I ended up going out to lunch on PCH in Newport with some friends, so being a nice day, I took the bike. It seemed like everyone and thier mothers were out riding yesterday. On my way home I saw a small group of Sporty riders and caught up. After several stoplight discussions of eachother's rides, the group wanted to see how fast the bike was. So the light turned green and I let loose, but rather than a little tire smoke, the Rubber Rocket reared up (it has never done that before) and I was headed off down PCH on one wheel. With a holyf**kingsh!tmotherfu... look on my face I brought it down dead nuts smooth, dropped it in to second, then third and smoked them all to the next light. At the light I had a moment to compose myself before the group pulled up with a series of smiles, high-fives, compliments and laughs. Apparently I got the front wheel about a foot and a half off the ground (felt way higher!) for a good distance. I played it off real cool and confidently nodded when the sport bike guy next to me said, "Holy shit, you just wheelied a Harley! WTF is in that thing!" But to be 100% honest, I scared the living piss out of myself. About 10 minutes later I pulled in to my garage, dismounted, sat down, and took a deep breath. It was my first wheelie ever...

--Sean

:laugh
So did you get your trousers washed out yet?
That's a pretty good story.

He next time someone says I'm riding a girls bike I'm gonna tell them "Oh yea, well Wheelie Spive rides a Sportster too", that will shut them all up :clap

Gazza

That's hilarious! Happy that you handled it safely.

I honestly think that mine still stock until I have my acquired AB and not yet purchased pipes is very close to pulling the front end up. If I shift hard into 2'nd, she sure jumps hard.... :wonderlan

HEHE.. Wheelies are fun!I have never been able to predict what my bike will do when it comes to a launch. She either goes up in smoke or lift the front wheel. The scariest wheelie I had was while leaving a parking lot. I just did the conversion and just passed the 500 mile mark. Backed otu of the spot and cracked the throttle a little bit while leaving. It turned out that I did too much and lifted the front end up high enough where I couldn't see much in front of me! After that, I was usually careful while leaving or being dumb.

Congrats on making your stunt look good! Now go practice so that you won't scare yourself next time! Preferably on a dirt bike of course. ;)

Nice job! We won't tell anyone it is your first. I'm sure you looked like an old pro! Guy

When I first test rode a Buell last year, it was a 2000 Lightning. I got on it as i normally would my 883 Sporty. She came right up and scared me s%&tless. That was my first ever wheelie. Once I bought my cyclone, before I chopped it, I had gotten to where if she went up it wasn't as scary. those are the good ones, when you aren't expecting it. LOL

Damn that sounds like fun, I'm almost done w/ my conversion and I can't wait!

nice Spivey! keep up the good work, and be safe my brother.

great story man :dancesmil

Damn, now I wanna call Nallins! Here goes some more $.

The first wheelie I pulled on my Sportster was shortly after my conversion and also by accident. Taking off from a light I hit the throttle hard to get around a truck that was trying to ace me out from getting onto a freeway on ramp and much to my surprise up the front wheel came. Well, I did get around the truck and the driver probable thought I was showing off but I wasn't.

I thought it was kind of cool and it was a bit of a thrill to get the front end off the ground but it was also a little scarry because that was no my intention. I'm a little more careful now hitting it hard in first gear.

I had the same experience, and probably the same shakes afterward. It's fine if it's intentional. A surprise like that may not be so good for older nerves! Glad you kept it under control!

:tour :tour

I went to a Buell demo day in Baton Rouge last April to demo a Lightning.

On the demo ride at one of the last stoplights, I did a small stoppie (first time ever on one wheel on a motorcycle). Just to make sure my pants were soiled, I also wheelied it on the subsequent 1-2 shift leaving said light.



Waaaaaaaaayyyyy too much fun. :D

On mine, during the infamous race against the Fat Guy on a Valkarie, I lifted the front end on the shift into second.

Surprised me, and I backed off on the throttle a tad.

Probably cost me the race.

Best regards,

Brian

my 883 will sometimes lift the wheel but usualy it just smokes the rear tire!!

you know 2-3 foot peel out!! :D

As Pee Wee Herman once said, "I meant to do that."

As a Old Saying Goes: "My God Be Careful" :yikes

:D

Thanks for the kind words and love guys. :) I'll be careful I promise!

--Sean

My first unexpected wheelie came when I pulled up next to my buddy on his Ducati 900 monster. He had talked enough crap all day and it was finally time to settle it. The light went green and I nailed it and he stalled. I looked over my shoulder at him and pulled the clutch without releasing the gas and wailed it into second and up she came. I forgot to let off the gas and almost stood the thing straight up after dumping the clutch at redline. We later laughed about it and the argument about Harleys being slow never came up again. Still can't believe he stalled it after all that smack talking.

When I first bought my '04, I did not have a current MC endorsement. As the dealer would not let me test-ride without current license, I bought the bike on faith. After all, I had ridden sporties before and how much different could they be, anyway?

When I pulled out of the lot I made a left turn and grabbed what I thought was a little bit of throttle. I was totally surprised (and scared spitless) when the front wheel came up. All I could do was try to not to look surprised and be grateful that I didn't drop it.

I rode it really easy the rest of the way home.


:tour

Simma down now, simma down.http://www.mcworx.com/jeff//images/sportster/XL1HANDHIGHCHAIR.JPG

Simma down now, simma down.http://www.mcworx.com/jeff//images/sportster/XL1HANDHIGHCHAIR.JPG

I think that I was 16 when I was last that size. Those young skinny guys make it look easy !

Good Job.
Very Good Job:banadanc

I honestly think that mine still stock until I have my acquired AB and not yet purchased pipes is very close to pulling the front end up. If I shift hard into 2'nd, she sure jumps hard.... :wonderlan


Oh it can. Like many of the others here, I scared myself with an unintentional wheelie a couple weeks ago. My bike is an '06 1200C with a mild stage 1 (K&N in stock air box, Cycleshack slip ons). I was on a quiet back road, and thought I would practice some hard launches for the hell of it. I never expected the front to lift like it did. I heard the rear tire give a short chirp sound, followed by the front wheel being a good foot and half in the air before I cut the throttle. Scared the shit right out of me. TORQUE!