Front Wheel Coming Up?

I do not try to do wheelies, and I can't see myself doing it anytime soon, or ever (seems hard on the bike when you come down). But...I have read others' posts (JTC just recently) and it seems that others have the front coming up unintentionally, I wonder if there is something wrong with the tuning on my bike (or my riding technique) that it doesn't have the power to pull it up? I think she runs great, but I have not rode any other 6th gen, or any other Viffers for that matter. Could it be that I'm just pussyfooting around on her, slow at upshifting, or maybe the elevation here in CO takes that much power from her? When I moved to Oregon for a while my civic Si that I used to have had alot more power there than it did after I moved back to CO.

Anyone else have any ideas? Like I said, not trying to get the front wheel up, but I am ready for it to happen when I'm going from 1st to 2nd at high revs, it just never has.

 

The easiest way to make a 6th gen wheelie at will, is to change your sprockets.
-1 , +2 ...NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FREEWAY RIDING!!!

 

I've noticed that those who have changed their sprockets seem to experience this a lot more than the others. When I first got my sixth gen, I didn't ride it nearly as hard as I do now but there were certainly some times that I really got on it. Even when I asked the bike to, I could barely get the front end to come up an inch or two but of course I was never going wide open throttle in first gear till after VTEC hit. It would want to but never did really come up and I'm sure a little bit harder on the gas could have made it do so.

Since then I've changed my exhaust and added a power commander. The few extra ponies that I've added has made quite a bit of difference and I can easily bring the front end up now if I want to. I rarely "want" it to and most of the time I simply get the momentary lift of the front shifting in the first three gears.

It would seem that in stock form the 6th gen is right on the borderline of having the power to bring it up, especially considering a riders weight and riding position. If you want to bring it up a little, try being a little more generous on the throttle or try it sitting in a more upright position with your weight off the grips. Both will make a difference in being able to get the front end up. You can also try giving the front end a little help by trying to pull the front end up with your hands as your accelerating. The last thing that I have to add is that until you get familiar with how much throttle it is going to take and how fast the bike will come up is to NOT use the VTEC transition to make it happen. You can do that later when you're familiar with her.

If you really want to experience it, the safest thing I can recommend is an open, empty parking lot. Run it in first gear at around 6800-7000 RPM and start rolling on the throttle. Gradually increase the speed at which you roll on and how much you roll on at once and eventually you will find the point where it starts to come up. Going from too little to too much throttle will yield much more than you expect and can cause a problem if not ready for it.

As far as it being hard on the bike, yes, it can be but you certainly can minimize the how hard it is when you come down. It is all about controlling the wrist. If you bring it up and then chop the throttle off, it is going to cause the front end to come down hard. If you hold the throttle where it is at or very gently roll off the throttle it will ease the bike down instead of slamming it down, thus making it easier on the headstock bearings and fork seals. The only time that a bike will keep the front end up in the air when holding a set throttle position is if you have it at the balance point, which is going to be much higher than you will probably get to to start with.

 

The air in Colorado is thin, at a mile high you are losing a good amount of HP. The general figure is 3% per 1000 feet, so at 5000+ feet your down close to 15% power loss. So on a motor that makes a little over 100hp stock, you might only be producing around 85 or so.

My 02 pulls the front wheel up everytime I wring out 1st gear while pinned at WOT. Its only a couple of inches, but you definately know it when the wheel gets light and there is no steering. I don't do it that much but every now and then is fun.

If you really want to do power wheelies, A&A Performance now sells one for the 6th gen.

A&A Performance - '02-'09 VFR800 Supercharger Kit

 

Thanks for all the helpful info. Like I said, I'm not trying to do wheelies, I just ride her pretty hard sometimes and have never experienced the wheel wanting to come up. My r6 would want to sometimes but only if I feathered the clutch at full throttle when going from 1st to 2nd. I was kind of a squid then and drove around town trying to do it all the time.

Was more or less wondering if others with stock 6th gens have the same experience as me, and it sounds like we do. No wheelies is fine with me!

 

I agree with Meatloaf's assessment that the 6th Gen is right on the borderline of bringing the front end up unexpectedly. My '07 is stock and I have gone +2 on the rear sprocket. With that said, the front end has only come up during shifts between 1st and 2nd and on a section of road that I ride where coming out of an uphill turn in 3rd gear pinned, the road levels out causing the front end to lift. In that situation, you can keep it pinned and the bike will hold it, but never go over on you. Once in a blue moon, when the front end comes up, I feel confident that I don't have to chop the throttle because it just doesn't have the motor to bring it over. Also, coming out of turns, I love the fact that you can accelerate hard and not be too concerned about looping out the rear end. I think that this bike has the perfect amount of power. I think that with the bigger bikes, you really have to be concerned about throttle control. With the 800, it is not an issue.

 

I can only bring the front end up at vtech in 1st gear, and even then I have to be trying.
-Drew

 

Yup my stock 05 is a bit difficult to airborne. +2 on rear sprockets.....how bad is the freeway riding? How much top speed loss are we taking about?

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

 

For those that want to wheelie, there's several ways. But I think the easiest way (i.e. Note that says easiest, not safest), whether you have V-Tec or not and whether your 150 pounds or 230 pounds:

Roll along in first gear up to about 6.5K to 7K RPMs (on my 5th Gen I only need to be doing about 15mph, so RPMs are even less), roll off the throttle quickly and then snap it back on. The combination of suspension compressing and then rebounding coupled with the throttle will most certainly lift your front wheel.

Do I need to put a disclaimer in about actually doing this? I prefer both my tires on the ground. Its faster that way.

 

That's exactly how I get my 07 up all the time. It actually feels pretty safe...like someone else said, it just doesn't have the power to flip you unexpectedly, using just the throttle. Seating position does make a difference, though. If you're really leaning into it, like when you ease off the line in 1st and then decide to nail it, it'll stay planted. I did have a pretty high unplanned lift once when I downshifted from 2nd to 1st and gunned it (angrily), while going around a moron that couldn't decide if he wanted to turn left or not.

 

Just read this old thread and thought I would share my experience, my vfr is an 05 Australian model, I have found that if you adjust the rear shock as hard as it will go the bike will pull wheelies very easily (too easily for my 54yr old body) . I set the rear softer and find it does not surprise me with unintentional wheelies anymore.

 

:welcome: to the madness pt59 :wave:
About time you come out of the closet ound: just kidding

 

I have stock gearing on my 97 and I get some good wheelies when I twist it hard at 7000 rpm's. First time scared the shit outta me, now I do it for fun.