Triumphrat

TOMKRILL · 04-17-2007, 02:57 PM

Dumb question or 2. How hard is it to do a wheelie on a speedy? Is it bad for the bike or clutch or tranny to do one? I did one years ago on a Suzuki X-6 Hustler (remember them?) It was like a 250cc with about a 900 to 1 1st gear. Never tried it on anything bigger. I'd think that with the torque on a 790 speedy it may be easy??? :???:

Geoff · 04-17-2007, 03:25 PM

It could probably be done, at the cost of the clutch. However, they are a bit heavy.
I have never seen one with the wheel in the air.
G

sweatmachine · 04-17-2007, 03:35 PM

my bonnie will wheelie, get 'er going about 10mph in first, pull in the clutch, rev to 5,000, dump the clutch and open the throttle and up goes the front end.

but yeah, not the best thing for the clutch life.

TOMKRILL · 04-17-2007, 03:43 PM

Thanks for the responses!
I am not going to try any wheelies any time soon- I figured that it is horrible on the clutch, tranny and chain- just wondered. I don't even like to hit the rev limiter; I have only done it two or three times and that was because I was getting on the interstate and wanted to get up to 75+ real fast. I'm always worried that it won't kick in& I'll over rev the motor. On the other hand, I bet that the 790 engine can go to well over the "limit" with no damage, but I don't care to abuse my stuff.

lindsayt · 04-17-2007, 03:57 PM

Don't really need to worry about overrevving these engines - they have a rev limiter at something like 8100 rpm. But I can't imagine getting a bike that long, low, and heavy to wheelie - usually the bikes that do wheelies are light, put the weight fairly high, and have a short wheelbase, I think. Seems like a really bad idea to me.

I've accidentally wheelied my scooter before - feather the clutch "just right" on a light bike at high rpms and that front wheel will come right up. But even under extremely heavy acceleration I've felt no tendency at all in the Bonneville to raise the front wheel. I'd think it would be even less likely on the speedy.

TOMKRILL · 04-17-2007, 04:18 PM

You probably have but if you have never seen road racing motorcycles make sure you do! I live about 75 minutes from Road America and last year I went up for the first time to see the "super bikes" on the 4.0 mile course. I think the fastest ones are the +- 1000 cc Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki's. The each have 3 factory riders. I was between turn 1 and 3 (2 is just a kink and it is down hill from turn 1 to 3 which are both 90 degree right handers). They shift up when they hit the rev limiter, I'm guessing near 15,000 rpm, and then maybe 200 yards from turn 3 they are incredibly hard on the binders (the bikes are shaking back and fourth) and going down the gears- then they lay them way over and go thru the turn and immediatly are back on the gas and upshifting at the limiter. The front wheel pops up about 3/4ths of an inch with each gear- it is absolutely awsome!!