Learn to wheelie, the safe way

Wheelies, monos, wheelstands. Whatever you call them, most riders at some stage entertain the thought of learning to wheelie, but only a relatively small proportion ever truly master the art.

For road riders, that's no surprise. Performing a perfect balance-point wheelie might look cool and is a heap of fun, but getting it wrong can be disastrous, not to mention expensive and painful.

Add in the fact that wheelies on public roads are illegal, and that getting caught doing one can result in the confiscation of your bike plus serious charges and penalties, and it means learning to wheelie generally requires access to private property with a suitable area of tarmac.

Now, however, Melbourne-based riders have an alternative option to hone their mono skills, on the 'Wheelie Machine'. Based in the bayside suburb of Mordialloc but operating across Victoria, Wheelie Machine gives riders the opportunity to learn to wheelie both safely and legally, with the aid of the company's static wheelie training rig.

The business is the brainchild of brothers Taras and Jeremy Cheprakov, who saw the concept in use in Europe and wanted to apply it here. The brothers also own and operate Bike Republic, a motorcycle shop that focuses on sales and service of used learner-approved Japanese motorcycles. Bike Republic was established in 2016, while Wheelie Machine has been running since 2018.

"I'd always wanted to do wheelies but I didn't want to risk it on the road and I didn't have a private property where I could do that," explains Taras. "So I looked around online and found similar contraptions like this overseas, but at the time there was nothing like it here. I have an engineering background, so I thought I'd design and build one."

And build it he did, with the resulting rig complying with all the relevant Australian Standards.

While a static wheelie simulator is also in use by a Brisbane-based operator, Taras says Wheelie Machine is the only truly portable rig of its type in Australia, meaning it can be towed to any location for events, corporate functions, and more.

Wheelie Machine offers private lessons for $130 per 45-minute session, which incorporates a 15-minute induction briefing and 30 minutes of ride time. Or the rig can be hired for $275 per hour (plus transport) for private events and shows, the fee covering the use of the rig plus everything you'll need: the bike, fuel, an instructor and public liability insurance.

Wheelie Machine is currently limited to one rig in Melbourne but Taras says the business is currently in the process of designing 'version two' and has plans of building more this year.

"Our mindset has always been growth," he says. "It's still early stages, but we'd love to have one of these in each capital city; we are now looking for businesses and individuals interested in partnering with us to help us grow nationally."

The rig itself is relatively simple in concept. "The roller [underneath the rear wheel] provides the resistance; it's essentially like a dynamometer with a tricky way to set up the motorcycle so the bike can pivot on the rear wheel," says Taras.

"Basically you ride along like normal, the roller provides the resistance of the road as you accelerate, and then it's all up to you."

The front wheel rests on a spring-loaded and angled ramp, which can aid riders in getting the bike up to balance point in the first place but more importantly provides a soft landing. Meanwhile, a pair of sturdy straps attached to the front wheel prevent the bike from going too far past its balance point, avoiding what on the road would otherwise result in broken bodies and bikes.

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There's an industrial fan to help cool the rider and bike, and a hand-operated brake so the instructor can slow the roller if required, taking some of the strain of the bike's rear brake.

Wheelie Machine usually utilises a Yamaha MT-07LA as its training bike, but it can accommodate any bike with a hollow rear axle. Dirt bikes are a popular option, to help trail riders master an essential element of off-road riding technique. And because it's all conducted at a standstill off the road, you don't even necessarily need a motorcycle licence, although you do have to be 18 or older.

"You just have to be able to ride a motorbike – if you can do that, we will teach you how to wheelie!" says Taras.

After a rider briefing video which explains the basic concepts behind pulling a wheelie, including techniques to get that front wheel up there as well as how to save one from going wrong (the rear brake is your new best friend!), it was time to head out to the rig and put it all into practise.

I last did a wheelie school back in the UK around 15 or so years ago, where I used a modified bike with an ignition cut-out on an old and otherwise disused WWII airfield runway. But I never really followed up on those newly acquired skills and I never developed that 'feel' for the balance point.

Throw in limited opportunity to practise wheelies safely here in Australia, plus a distinct aversion to hospitals, court rooms and physical pain, and I was nearly back to square one – but looking forward to learning the art in a controlled environment.

Hopping aboard Wheelie Machine's Yamaha MT-07LA, it felt a bit odd to be stationary on a running bike with both feet on the pegs. Thumb the starter, give it more revs than usual and slowly feed out the clutch to get that big rear roller spinning, snick second and then – from around 30km/h on the speedo – you're ready to channel your inner Evel Knievel.

Taras tailors his instruction to suit each individual rider, from novices who have never lifted a front wheel to those who can already wheelie but are looking to finesse their skills.

"There's a progression," he says. "We always start with just a power wheelie, because that teaches people how the bike comes up and you can still get it up to balance point.

"Once we're comfortable with people getting it up to balance point, and they're not flipping over and hitting the straps all the time – it normally takes one session to do that – we can then introduce the clutch to help pop it up. So it's really about where people are at when they come in."

I begin with bouncing the front end and cracking the throttle, and after a few ham-fisted attempts soon start to develop a finer feel for how the bike behaves and the required technique. As always with motorcycle control, it's all about technique and timing, and it takes some practise for all the parts of the puzzle to fall into place.

Dabbing the back brake to bring the front down again is crucial right from the off – bed this action down early, long before balance point, and it'll be second nature when it really counts.

Before long I'm flicking the front up past balance point, where the straps come into play and save me from looping the bike. There's six weeks in plaster, or worse, avoided right there!

Next we add flicking the clutch into the equation, and playing with the bike around its balance point with a mixture of throttle control and rear brake. It's clear I need to work on my body position and keeping my arms loose, hanging on to the bike with my knees rather than my hands, but it's all starting to come together, and with nary a police car, ambulance or smashed bike in sight.

Of course, Taras and Jeremy are now experts in the art, flicking up through the gears, holding a perfect balance point on a steady throttle, and throwing in all manner of gymnastics – one or both legs on the seat, sitting on the tank, the list goes on.

Jeremy reckons the trickiest stunt is holding balance point while sitting backwards on the tank and operating the throttle with his left hand. I believe him, but think I'll leave that for another day…

Training with Wheelie Machine is definitely a different experience and a whole heap of fun into the bargain. It's not exactly the same as pulling a wheelie on the tarmac as there's no sense of forward motion, there are no road imperfections to deal with and there's no lateral lean – the rear shaft holds the bike perfectly upright. But being on the machine certainly helps in honing wheelie technique and for getting a sense of where the bike's balance point lies.

Public roads are no place to teach yourself how to wheelie a motorcycle. But now, thanks to Wheelie Machine, riders can scratch that itch without fear of accidents, court appearances, and costly repair bills.

Wheelie Machine is based at 234 Lower Dandenong Road, Mordialloc VIC 3195. For more information or to book a session visit www.wheeliemachine.com.au or call Taras on 0431 314 522.

This article was originally published on January 12, 2021.