Australasian Dirt Bike — June 2017

146 |JUNE 2017 http://www.adbmag.com.au

HOWTORIDE/ADBGARAGE/WERECOMMEND/TECH/KIDZKORNER/USEDRIDE/

THERE’S NO DENYING that wheelies
are cool, but they also can be quite useful.
While many have mastered the art on their
enduro or motocross bikes, popping a
wheelie on a big adventure machine takes
a little more thought. Extreme enduro ace
Chris Birch shows us how.

1/ STAND FIRM
Start in a normal standing position with
your arms and legs slightly bent.
Keep you eyes up and spot the direction
you want to go, especially if you plan on
riding over an obstacle.

2/ COMPRESS

Push downwards with your arms and

knees to load the suspension. You want to

put as much energy into the springs as

possible. Cover the back brake with your

foot. As you push down, your foot will

naturally engage the rear brake a little,

which helps with compressing the

suspension. As you pop the clutch and the

front lifts, the back brake will naturally

release as your foot rocks back.

3/ POP THE CLUTCH

Once the fork is fully compressed, you pop

the clutch. Throw your hips backwards so

your knees are bent at about 45 degrees

and your arms are almost straight.

Don’t try to pull the bike into a wheelie,

this reduces traction.

Throwing your hips back helps rotate

the bike and puts weight into the

back tyre.

4/ HIPS BACK

Once the front wheel is up, keep your

knees bent and your hips back, which puts

you in a good position to tackle any

obstacles in your way.

BIRCH

SLOW

ADV WHEELIE

REAR GUARD