Final Session

There it is. The Third 1000 Wheelies Project is in the bag. The last 15 whoolies have been performed in my Third 1000 Wheelies Project. And it feels great.

Here's a video of the final session for posterity. No excuses are given, or needed, for the awesome low production value of this flick. Special thanks to The Dirty Crew's Ghostface KLR, Shotgun Ruthie, and Last Minute Ryan are given for their photography-in-the-moment contributions.



Be sure to catch the next 1000 Wheelies Project here:
http://fourth1000wheelies.blogspot.com

Counter: 1000

It's About Having Fun

While my main mission with these motorcycle wheelie sessions is to improve my wheel stand skills on a motorcycle, I can't help but notice that I'm just becoming a better rider overall. There are 30 years of riding under my leather belt. Often, I am definitely feeling like a complete beginner. Other times, I just smile after a good move. And that makes me think -- it's not necessarily about learning to be a better rider, is it? It's about having fun. And that comes naturally when one is on two wheels.

Counter: 985

Things Can Happen Fast

Just when you think you're all smooth with the wheelies and smooth with the big speed slides, you get the reminder. The reminder is that things can happen very quickly on a motorcycle. One ill-timed goose of the gas and things get ugly quickly. And it's the same while cranked over to the right, on the brakes, sliding that rear around to meet you at the front.

Pro tip: be smooth. No excuses. Tired? Be smooth. Fatigued? Take a nap, then be smooth. In a rush? Just be smooth; you can't rush smooth.

Because when you, a hero, get it wrong on a motorcycle... well... enjoy the slide.

Fortunately, tonight's moto wheelie session turned out all right. I did enjoy several reminders though.

Counter: 970

Still Going Strong

Practice continues. Yes, it keeps getting better.

Counter: 955

19 mph

 With the wheel stand launches occurring around idle speed in first gear, and settling in around 19 mph, I discovered my wheelie session corollary -- What does the speedometer show while coming back to the wheelie launch zone during a 50+ mph back-it-in maneuver? 19 mph.

Amazing.

After further confirmations of this 19 mph phenomenon, I might need to have a "19 mph" patch made. This is a significant discovery.

Counter: 935

Living Long

With only ten wheel stands to this session and a slight spring drizzle, I considered the session to be an ultra success as fun was had, the weather didn't change the session plan, and I got out there and just did it (in a life affirming way).


Counter: 915

Amaze Me

It amazes me that having such balance in motion is even possible in this universe; nothing comes close in the amaze factor as a motorcycle wheelie.

Counter: 905

Thank You

I just have to say Thank You to the universe for the time, place, equipment, and situation for me to do what I love to do. It brings a feeling of satisfaction, flow, and child-like smiles to myself and onlookers of the big, fat, motorcycle wheelies, deep backing-it-in, jumping curbs, and rowing through gears.

Counter: 890

Smile

Wheelies will always make you smile.

Counter: 870

The Ease

When things come naturally, they're meant to be. When they don't, they just take a lot of hard work.

Today's dichotomy: good wheelies are both!

Counter: 855

Very Bicycle

Tonight's wheelie session was another subtle milestone. With the conscious decision to not worry about being able to see exactly where I was going, the big effortless wheelies came naturally on the WR250R. With this, one discovery was that, at certain moments, I was actually able to look ahead under the handlebar. This is progress for me on a motorcycle. The other discovery was that the *exact* balance point for me doing sit down wheelies, to date, on the WR250R is at a place that I have not yet been able to precisely pin down. And this is the b-side to having a moto that is insanely easy to wheelie (as this model has a particularly big balance arena). I'll get it. For now, I can know that my motorcycle wheelies are getting very "bicycle" feeling. And this is what I've been after for years.

Counter: 835

Dare Devil

Inspiring the next generation of dare devils isn't hard. Just get out there, warm up your motorbike, and let the onlooking youngsters see the big motorcycle whoolies and the deep backing-it-in occur. They will be affected.

In awe, they may be. And it just might change their worldview enough to see them doing the same thing in the decades to come.

Counter: 820

Have a Spine

Do you know what great motorcycle wheelies come down to? Bottom line?

It's about having a spine.

It's about having big, huge, hairy balls. No, not literally (because you probably shave them clean like a the porn star that you are (no offense to females or the LGBT community whom have various parts that may or may not need shaving/waxing/depilating)). You have to have done it enough, to have the confidence enough, to know that you're not going to throw that glorious machine, that weighs hundreds of pounds and will certainly crush that very spine, your very core,  into smithereens, unrecoverably over the balance point if you get it wrong, even for a microsecond.

Counter: 795

I ♥ Wheelies

Wow. What a great session today. The sit-downs at and just over the balance point are juuust now becoming comfortable on the WR250R. It's amazing how long it has taken for that skill to translate from bicycles. Years!

Good things are coming.

Counter: 770

Three Quarters

After years of continual personal progression, I keep getting better... incrementally. And I still have a lot of work to do. So, I'll keep on it.

Counter: 750

On Being Tired

Sometimes if the body is tired and sore, it's best just to take the day off from whatever pulls at the heart. And sometimes it's best to explore that passion, no matter what. Today, I did the latter.

Were good wheelies had? No. But bad wheelies are better than no wheelies any way you cut it.

Counter: 725

Thursday Nights

Pulling motorcycle wheelies is one of the greatest activities humankind has invented. Let's not stop. Let's keep pulling big fat whoolies!

Counter: 710

Changes

Today, I was a different person out there. And I liked it. Gone was the over-the-balance-point woe of yesteryear. It's almost bicycle for me now. It's getting easier and better to just throw up a good sit-down low-speed wheel stand.

I feel that pretty soon I'll be able to roll the WR250R sit-down wheelies just as I would on a well set-up bicycle. Like a bicycle, I'll pop the front up just past balance point, catch the rotation on the brake, and ride into the sunset with an infinite wheelie.

I'm getting there. I'm still chasing my dreams.

Counter: 700

Comfortability

I am getting noticeably more comfortable with the extensive front wheel height required with sit-down 15mph wheelies on the tall and long moto. This spring, if anything, I am just getting more comfortable with my new style when things don't go as planned.

Counter: 680

Standard

Nice. +15 for the day.

Counter: 670

Barbie

She said "Really?" She said it over and over. She was amazed. I suppose she'd never seen anyone back-it-in from 50mph in a parking lot or wheelie the length of it on a motorcycle.

She was a neighborhood local; a friend of a nearby home owner. And after she'd touched my leather pants and jacket, she kissed my helmet and watched me in amazement for a few minutes.

Counter: 655

Heaven on Earth

With 20 solid wheel-ups done at my favorite parking lot, I hit the streets for some illegal blockz-style action.

Whoa.

It was just one wheelie... but this recent practice has clearly taken my skills to a new level. What happened was magical. It reminded me of the seeming carefree-loss-of-mental-control-as-if-I-am-not-in-control-but-simultaneously-am-in-full-control nature of riding dirt bikes.

There I was. Just floating along a roadway. Above it. Just feeling it, but not exactly connected to it. But completely connected to it via gravity, the rapid burning of hydrocarbons, and my nervous system controlling the motions.

It was extremely beautiful. No picture, video, or written description can do justice to what happened this evening. It just was.

Counter: 635

Preparation

Leather pants. Leather jacket. Leather boots. Captain America helmet. Fox dirtpaws. Check, check, check, check, check. 

We prepare for our rides just as we prepare to live the lives we intend to lead. 

The key is practice. 

So, practice wheelies. Daily. 

Counter: 615

Big Dreams

With big wheelie dreams in mind, it's important to remember to only practice on the days you eat. Today was no exception.

#betterandbetter

Counter: 590

2043 Sunset

With the sunsets getting late at 47.8 degrees North as the summer solstice approaches, I had a nice time tonight with another short but sweet session. Learnings? Nothing monumental. Just practice.

Only practice on the days you eat.

Counter: 570

Onlookers

It was a short session, but a very good, fun, and educational one. With E-rock and Shotgun Ruthie, both of TDC fame looking on, I found myself not being as smooth as usual, but having a really great time with slightly rocking wheelies. Odd for MotoBum, but great nonetheless.

Counter: 560

Soft Launches

While in a rush, I attempted more than several wheelstand launches that did not even have the power to get the wheel up more than 24". I felt like such a novice. And that, I am not. Today's session took a little bit of internal calming to get right. Once calm, I was on.

Counter: 550

A Bit More Sense

Yet another level of wheelie comfortability has been achieved. These level jumps occur infrequently, but when they do, they are felt through every bone in my body. And I recognized one today.

I recognized it tonight upon the first clutch up. It was as if life was in slow motion. The idle speed roll in first gear, the dragging of the rear brake, the dipping of the RSC lever, the gentle twist of the throttle, the slow-but-positive release of the clutch, the release of the brake, the raising of the front wheel, the application of the brake to catch the pre-balance point, the gentle acceleration to a comfortable speed, the application of the brake near balance point, the simultaneous modulation of the throttle and brake, the ever so slight steering left and right corrections... all were pure magic. Just as I had done thousands of times before. But today, somehow, it all just made a bit more sense.

Counter: 540

Balance

That's what it's all about.

Counter: 520

Consistency

Consistency is the key to making skills better. Get consistent at your current performance level. Only then, is it easy to push your limit.

Counter: 500

Way Up

The key to a good wheel stand is to get the front end way, way up there.

Counter: 480

Teeth

Teeth are what show when one is having a good time pulling wheelies.

Counter: 460

Wheelie Wednesday

It was another fun wheel-up session. And it's always about fun.

Today's insight was that sit-downs are slightly easier while leaning the upper torso towards the handlebars.

Counter: 440

420 on 4/20

In a coincidence, the project hit 420 documented wheelies on 4/20.

Today's wheelies were very high.

Counter: 420

Wheelies by MotoBum

Twenty more lofties down, six hundred to go for this project. It was another picturesque evening of twilight. Just a steady hand and subtle balancing movements were all that was needed. And that is all that ever is needed.

Counter: 400

Counter: 380

It was another perfect evening. Quality wheelies. Big slides. Little jumps. Just perfect. Amazing. Beautiful.

Counter: 380

Pants On

It’s a well kept motorcycle secret — a Yamaha WR250R is just an easy motorcycle to ride, plain & simple. People don’t talk about that. They talk about how much fun they are; the kind of fun that is the most-fun-you-can-have-with-your-pants-on kind of fun. The reason? Why are they so fun to ride? Because they are easy!

Want to pull a nice wheel stand? Give the engine a nice rev and let the clutch out. It’s like pushing a wheelie button. Easy.

Want to jump off something? Roll up to a lip. Give it some power. Bam. Nice air, dude! Easy.

Want to back it in? Speed up to 50mph. Click the tranny into first gear. Lean a little. Let out the clutch lever. So, so… Easy.

Counter: 355

Do What You...

Do what you love.
Love what you do.
Wheelies.
That's what I like to do.

Counter: 330

Another Twenty

With favorite leather pants, favorite leather jacket, and the Captain America open-face helmet donned, another twenty beautiful WR250R motorcycle wheelies got logged in my favorite Shoreline parking lot tonight.

Perfect.

Counter: 310

Ten Times Two

With a noon and an 8pm session, I successfully logged two sets of ten wheel-up jams today. It always feels great to get out there. It always feels natural. I can feel the neurons in my brain, gut, and heart all firing saying "this is what I love to do" while these sessions are on.

Counter: 290

Just a Dark Ten

It was dark. It was mostly dry. It was all fun.

I still just love riding motorcycle wheelies!

Counter: 270

Dark Rainy Ten

While three months have gone by without a documented wheelie session, kamikaze street wheelies were had. But even those were months ago. And I picked it up exactly where I left off.

Pulling wheelies felt amazing tonight in the pure darkness, in the rain, and in my "rusty" state. 

Counter: 260