not claiming to know everything, just speaking from experience. i have taught people how to stunt for about 1 1/2 yrs now and the people i have taugh are able to ride 1mi + wheelies on a 600 hold steady speeds(i.e. perfect balance) if ur a 1st gear wonderboy by just rolling on the throttle then just keep ur opinions to ur self :flipoff

I'm not trying to say that you suck at wheeling but teaching people to hit the rear brake is a basic skill needed to properly stunt. Engine brake is not always an option especially when the revs are lower on a stock geared bike. Why not start someone out right teaching them the proper techniques? Yes, you can engine brake all day long at 10K rpm but try it when you get way back nearly scraping tail at 4000 rpm. Stunting is not just being able to ride a wheelie at 70mph for 3 miles. That is just one aspect of it and if anyone wants to learn the rest they need the basic skills to control their bike. If you are a 3rd gear wonderboy that has never ridden a wheelie below 40mph keep you opinions to yourself:flipoff

I'm not trying to say that you suck at wheeling but teaching people to hit the rear brake is a basic skill needed to properly stunt. Engine brake is not always an option especially when the revs are lower on a stock geared bike. Why not start someone out right teaching them the proper techniques? Yes, you can engine brake all day long at 10K rpm but try it when you get way back nearly scraping tail at 4000 rpm. Stunting is not just being able to ride a wheelie at 70mph for 3 miles. That is just one aspect of it and if anyone wants to learn the rest they need the basic skills to control their bike. If you are a 3rd gear wonderboy that has never ridden a wheelie below 40mph keep you opinions to yourself:flipoff

aight focker... well if you would have read other posts, and previously in this post , i believe i said that for slow stuntin it is absolutely necessary... on the other hand for multiple gear wheelies (shiftin in wheelies) or perfect-balance high speed wheelies it is NOT necessary :flipoff

aight focker... well if you would have read other posts, and previously in this post , i believe i said that for slow stuntin it is absolutely necessary... on the other hand for multiple gear wheelies (shiftin in wheelies) or perfect-balance high speed wheelies it is NOT necessary :flipoff

And once again, it is not necessary but you should still use it anyways and be prepared to use it. Once you learn brake control it is 100x easier to ride even a 60mph wheelie than without it.

And once again, it is not necessary but you should still use it anyways and be prepared to use it. Once you learn brake control it is 100x easier to ride even a 60mph wheelie than without it.

aight homie .. ill try what ur saying b/c i have never used it.. if it helps as much as u say, then i might break my old long distance( + it helps that i will be in texas, where the roads are long and straight!!)
ill let u know how it works out!

kick his ass seabass

first and foremost safety is an issue here one should always cover their rear brake while riding on two wheels not just one. second the use of the rear brake should be natural because when we stop at a light we use the front and rear brakes not just the front, so whether up on one or railing on two you should always cover your rear with your back brake.

oh yeah and whats up dave

first and foremost safety is an issue here one should always cover their rear brake while riding on two wheels not just one. second the use of the rear brake should be natural because when we stop at a light we use the front and rear brakes not just the front, so whether up on one or railing on two you should always cover your rear with your back brake.

Its ironic but I dont use my rear brake when under hard decelleration. Just me but it has been the way I have ridden since I started.

aight homie .. ill try what ur saying b/c i have never used it.. if it helps as much as u say, then i might break my old long distance( + it helps that i will be in texas, where the roads are long and straight!!)
ill let u know how it works out!

It's dudes like you that highway wheelie for years no drama then sudenly out of no where flip going 120+ and fuck their pretty street bikes all cos they didn't learn a basic skill. Yes you don't need it to wheelie at BP but you need it to wheelie past and thats still great with fast wheelies 2, nothing cooler then a high speed 12. You'll also be more confident and will never flip if you learn to use it right. Sorry but there's no argument for not doing it unless you can't grasp it.