How Is This Possible?

[rbabos]

In four years the I've never been able to pull the front wheel like this. Really long swing arm makes it next to impossible.  Only tire smoke or spin on my bike. First I thought this guy is running real low air pressure in the tire but burnout shows otherwise. Also his feet are on the forward pegs, not the rear, yet he seems to get the front up with ease. Different asphalt in the land of aus or something? Start of the wheelie appears to be in the 60-80 kph .
Ron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAIjebBSfbM

[Hossamania]

Some guys just have a talent!
The first time I saw a bagger doing a wheelie I couldn't believe it either.

[speedzter]

Interesting comment under the video

"Harley engineers told him it could not be done"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec4j4dg-rGg

Another one of our mad locals, standup at about 50 sec' :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEMQCenYdoQ

[rbabos]

Some guys just have a talent!
The first time I saw a bagger doing a wheelie I couldn't believe it either.

Ok, so I'm a slob then.  It seems any vids I've seen the wheel is pulled at a higher rolling speed then what I've attempted or the tire is stickey prior. Traction is the key here, which has eluded me so far.
Ron

[rbabos]

Interesting comment under the video

"Harley engineers told him it could not be done"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec4j4dg-rGg

Another one of our mad locals, standup at about 50 sec' :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEMQCenYdoQ

On the most part this is correct. Very few are capable of pulling the wheel and keeping it in the air. The really long swing arm is designed for straight line acceleration to minimize the front wheel lift. First vid, the guy on the Muscle has mids which helps and Bubba, well, he's just amazing.
Ron

[Hossamania]

Some guys just have a talent!
The first time I saw a bagger doing a wheelie I couldn't believe it either.

Ok, so I'm a slob then. 
Ron

Well, that's not true, as far as you know...
Notice I didn't say talent, I said a talent.

[JW113]

In four years the I've never been able to pull the front wheel like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAIjebBSfbM

Like Hoss said, some guys just have a knack for it.

Nice soundtrack, too.


-JW

[Tommy D]

Some guys just have a talent!
The first time I saw a bagger doing a wheelie I couldn't believe it either.

I agree....
I'm from the west suburbs of Chicago, a guy by the name of Bill Minton aka "Wild Bill" use to pull the front end up on his bagger back in the early to mid 80's...when I heard about I didn't believe it till I saw it with my own eyes

[pwmorris]

I have done plenty of wheel stands, including with an extended swingarm, and once, a full airborne, where the rear tire launched as well and the guy behind me said he could have stuck a pack of cigarettes under the rear wheel. Fun stuff-
Anyway, I try to avoid wheel stands, as they are wasted energy going forward and are for showing off.
That said, anything can be accomplished with practice.
Surgeons practice for years before performing live surger. Pick any skilled job, and I will guarantee hundreds, if not thousands of hours of practice before perfecting their craft.
Think a guy like Bubba has skills? Maybe, but after hundreds of hours of practice, many could do this.....but.....you must be willing to accept the pain and agony of failure many times over before you go before an audience and pull it off-

https://youtu.be/jfuDx2hRLlQ

[Hossamania]

True enough. I always figured that a guy that was really good at stunting on a motorcycle has crashed a lot.

[PoorUB]

I have been able to do small wheelies with the '05 Ultra I owned, never put a bunch of effort into it. I can see how someone with some skill could run some real wheelies.

Ron, get a Yamaha R1. Wheelies are too easy.

[rbabos]

I have been able to do small wheelies with the '05 Ultra I owned, never put a bunch of effort into it. I can see how someone with some skill could run some real wheelies.

Ron, get a Yamaha R1. Wheelies are too easy.

Naw, just need to shorten that freakishly long swing arm on the v.
Second option is more power.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZjFijHASYw
TTS bolt on for about $3600 US.
Ron