Wheelies

[Bridger]

I'm curious if I should be able to wheelie my bike without too much difficulty.  I have an '09, stock except for a 14 tooth sprocket.  If I dump the clutch at 6k in 1st, the bike maybe comes 6-8 inches off the ground.  Is it my technique or do I need more power/re-gear in order to make wheelies more do-able.  I have a Honda TRX700XX and I can wheelie that thing all day long.  It's not scary in the sand though...

[joshr08]

check the HP out put on your 700 then on your gs500  my predator wheelies like mad its about the same hp at the gs but on the quad weight is center of the quad now you take same hp and put most all the weight over the front wheel and its going to take more power to get it up.  i run a 14/45 gearing on my gs and have never had the front tire off the ground.  never dumped clutch from a stop but i have got going about 10-15 pull clutch in and revved it up dumped the clutch and nothing really...lol  not that im out tryin to wheelie but i did try it when i first put the bike together

[ojstinson]

If you put a 12 tooth up front and dump the clutch at 10 grand you can do a back flip.

[BaltimoreGS]

Never put much effort into wheelie-ing a GS but I'd be worried that if you get it up to the balance point that the bike just doesn't have enough power to set the front back down gently.

-Jessie

[black and silver twin]

The gs will do wheelies stock, so with a 14t sprocket it should be easy. Basically you just get going 5-20mph then rev to 6-7000rpm then dump the clutch as you floor the throttle. if your having problems then either you not using enough throtle or your spinning the rear tire, the stock tire (bt45) will spin if its not warm enough.

[joshr08]

The gs will do wheelies stock, so with a 14t sprocket it should be easy. Basically you just get going 5-20mph then rev to 6-7000rpm then dump the clutch as you floor the throttle. if your having problems then either you not using enough throtle or your spinning the rear tire, the stock tire (bt45) will spin if its not warm enough.

well seein that im not running stock crap tires on my gs im sure its not spinning the tires. and i dump the clutch at between 7-8000 so im sure i had enough throttle

[Ugluk]

Some people can wheelie with just about anything from mopeds to fully equipped goldwings.
I can't wheelie anything including my turbo gpz900.

I'm thinking it's a mental state and a skill..

[tt_four]

For the record, my moped wheelies WAY easier than any GS there is.

The GS however is a different story. I've seen people do them on a normal GS, so I'n not gonna say it's not doable, but they're usually just a couple inches and don't last very long, and I think even then they got lucky to find a GS with a few magic HP. I had mine geared at 14/47 for a while, and it was still a giant pain to do them. You've really gotta be forceful. I used to do them all day long on my other bike, so I know it wasn't a problem with my technique. It's a bit easier if you're willing to compromise and stand on the passenger pegs or something, but I really only like them if I'm sitting down.

You know what I miss the most about having a bike with some power, isn't so much having the front wheel come up when I leave red lights or anything else, but just twisting the throttle when I go over the crest of a hill and having the front wheel lift ever so slightly. That's one of the best feelings you can get on a motorcycle.

[tt_four]

Oooh, and if you really wanna give it a try, I have a 47t sprocket I'll sell you. 

Just don't expect to enjoy cruising on the highway anymore. My bike still has a 14t front and I'm actually thinking about going back to stock.

[O.C.D.]

Pulling wheelies on a GS500 is like drag racing with a VW Bug.  No bike is "designed" to pull wheelies but in the terms of being able to do it, the GS500 is a bit lame.

Anything is possible but I for one have never/will never try.  I especially wouldn't with those puny front forks.  I would expect them top blow up, lol.

[black and silver twin]

Some people can wheelie with just about anything from mopeds to fully equipped goldwings.
I can't wheelie anything including my turbo gpz900.

I'm thinking it's a mental state and a skill..

My dad has wheelied his gold wing! It was freekin crazy! It only came up 6" or so and lasted for 1 second or so but it was cool.

When I did whelies the front would come up about 10-14 inches and go up to 20-30mph, One time I was able to holt one to 40mph.

[kman]

the stock setup can do small wheelies but it takes more than 6k to do it with the clutch.  I have never got to the balance point or anything doing that but I would think with the smaller sprocket it should be easier to pull it up.  you will run out of rev's faster though when you get it up there.  I've found that traction is the biggest concern.  If you are on one of those white crosswalk stripes the tire will just spin or even if the pavement is worn.  I have stock tires though so maybe it is just because of the harder strip in the center of the tire.

[valvesprung]

...is like drag racing with a VW Bug... 

Hey, I watched numerous Beetles break below 12 second quarter miles last week, and one that run consistant 9.60s...

[tialloydragon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MGelSYavwQ

Evidently it's do-able.

[joshr08]

now email the guy and ask him his sprocket count front and rear.  IIRC hes running a 13/60 or something very close to that.

[tt_four]

[tt_four]

This is all my GS has in it with 14/47. Just shy of being high enough to really ride it out, and it took a bit of convincing.

[mister]

Checkout youtube for the guys who put Hayabusa engines into Smart Cars. That's some wild shaZam! right there.

When I was little - last week - I used to imagine a V8 in a Mini Moke and then blasting people from the lights. These Busa-powered Smart cars would do it even better. 

Michael

[pacitup01]

checkout youtube there is a guy riding wheelies on a gs500 for over a block

[joshr08]

one more thing if your going to wheelie your gs take your oil pump out and turn it around so you dont burn your motor up from oil starvation.