Slipping out of Gear....nudists huh! Inc wheelie pic

[Vtwinlover]

Doh

[Sid Squid]

Yes, technique - seriously.

You are undoubtedly aware of how quickly you need to change gear in order to not let the front drop, well unless you make sure it's in right it'll slip back in a moment, get the wheelie taller and give yourself time to make a - slightly - more relaxed change.

Habitually allowing the gear to slip out will damage the engagement dogs on the gearbox internals, this is - obviously - expensive and usually requires new bits, as the present parts will probably not be suitable for remedial work, ie undercutting. The more it slips out the worse it will be for slipping out, as the dogs get rounded it's harder and harder to engage a gear right - wear breeds wear.

As with all gear/gearchange problems clutch adjustment is critical, I doubt it's the problem is this circumstance but should obviously be checked, the angle of the gearbox is not a factor.

[Vtwinlover]

Top tip Sid, i think you're right my technique may be a bit rusty, havent done 'em for a while.

Cheers
Pete

[Jebiah]

just lift your wheelies higher and you wont need to change gear? i dont see why people would want to change gear with the front wheel in the air its dangerous IMO

[Vtwinlover]

just lift your wheelies higher and you wont need to change gear? i dont see why people would want to change gear with the front wheel in the air its dangerous IMO

I see your point but i end up on the limiter pretty quick and i find it a pain feathering it in first, besides any higher and i wont be able to see where i'm going..... or fall off the back

[northwind]

just lift your wheelies higher and you wont need to change gear? i dont see why people would want to change gear with the front wheel in the air its dangerous IMO

Yeah, but so are wheelies.

Still, shifting up while wheelying seems like a fine way to lengthen the wheelie to the point that you get oil starvation and scrape shells...

[21QUEST]

I see your point but i end up on the limiter pretty quick and i find it a pain feathering it in first, besides any higher and i wont be able to see where i'm going..... or fall off the back


...so why don't you pick it up in second ?. You can pick the SV up in second from about 15MPH.

Cheers
Ben

[Vtwinlover]

.fg

[northwind]

Not so much the gearbox, more the way SVs like to spin big end shells and wreck the crank when wheelied for long periods :) Newer models, less bad than old oness apparently.

[Ter]

What is your technique?

I find that if you can pick the bike up in first, put your foot UNDER the gear lever while applying upward pressure. When your ready to change, simply flick the throttle off (a bit) then back on. The pressure you apply under the gear lever will (or should) put the bike nicely into second gear.

By doing this your already in a position (hopefully not involving tarmac) to get into third, fourth,...

;)

[Davido]

Keeps happening to me, it only seems to click up when the bike starts dropping.

Try it with someone on the back in first, you'll balance easier provided they sit still. :p

[G - renamed]

How about getting it higher and standing up?

I usually can wheelie through the gears if I try, but prefer to try the slightly more 'technical' aspect of getting somewhere near the balance point to keep it up*.

I would be careful keeping your foot under the gear lever.
On my ZX6 I would keep my foot under the gear lever, occasionaly I would manage to knock it into neutral accidentally and come down with a bump - not good for fork seals, but not a massive problem.
I can remember pulling the throttle on slightly as the nose was starting to dip a little, from what I can work out this made me lean back a bit, this then made my foot lift up a little relative to the gear lever.
However rather than going to neutral, it went into second, instead of being almost at the redline in first with the throttle open, I go to the bottom of the powerband in second with the throttle open.
Apparantly I did a 12'o'clock 'ape hanger' for a second or two at around 60mph, then rolled along the floor on my shoulders and head, while the bike fell over and slid for a while, momentarily bursting into flame (I'm told it looked very impressive, gutted I missed it!).

I got very bad concusion thanks to a helmet that wasn't a 100% perfect fit and don't remember any of the actual accident - first thing I remember I was standing by the side of the road with a friend hugging me, however apparantly when I stopped rolling I started picking bits of bike up off the road!

Left me with headaches when I did serious exercise for about a year after and a year and a half old zx6 with a dented frame.



* Yes, I know that's still relatively lame compared to what many can do.

[21QUEST]

Ok I'll say it one last time and feel free to ignore :roll: :wink: .

Why are peeps not picking it up in second gear? Seriously, I'm confused as to why not. Like I've mentioned it's just so easy, that starting from first and trying to shift into second is more or less a needless exercise .

Clutchless shift from first to second can be if you technique is not perfect gear crunching are the best off times ie both wheel on the ground.

Want to go longer and look like a pro even if you are sh*t :lol: , pick it up in second and caress the balance point at your leisure. Bonus is you have a happier gearbox.

Cheers
Ben

[northwind]

Oy, Ter... Photos of that bike if you please! :)

[21QUEST]

Oy, Ter... Photos of that bike if you please! :)

Oi Northy , here you go

http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?t=40928

Cheers
Ben

[Ter]

Yeah G,

The same thing happened to me on a SV,

I was so happy to get the bike into second gear that I didn'y notice the bike getting lighter and nearing balance point.

I was too busy with my head around the side of the bike looking at where I was going to be concerned with a slowing rising SV,

tail hit the deck and so did I, on my **** - couldn't sit down for a week!! Worst part is that I resprayed it only like two weeks before!! :oops:

Thanks for the link 21!! : )

Took it to work a for a few days last week - goes REALLY well!! Just need to tidy it up a little now,

8)

[philipMac]

Oy, Ter... Photos of that bike if you please! :)

I was just thinking that. A handsome machine indeed by the looks of things.

Picys. Stat. :smt112

[paulthewitt]

Why are peeps not picking it up in second gear?

because the thing doesnt come up very easy at all, feels like you are ruinong the clutch (i know....you are but hey). seems to come up nice in first.

Paul

[21QUEST]

Paul , it really does/should come up easy in second with abusing the clutch especially at loow speed. The only time the clutch is abused really is if trying to pick it up in second at higher speeds. I guess it's that word technique again :)

As for the ruining the clutch, no problem with my first SV with 16000 miles and my current one has almost over 25000 miles and still going strong :thumbsup: .
Clutch still is cheaper than a gear box or worse(touch wood) having a really dodgy landing if it slips into nuetral.


...but as they say , different strokes for different folks I guess.

Cheers
Ben

[paulthewitt]

it wont ruin my gear box.... i dont have the guts to try and slip it into second! :roll:

I will try it a few times when i go out next.......what revs do people think are the best for poppin it up then?

Paul

[Stig]

You know when you see guys on the tv that do really long wheelies so that by the time the front wheel lands it has actually stopped moving and as it hits you get that little screech and puff of smoke from the front tyre. :?:

I did that today. :lol:

2nd gear wheelie from start to finish. :thumbsup:

[philipMac]

You know when you see guys on the tv that do really long wheelies so that by the time the front wheel lands it has actually stopped moving and as it hits you get that little screech and puff of smoke from the front tyre. :?:

I did that today. :lol:

2nd gear wheelie from start to finish. :thumbsup:

so... does the bike get less stable as the wheel stops spinning?

Or rather, I suppose the bike does get less stable, but can you actually notice it?

More importantly, were there young ladies about that were impressed?
I knew a guy that could do a wheelie, land it, and instantly pull a stoppie as soon as the front wheel touched down.

(On a 125. Ahem.)

Still cool though.

[Stig]

Can't say as I noticed if anyone was watching or not. Just made sure there was nothing that I was going to hit should it go wrong and went for it.

It did start to drift at one point but a shift in body weight soon brought it back straight. :wink:

[Stig]

I've done a rolling burn out straight into a wheelie before, but this was by accident.

I tried to do a wheelie away from a cafe but the ground was rather damp and the rear wheel span instead. Rather than cutting the throttle and looking like I didn't know what I was doing, I just kept the throttle open.

Wheel was spinning for a good 5 feet before traction took over and immediately the front came up. Couldn't replicate that if I tried a million times.

End result was it looked even cooler than I had intended it too. :lol:

[philipMac]

It did start to drift at one point but a shift in body weight soon brought it back straight. :wink:

That could just be random cause it was a long wheelie. You will have to be a good scientist and do 20 more of them to increase you test set size to check this.

[philipMac]

Wheel was spinning for a good 5 feet before traction took over and immediately the front came up.

*cough*nutter*cough* :lol:

[Stig]

It did start to drift at one point but a shift in body weight soon brought it back straight. :wink:

That could just be random cause it was a long wheelie. You will have to be a good scientist and do 20 more of them to increase you test set size to check this.

I'd rather not. Firstly I class that as tempting fate. As some know on here my fate is not always good to me. Secondly, I don't want to break my bike. :wink:

[Stig]

Wheel was spinning for a good 5 feet before traction took over and immediately the front came up.

*cough*nutter*cough* :lol:

Yes, I have heard this before. :? Don't get it myself. :lol:

[philipMac]

Wheel was spinning for a good 5 feet before traction took over and immediately the front came up.

*cough*nutter*cough* :lol:

Yes, I have heard this before. :? Don't get it myself. :lol:

I shall have to consult with Dr Rich then I suppose.

[northwind]

Was it not something like that that led to you wheelying it into the side of a car? :)

[Stig]

Was it not something like that that led to you wheelying it into the side of a car? :)

See, that's what I mean about my fate. :lol:

Actually that was a result of trying to show off in front of a scooter boy doing a power wheelie in the wet. Wheelie, burn out and crash all roled into one. :oops:

[Vtwinlover]

you're right

[Davido]

That keeps happening to me now. I'm not sure if its me being over eager with the clutch or just my slightly less than legal back tyre.

Also, I cannot for the damn life of me get it up in second. :evil:

As said before, learn to balance it. It looks cooler, people can actually watch you and it demonstrates more skill.

My 2p. :)

[21QUEST]

Hey Quest 21 you're right you know it is easier once up in second, :lol: i sussed it yesterday. If you catch it right it comes up pretty sweet in 2nd. Haven't quite figured out the optimum start speed/revs clutch slip speed. Any tips?

Good man :lol:

Forget about looking at the speedo/tacho. You get used to doing it by feel/sound. Basically once the bike more or less can pull cleanly ie not labouring , you are cleared for take off :roll: :wink: .

Slip the clutch a bit slower(still pretty quick) at first. The goal is as little time as possible slipping whilst not getting chain snatch.

You know this already but remember the back brake/thottle are your best mates. and be prepared to used them to get you down. Also throttle back on as the front is getting back to tarmac.

Cheers
Ben