Dirt biking is an awesome sport and if you have successfully mastered how to ride a dirt bike, it’s time to transition your riding into some fun and brilliant moves.
Yes, we are talking about doing a wheelie on a dirt bike that doesn’t only look cool but can also help you overcome obstacles on off-road trips to save loads of effort. Being off-road dirt bikers, we sometimes have to get over the bushes, water streams, gaps in the land and a couple of other things.
So, if you can manoeuvre the bike, you will be having great fun while riding your dirt bike instead of worrying about those obstacles. Once, I was also a beginner and doing a wheelie once looked like a very big challenge due to fear and some other things.
However, I slowly started practising it by not being too aggressive at it and now I can deal with any kind of obstacle without falling off. In a similar way, I will guide you on how to wheelie a dirt bike just in easy steps without overwhelming yourself.
How To Wheelie A Dirt Bike in 4 Easy Steps
In order to master your dirt bike riding, you need to add a couple of riding tricks and a wheelie on a dirt bike stays on top of the list. This will not only boost your skills, but it will also add to your confidence and eliminate any fear. Let’s take a closer look
Step#0
If it is going to be your first ever try, we recommend adding all the essential safety gear like a helmet, gloves, a chest protector and nice boots as well so you can avoid any injury in case you fall off. Afterwards, you need to try your first attempt on a grassy or soft plot with little to no rocks on it, be it a long straight land (not a public highway or a street road) to avoid major damage.
Remember, doing such stunts on a public road may seriously damage a person that comes under your wheel and you may also get into legal trials if something happens. So, be careful by following the laws and move your dirt bike towards a private sandy and grassy area with a preferably long straight. Now, let’s get actual steps on how to do a wheelie on a dirt bike.
Step#01
So in the starting days, the very first step is going to be just where to set in which position. This may seem to be a little clunky but it is an important thing if you want to get the best out of it. Just don’t sit too close on your handles so that your arm gets into a round bend. Nor should it be too far away either. Try to sit in the middle or near the middle of your dirt bike as it has to deal with your overall control on your bike. Identify your sweet spot and save it for your other rides.
Now, what would your position look like? Your upper body should be in a natural position, your chest up, your elbows at around 45°. For your lower body, you should be on the cushioned area of your bike aka the seat and should not be on the tank itself. If you are sitting too far ahead on your bike, the wheelie isn’t going to be comfortable. And, if you sit away from the centre point, you will definitely fall off the bike as your body would slide backwards. So, that’s why.
Step#03
From here, things will get practical as you are about to wheelie your dirt bike. But first, you need to understand and manage your controls. Now, how would you do that? You first need to identify your comfortable spots and set your preferences.
Personally, I use two fingers of my left hand for the clutch and my index finger on the front brake and sometimes I don’t place them at all because a front brake isn’t necessary for wheeling. It is just a formality rather than a requirement. Find your own preferences and act as per your likes or dislikes.
Step#04
Now, you’re all set with your safety gear, your body position and your controls, you are now okay to pop a wheelie. Put your bike in the first gear and keep the clutch pulled in just like you do on your regular rides. Now, start rolling the bike slowly and pop the wheelie by leaving the clutch, give a near quarter throttle and slightly pull your bike through your handlebar to get your front wheel into the air. You might get out of balance only if you accelerate the bike too much and it may get out of control. Do a lot of attempts until you get some grip on it.
Next thing, you now need to establish better control and stability on your wheelie to make it last long, safe and secure as much as you could. Clutch and throttle out at the same time if you don’t want to use your elbow power to get your wheel up. Once it is in the air, you need to stabilise it and balance is the most important thing in a wheelie.
See, your bike is meant to be ridden on both wheels because its centre point is what helps create balance. Once you are in a wheelie, your bike is supposed to be ridden on one wheel only and it is initially difficult to manoeuvre that. Here comes a secret ingredient which is your rear brake. Yes, the rear brake of your bike is going to help a lot in bringing traction and stability.
It helps save you from falling off because when you use it, it establishes a firm grip on the ground and your life gets a good reference point. Use your rear brake along with the throttle and manage a good sync between both your throttle and brake. If anything goes out, you’ll lose balance.
So, don’t over accelerate your bike and also don’t apply your rear brake hard. Just keep your foot on the brake pedal and a slight little push is more than enough. Just make sure your brake works fine and your throttle doesn’t stick. If it does, put a nice dirt bike grip on it.
A Few Side Tips:
- If you want to get the best balance and a long lasting wheelie, try to sit close to the rear axle but not right above that. It will provide a good weight distribution.
- Set up a couple of benchmarks once you are done with your initial wheelies so you can eventually build a good grip.
- Pull a little bit of clutch when you are at less throttle and at a good balance point so the engine couldn’t switch off.
- Just never throttle your dirt bike too hard when you are starting out.
- Practice as much as possible and must have a friend near you when you are wheeling. So, in case your bike flips back over you, he can come to save you.
- Opt for the bikes with lower CC to get a good and nice grip on your wheelies.
How To Do A Wheelie On A Dirt Bike | Frequently Asked Questions
- How to do a wheelie on an electric dirt bike?
Well, you have a clutch on your dirt bike which is quite effective in initiating a wheelie. Now, what would you do if you are having an electric dirt bike and you don’t have a clutch on it? No Clutch? No Problem because here is a trick.
You need to utilize your front brake and your body weight in order to initiate that. Push your front brake and your bike will be on the front suspension, now release the front brake, pull your handlebar with the body weight and slightly lean backwards. Now, make a nice combination of throttle and rear brake. Congratulations!
- How to wheelie a 4 stroke dirt bike?
A 4 stroke dirt bike is a good choice to start your wheeling practices due to its engine design. We can say it is the easiest dirt bike to wheelie due to its smooth acceleration, nice engine power and the ability to provide better control. Just follow the above advice and you are all set to go. Sit near the rear axle, have a firm grip on the clutch, throttle and rear brake, slightly roll your bike and release the clutch to the wheelie. Then, use your rear brake to establish a good balance.
- How to wheelie a 2 stroke dirt bike?
If you are planning to do wheelies on your two stroke dirt bike, the best advice we could give is, to keep the throttle as low as possible and use the clutch as well when the engine is about to stop. Don’t rush your throttle, keep it simple and consistent instead of being aggressive. If you are not good at balance, better it is to practice on a four stroke bike or follow the above tips at least.
