Roll on wheelies?

[BigRed]

I took this quote from the "What did you do to your bike today" thread:

Week ago today, fired it up after swapping out intake valves for Oregon Motorcycle Parts polished stainless valves. Also installed a V-Max cam chain tensioner. WOW! Those valves make a difference. Way more power than it's ever had. Roll-on wheelie in low. Plenty of top end power too. Fuel economy up from 30-32 to 36-41. Got 35 running 2 up with a 210# passenger. Absolutely amazing.

How many of you could do a roll on wheelie on your bike? Not that I'm into doing wheelies, but I spend a decent amount of time with the WOT at high RPMs, and the bike certainly isn't threatening to wheelie on me. I have been wondering lately if power is down, or if I'm just getting used to the power. When I first got this bike back on the road, I hit the WOT in second, and nearly fell off. That doens't happen anymore, and I wasn't sure if it's just because I'm used to it, or because I'm missing some HP.

I've got some dents in my exhaust, and my jets are smaller than they should be with my 4-1 Kerker and pods. I'm planning to get a new header and re-jet, but I'm just wondering how much power am I missing?

Brian

[81xsproject]

I didn't know the OMP valves were polished SS!

[CatatonicBug]

With my full-dresser, I've tried a few times to lift the front wheel, but other than a quick pop, I don't think I'm able to lift the front end. Of course, it may just be my lack of guts in attempting the feat.

[jmnjrpa]

Hmmmm

Mine will come up in 3 gears. Way to scared to pop the clutch!
Of course that is on dry concrete, would not want to try it on asphault.

OBTW - the power band goes clean thru 9K.

[Geezer]

I didn't know the OMP valves were polished SS!

They sure are.


Geezer

[WMarshy]

Ive been practicing my drag launch and found out I can get some air under the front tire if I drop clutch at 4-5000 RPM. NO WAY have I ever thought/felt I could do a roll-on wheelie in any gear. Granted my bike isnt the best running Eleven but, its hard to think any typical Eleven is capable of a roll-on. I have a hard time beleiving even a well tuned Eleven can do a roll-on...

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Red,

These bikes were designed to help keep the front end down under accel, that's partly why the driveshaft spins the direction it does, do actually apply force down on the rear wheel..the shaft tries to ride UP the wheel/gears, and this raises the rear end and puts more pressure to keep the front end down.

ALso, depending on the condition of your clutch, plates, springs, you may not be getting as quick a lock up of the clutch, and so power is lost thru slippage and not delivered to the back wheel.

Next, is the roll on technique. Yes, my bike is NOT stock...has 1179 kit, and the front end is 4 inches higher due to over length tubes. I have luggage and saddlebags on mine, but they don't weigh more than 20 lbs total, so not much weight leverage there over the back tire. In first, I get it rolling to about 3 k rpm, then just let off the throttle for an instant and then snap it back on, along with pulling back on the handlebars, and it'll bring the front end up. Doing the drop the clutch trick will also work. I've done some low level wheelies doing power shifts from 1st to 2nd.

There's a famous picture by Yamaha with one of their hot riders doing a sky high wheelie on a stock XS11, so yes, they can wheelie. But yes, technique is a big part of doing it. A couple or so years ago, I posted a little video on youtube of me running around a school parking lot in Richmond doing a rollon wheelie. But as I said, mine isn't exactly stock!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzyHSzVC4B0

Try not to laugh too hard at my other videos!!

T.C.

[latexeses]

What's a wheelie?

[DGXSER]

If you run it hard and shift in the 4k and above range, you can feel the front end "get lighter", I've not had the thing raise up like in TC's video though. But then, I am 5'10 and about 200lbs, so I do not exactly have the mass to pull the front up either.

I always looked at wheelies alot like burn outs, if your bike or car is doing it without you really trying hard or something special to make it happen, you have some handling upgrades to make.

[petejw]

The front end doesnt come up on mine,
but the rear wheel wants to lose traction under
hard acceleration.

If your bike doesnt accelerate hard, check ur float height
settings, if your lean on the floats the acceleration wll be flat.
float height is critical for throttle response and acceleration.

[WMarshy]

If you run it hard and shift in the 4k and above range, you can feel the front end "get lighter", I've not had the thing raise up like in TC's video though. But then, I am 5'10 and about 200lbs, so I do not exactly have the mass to pull the front up either.

Common now, I've shift normally around 5500 and at least once every day above that! Never once have I thought my front tire came off the ground. I wasnt pulling back any nor was I trying to wheelie but I just dont think any 'stock' (non-big-bore) Elleven can roll-on wheelie... Feel free to prove me wrong.

TC any idea how much more RWHP yours is layin down over stock?

[TADracer]

Way back when my 79SF was new it would easily pick the front end up but it was just a matter of balance. I am tall and holding onto the ends of those tiller bars with my long arms put the weight transfer right where it needed to be for a wheely (not a high wheel stand). But the bars just killed my back so I put Honda style bars on and that changed the CG ever so slightly forward and no more wheelys (without trying hard).

Now that tells me the bike was designed pretty well since the ideal situation is both wheels on the ground and enough traction to get all the power to the ground in any gear and still give maximum steering.

Unless you are doing stunts, when the wheels are up, you are losing time.

[ManagerMike]

Sure feels like it when I really put my wrist into the carbs!
Not certain if it's actually getting air under it or not, but I can definitely feel the forks topping out

[DGXSER]

Marshy,

I have no video and at this point no more bike, cept the one I'm prepping to sell. But I know what I felt, and yes the front end got light in my opinion. Did it come 6" off, I doubt it. 1-2" maybe. But yes, it raises up.

I can also tell you that this bike flies...litterally.... with the help of the right hump in a road. And it landed like silk. Going down a road at about 50 and hit this little hill/bump with a sharp drop on the other side I knew nothing about. Bet I flew 10 feet and came down on just the right slope that it landed nicely. Both of which surprised the daylights out of me. I thought sure I was going down hard, about took the jaws-of-life to get the seat out of my arse when I got home!!

[crazy steve]

Mine will come up in 3 gears. Way to scared to pop the clutch!
Of course that is on dry concrete, would not want to try it on asphault.

I'm with John; when my bike was new (and I was still known for actively earning my nickname), I quickly learned to carefully roll the throttle on in the lower gears to keep the front end on the ground. With the clutch out, twisting the throttle full-open just above idle in first gear will produce a flip. Don't try this unless you have lightning-fast reflexes (which sadly I no longer possess... ). I'm not so sure that power-shifting at full song between 1-2 wouldn't get you the same results. I got a lot of air a few times and had to lift...

Now, this was a stock naked bike. Fairings, less than optimal tune, 750 FD swaps would all affect your results.

'78E original owner