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