Slidey

With the usual 'lot busy, the alt church lot proved to be fun, if not slightly fruitless. That 'lot was slippery with dampness and pine needles on this dark night. It made for fun experimenting with varying levels of traction, but overall, well, it was just good to get out there again.

Only practice on the days you eat.

Counter: 930

GoProed

GoProed this moto wheelie session... just to document progress and a typical current outing.

Counter: 920

OTBP

Wet with only a slight drizzle. Leathers.  40 degrees Fahrenheit -- feels like summer compared to the foggy 32 last night. 

Wheelies are awesome. Pulled some real Over The Balance Point ones tonight. 

Counter: 910

Fog 32

Freezing temperature. Ice cold hands (need to install grip warmers and Moose winter hand guard covers). Low visibility, fogging spectacles, fogged up shield inside and out.

It was not easy. I have goals. I am working on them. No excuses. 

Counter: 900

Thanksgiving Session

With a break from the usual life grind, this Thanksgiving brought the first real-deal over-the-balance-point-on-a-motorcycle wheelie session for me. It's been a long road. And now I love every second of those sessions. I give thanks to the space in my life that is filled with wheelies and all the circumstances given that make that possible.

Counter: 890

37 Degrees

37 degrees F. Stadium lot packed, unusable; church lot used -- lots of darkness and fallen tree detritus made for fun. Just fun, fun, fun.

Counter: 875

Rusty

A guy takes a week off, pulls a whoolie session, and feels rusty. That's just how it goes sometimes. That's part of the quest for the ultra wheelie.

Counter: 865

Curbs

Another great feeling is to ride along the top of a parking lot curb stop to pop a wheelie off the end after a good suspension compress.

OMG. Yes!

Counter: 850

Mercy

With high humidity, low temperatures, darkness, wind, and wet conditions, I find myself at the mercy of the world. 

But it doesn't stop me. 

The cure is to cast aside exhaustion, drap oneself from head to toe in leather, and don an open-face Captain America helmet. 

And ride big wheelies. 

Counter: 835

Beef Jerky

Yesterday was a day in the woods on the WR250F. Tonight was a parking lot wheelie session on the WR250R. It's nice how both bikes complement each other while being nowhere near the same.

Even after being accustomed to the F model, getting back on the R felt completely normal and natural. Because it is completely normal and natural. 

And the wheelies were ab fab. 

Counter: 825

Autumn Awesome

Pitch black. Wet. Open face Captain America helmet. Black leather jacket. Black leather pants. Perfect. Just another night in the saddle with the headlight aimed towards the heavens.

Counter: 815

Unridable Spaces

Stadium. Unridable. Church. Unridable. School. Unridable. All for different reasons, the usual holigan spaces were just not there today. Some days are like that. Fortunately they are rare.

Counter: 800

Skyrocketing

With more experience comes more confidence. Tonight's flatlanding-at-the-stadium brought both out in full, like the moon tonight with 100% illumination.

Counter: 796

The Future

This is the future. Welcome to it.

I am a bonifide genuine flatland over-the-balance-point motorcycle wheelie puller. With control. With style. It's taken me 30 years and nearly my entire family fortune to realize this day. My God, has it been that long...

Counter: 780

16 psi

After a week break due to general busy modern urban life craziness, the rear tire pressure was set to 16 psi. And that feels darn good. Much better than even the previous set at 18.

Counter: 765

18 psi

After having dropped the rear tire pressue a tad to 18 psi, the wheelies flowed a tad more naturally. The recent trip had tire pressures up. That always makes for either awkwardness or a mental adjustment.

Counter: 750

All States

With body tired from gymming, I still just get out there to experience big whoolies in all states of mind and body. 

Counter: 730

Post-ADV

It took five wheelies to refigure out where the balance point is tonight. This session is the first since being loaded down with gear on a long weekend trip. Wow. But then it all came back.

TDC ADV 2015

Counter: 720

Every Wheelie is Different

This Fourth 1000 Wheelie Project has been The Project that has put so many years of training to good use. I have come into my own. Now, a flat space is mine. All fear is repressed in tipping it over the balance point in order to slow down, even on the flat. No uphill necessary. It's just amazing how far I have come. And I've loved every step of this journey.

My favorite oberservation is that every wheelie is different. It may appear to an outsider that I am out there every day doing the same thing over and over. I am not. Every wheelie has a slighly different set of circumstances to deal with. It could be a wind, an unseen dip in the road, a pebble under the tire, a tired hand and a slight unintented throttle goose to compensate for, an especially hot day and the bog that goes along with it, a reflection of light off of a random car or house window... the list is endless.

Every wheelie is different.

Counter: 710

Super Control

Let the flywheel spin and... up flies the front. As I have done thousands of times before, tonight's session was no different. But noticing the effortless control was new. Sure, I'd noticed that ultimate control is possible, but only if one remains calm. It turns out that calmness is key.

Stay calm and anything is possible.

The trick is just to stay calm! It's not as easy as just issuing a self-command to stay calm. You have to practice it. You have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations and practice staying calm. Then, no matter what happens, the decision to stay calm or to freak out is a choice when things don't go as planned.

Counter: 695

Lucky 10

We're all just lucky to be able to get out there to pull some wheelies.

Counter: 685

The Edge

On a certain level, today I felt that I'd been playing dumb regarding pulling motorcycle wheelies for a long time. Like I'd learned with the bicycle years ago, everything just works once you calm completely down, feel for the needed infinitesimaly small adjustments, and only allow external movements that correctly compensate for the magic in motion.

Counter: 675

Skillz

Alt lot today; control continues to increase. I've come a long, long way. And it still feels good to have come this far. And I want to go so much further with these skills; there is still so much to learn, so much to do.

Today, with the sun having had set and the environment darkening, the biggest challenge now is to just be able to see around the front fender and tire. Going over the b.p. these days to slow down is finally becoming an extension of thought... it is very bicycle... finally!

Counter: 665

To Love New Tires

While the first few wheelie sessions felt weird, awkward, and foriegn with the new tires, I have discovered that the level of control available just isn't available with a worn set.

Oh, how I love a good, new, rear tire. It is very bicycle in feeling.

Counter: 650

New Tires Part Three

These new tires forced me to become a better rider. So much more control is available with an actual full tire profile. Steering is almost too easy now; there was a learning curve to adapt though. I got it. I love it.

Counter: 635

New Tires Part Two

The new tires were a bit more manageable today. With slightly reduced rear tire pressure, Two-Fiddy was a tad less flightly. Still, it will be nice once the tires are worn in.

Counter: 625

New Tires

Brand new tires, Bridgestone Trail Wing TW-301 (front) and TW-302 (rear), are on and woooo... how different they feel. Up on one, the rear is very sensitive to inputs. 

Tire wear helps whoolies. Let's be sure to remember that when we're on the Altiplano making a movie -- worn tires are so much better for pulling natural motorcycle wheelies.  

Counter: 615

Evergreen

Due to an off-hours early schedule, I hit the Evergreen alternative 'lot. I'd not ridden there before and found it to be a good challenge, a good test, as the 'lot was a good short one.

Counter: 605

Late Summer

Think of a song, play it with your instrument, and think of late summer. That is today.

Counter: 590

Owning It

Sometimes, or all the time, you just have to own how awesome you really are.

Counter: 575

Night

It's hard to see at night. It's best to either have owl eyes or some wheelie lights installed.

Counter: 560

Easy, Smooth, Repeat

Easy, Smooth, Repeat... yes!

Counter: 550

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

After a long weekend of "real world" motorcycle wheelie pulling, hitting the 'lot and pulling good ones was easy!

It's a good reminder of all the variables to compensate for when pulling wheelies.

Counter: 535

Relaxectomy

Just perfect even after a week break. LMR was even at the lot!

Counter: 520

8/27 19:30

More amazing happenings! All wheelies are amazing.

Counter: 510

Truth

I am amazing. I even blow me away. 

Counter: 495

Throttle Smoothness

With a focus today on throttle smoothness, I got it. My sit-down motorcycle wheelies over and around the balance point have become almost bicycle smooth. And they're getting better. Yes!

Counter: 480

Rocking the Balance Point

As with any personal skills explosion, selecting the skills to refine next is easy. What's next? Throttle smoothness, without question. I find myself doing sit-downs just under and just over the balance point while slightly jockying the throttle. While effective, one of my goals is utter smoothness. I'll get there.

Counter: 465

450 on a 250

I keep doing what I love to do. That's it.

Counter: 450

Self Test

As a self test, I stopped by one of my old flat parking lot test sites to see how far I've come in the past few years. Verified. I have gotten way, way better.

I expect that in a year I will be There, right where I set my goal so long ago.

Counter: 435

Starting to Live

It is safe to say that I am now just starting to finally realize my motorcycle wheelie dreams that I have been chasing for the past ten years.

Counter: 430

Just Practice

Just keep on getting on. And it keeps getting better.

Counter: 420

Better

Definitely getting better. A lot better.

It felt almost like the fall season tonight.

#Oktoberfest
#FallIsComing

Counter: 410

High Risk

I figured it out. Motorcycle wheelies actually *are* easier than bicycle wheelies. In these past 10 years, I've heard that, but never believed it until today. 

The difference? On a moto the risks are much higher. Bigger speeds. Heavier equipment. Potential crushing on a loop out. 

The bicycle demands, arguably, a finer level of balance and control of inputs by the rider while the moto, given relatively massive gyroscopic forces of the wheels and engine, tolerates a slightly looser level of control. 

Counter: 400

Shot By Ruthie

I decided that an impromptu photo needed to be captured for tonight's random wheelie session. It wasn't a milestone event. There wasn't a special number or trick. It was just me in the moment.

Counter: 390

Reference: https://instagram.com/p/6eR93vnYjW/

Tequila on the Sideline

With a bag with tequila on the sideline (in preparation for Ghostface KLR's 45th time around the sun celebration), I got in a good 15.

Counter: 375

360

Taking a good look around requires space. I got it today.

Counter: 360

Good

Back in the saddle after a much needed vacation -- wheelies never felt so good.

Counter: 340

Satisfaction

It's amazing to me that it has only been a few hundred wheelies since the close of the Third 1000 Wheelies Project. My skills and perspective have evolved over these past short weeks. So much so that I barely even recognize me out there.

What's changed? The feeling that one ill-timed input will result in an instant crash. It turns out that is only a fear. The reality is that subtle inputs aren't usually even enough -- it takes deliberate, but still careful, adjustments to pull a motorcycle wheelie well. One has to keep in mind of the sheer mass of these insane two-wheeled rockets. They are not light (no pun intended).

Counter: 325

No Fear

Well, perhaps saying that I have no fear of riding my fire breathing monster on one wheel over the balance point is going a bit too far, I can certainly say that today marks the day where I am comfortable going over the balance point at speed. Of course, this fear was conquered years ago on the bicycle.

Today, I arrived. And it feels great.

Counter: 310

Saturday Night

Feeling great out there. Wow.

Counter: 295

Dream Big

Even after a week away from the standard wheelie sessions, I was able to pick right back up where I left off. Big wheelies ensued. As did big slides. And big smiles.

Good. All very good.

Counter: 280

Short But Good

It was a semi-wet summer session today. The rains were drying. There were clouds to the south and blue sky to the north, where the sun was. It was a perfect looking-under-the-handlebar session until an official looking dark blue car rolled in. I split. It was still a good session though. +10 for the books.

Counter: 265

Freedom

Slip slidin' away in the rain. Amazing session, as always. So lucky, so fun. Jumping all obstacles well: hill, mound, curb. Sliding into position, squealing to the launch zone. 

At some point I'm going to have to let go of the fear of crashing -- just like I did with the bicycle years ago. It is called Total Confidence. 

Counter: 255

Off the Beaten Path

With a popo cruiser strategically parked in the middle of my usual designated wheelie (undisclosed) location, I was forced to pull tonight's session in an alternative parking lot. While I had cramped space to work in, it was a good test of my skill development -- and I have decidedly progressed!

It's all a good reminder that going off the beaten path usually results in a better experience than going where the territory is well worn.

Counter: 240

Flywheel

What a great session tonight. The displayed level of control surpassed all previous sessions.

I ran this session slightly differently. The first thing different was a consistent clutch up using a modified yut ughh. Tonight, rather than a short yut with a longer ughh up to near the balance point, I held the clutch in fractionally longer. That made more of a YYUUTT and a brief ughh. Much better. That gets the front end up closer to balance point every time (which is one of the secrets I learned a long time ago with bicycles; doing that on a motorcycle takes bigger balls).

The second insight I put to use was to not rush around the compound, wearing myself out in the process. Instead of racing up the hill and racing down it, tearing around at speeds approaching 60 mph at times, I took my time... much like the early 1000 Wheelies Project sessions. I'd pull a wheelie, then just roll, jump, and slide around to the launch zone again. That works well in order to conserve energy.

Counter: 225

Mondays

No epiphanies. Just keeping up my practice. It's what I do.

Counter: 205

Keeping It Live

Fantastical balance-in-motion performances always require a subtle kind of jiggling in order to feel what's going on with the machinery. I call that jiggling "keeping it live." It's just a matter of subtle left, right, up, and down movements used in order to maintain control of the seemingly uncontrollable.

Counter: 190

It's Friday I'm in Love

Sunset: 21:01 in Seattle. Weather: dry & hot. And I still love pulling motorcycle wheelies.

Counter: 175

Post-bicycle

With only a short break between, tonight I went for a bicycle wheelie ride, then a standard motorcycle wheelie session.

My thoughts? Same as always; no changes. The bicycle, when set up correctly, is so, so easy to wheelie well. And the WR250R, even as light as it is for a streetbike, just feels like a heavy non-responsive-to-my-inputs slug in comparison to a bicycle. Sure that moto will do 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds and the bicy will only go that fast if taken on a base jump, but the level of control available on a mountain bike is second to none.

And I circle back to one of my earlier discoveries... bicycles and motorcycle are apples and oranges.

Counter: 160

Back to Winning

There we go. My wheelstand mojo is back.

Counter: 145

Craptastica

Occasionally, when things aren't going well in life, nothing works. This session was the worst performance in recent history. You can't win them all. I'll go back to winning tomorrow.

Counter: 130

17lbs

17lbs more weight in the fuel tank makes a big difference, especially when The Bog can be felt due to warm ambient temperatures. But tonight wasn't a total write-off. I did learn something -- how to ride wheelies better with a full fuel tank when it's hot out.

Counter: 115

Underbar

The problem with big motorcycle wheelies is that one cannot see ahead. The fender, front tire, instruments, and the whatever else consists of the front end of the bike just gets in the way. What to do? Look around.

I've taken to looking off to the side, under the handle bar. Under the handle bar!

Wunderbar.

Counter: 100

7/7

With a slight gray overcast sky and non-blazing temperatures, it was a pleasant wheelie session today. 

Counter: 80

The Howl

It's safe to say that backing-it-in has become an essential element to my wheelie session regimine. And one nice thing about that, beyond the amazing feeling and quick return to the clutch-up zone, is the noise the tire makes when the weather is warm and the tire is fighting for traction.

It is The Howl. 

Counter: 70

Speed

Sometimes the summer heat and the frustrations of life lead to an aggressive ride. Today was one of those days. And that is a good thing for focused wheelies and big, speedy, long back-in-in slides.

I cannot wait to get back in the saddle to repeat!

Counter: 55

Freedom

With the Captain America helmet donned, and fireworks exploding and smoking in the field below, tonight was one of the greatest wheelie sessions to date. The riding wasn't particularly spectacular. There was something in the air -- a feeling of freedom... the feeling that I was doing exactly what I should have been doing. And I was. Big Wheelies.

Counter: 35

Back to Back

While the last session of the Third 1000 Wheelies Project and the first session of this Project occurred back to back, session number two brought more energy and more aggressive riding, naturally.

Fear of tipping it way back has eased. Mostly, I credit the videos shot of the last 3k wheelie session for that learning.  By reviewing the video it was easy to see that throwing it over the balance point momentarily, especially upon clutch up, is the way to go -- just like on a bicycle! Of course!!!

Counter: 25

Fourth 1000 Wheelies

60 seconds ago, my Third 1000 Wheelies Project ended. It was a personal project that took a year to help further develop my motorcycle wheelie skills. It worked. I can pull better motorcycle wheelies now.

Why stop documenting motorcycle wheelies once a few thousand are counted? Sure, I've pulled many more. But the point is to make a record of progress... and to chase that ultimate life goal.

The quest for the Ultra Wheelie continues.

The first five wheelies of my Fourth 1000 Wheelies Project have now been pulled!

Counter: 5 wheelies