Please somebody start an interesting thread!!!

[HellFire]

When I first started seeing kids on those hugely overpowered ****** rockets pulling wheelies on the highway I thought for a short time that it took some skill to pull off. I've been riding wheelies for years on other types of bikes and knew there was lots of practice that went into doing it well and not killing yourself.

But I got to try one of those wheelie trailers at an event where they have one of them tethered down so you can't go over backwards. It's got a spinning surface the rear wheel rides on so you can simulate traveling along at speed, then wheelie it without danger of going over backward.

There's no skill involved pulling a wheelie on one of those bikes .... just shift your weight back and twist the throttle ... nothing to it. It's like they were built to do it.
Once again it's back to "just because you can, doesn't mean you should". A novice can plunk down his $12k, ride away on one, and be impressing the other kids by noon.
It's a scary thought, especially since they could be a grease spot by dinner time.

 

[saboteur]

My first bike was a 650 Yamaha twin, circa 1980. I wasn't 3 miles from my house when the first asshat backed out in front of me from his driveway; a few houses later it was a dog that charged out and nearly got my boot heel.

The 650 Kawa is a fine machine to learn on, as good as any for those first experiences.