Started working on stoppies quite a bit last year. First gear to about 40 - 55 mph was comfortable to me... easy on the brake to set the suspension, then apply more to bring her up. Keep your head and eyes on the horizon.
Friend of mine and I would put out cones in 25' increments, and just keep trying to go further and further with the same approach speed. i.e. getting to the bp faster. In not too long of time I was consistently over the 100' mark. I started getting some of em to 150' and learned how to steer em a bit (lean the direction the tail is falling.) Steering only works though if your tail is up there... If you're shallow it's the fastest way to high-side a landing.
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Was [email protected] off in the streets one day (for a lot guy, you think I would know better)... rolled one up going slightly downhill at about 60 mph... all was well. At about 100' the tail started drifting to the right, so naturally I started to steer into it. Only problem was I was on top of one of the crown deformations on the road... As soon as I corrected the tail, I was listing from the peak to the valley of one of these crowns. Over braked, and for about 30' knew I was going over.
Flipped it with about 10 mph left and got tagged by the bike. Shattered / dislocated my elbow on one arm, and broke my wrist on the other. (60 grand surgery for that one...)
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My 2 cents.? Stunting is not a safe sport by any means... some get lucky and can take a few hard hits before they break anything... others will snap on their first slow fall. Keep in mind you have to be willing to pay the price to learn these things.
In 14 years riding = 2 lowsides, no injuries.
And in 3 years stunting = 2 crashes (handbrake pinched line / mechanical failure = flipped wheelie, and inexperience on downhill / street screwoff = flipped stoppie... Total? 2 major surgeries, 3 steel plates, 23 screws, 120k in doctor bills)
Me? I'll be working on them again this year . But back to the lots this time =]
Practice smart, wear your gear, don't stunt solo.
- Pixel -
OWWCH... damn man
