You can call it stoppie, nose wheelie or endo (end over end)... whatever. It will still be that motorcycle trick in which the back wheel is lifted and the bike is ridden on the front wheel, giving you that weird feeling that you will fall on your face and kiss the ground. Literally. Well, that happens if you do it the wrong way... and without the gear. We will call it stoppie in the following guide, as that is the most used term when referring to this trick. Except for Malaysia, where riders call it wikang (wheelie belakang).
What you need?
Well, a motorcycle could be a good start. Assuming you got this problem fixed, let’s move on to the riding gear. A helmet with a solid visor is recommended. As for the rest of the protective gear, the usual jacket, pants, gloves and boots are imposed. That was easy so far.
Now that we’re done getting you prepared, let’s take a look at the motorcycle. Good front brakes is the first thing to make sure you have. Next are two good sticky tires and a lower than stock front tire pressure or you might risk locking the front wheel.
And don’t forget to check yourself as well. A clear, relaxed mind and body and realizing the difference between your intentions and the limit of your skills and abilities are basic before going to practice motorcycle stunts.
If you don’t have the basic things mentioned above, you might get into the nasty situation of having your bike damaged with the fork tubes bending. You could end up pretty damaged yourself, so think twice before getting started.
When and where?
Ideally never. But if you still want to do it, choose a day with good weather conditions. As for the location, look for a place with good, clean pavement, without oil, dirt or slippery surface, where you can act like a fool, but without disturbing those around you. Also keep in mind it is illegal to perform stoppies on public roads, so if the police catch you standing with less than two wheels on the ground, you have ‘trouble’ written all over you. That should narrow down the options ...
Warm Up Session
You know you can do it, your bike can do it, it’s a nice weather outside and you spotted the perfect place to practice. Let’s try and do it then. What we haven’t mentioned until now is that there are two kinds of stoppie, the Stopping Stoppie and the Rolling Stoppie. The Stopping Stoppie is easier, so it’s recommended to get this checked first on your to do list. Either way, you have to ride around a bit with the front brake on to warm up the tire.
Next, ride forward and practice some hard stops by using all four fingers when applying the front brake. This way you test the limit of your tire as well. Your aim is to get the tire to the point of locking so you get familiarized with the phenomenon and anticipate when it's going to happen.
Loading the front forks is important, because it transfers the forces from the bike's weight to the front before the rear is brought up. A stoppie is not achieved by instantly applying full front brake. That will just slide the front, even at such low speed.
What NOT to do
Practice, practice, practice. Take it one step at a time to avoid being taken by surprise if the wheel locks. You should also be prepared to fail a stoppie in a one-day practice only. Don’t use the rear brake, though just tapping it should get you a smoother landing while reducing wear of the chain, sprocket and countershaft. Avoid leaning forward too much and squeezing the front brake too hard. Stiffen your arms and don’t let the bike sway side to side.
Remember! Though it seems straightforward in theory, this trick is difficult to perform. Ride safe!
And don’t forget to check yourself as well. A clear, relaxed mind and body and realizing the difference between your intentions and the limit of your skills and abilities are basic before going to practice motorcycle stunts.
If you don’t have the basic things mentioned above, you might get into the nasty situation of having your bike damaged with the fork tubes bending. You could end up pretty damaged yourself, so think twice before getting started.
Ideally never. But if you still want to do it, choose a day with good weather conditions. As for the location, look for a place with good, clean pavement, without oil, dirt or slippery surface, where you can act like a fool, but without disturbing those around you. Also keep in mind it is illegal to perform stoppies on public roads, so if the police catch you standing with less than two wheels on the ground, you have ‘trouble’ written all over you. That should narrow down the options ...
You know you can do it, your bike can do it, it’s a nice weather outside and you spotted the perfect place to practice. Let’s try and do it then. What we haven’t mentioned until now is that there are two kinds of stoppie, the Stopping Stoppie and the Rolling Stoppie. The Stopping Stoppie is easier, so it’s recommended to get this checked first on your to do list. Either way, you have to ride around a bit with the front brake on to warm up the tire.
Next, ride forward and practice some hard stops by using all four fingers when applying the front brake. This way you test the limit of your tire as well. Your aim is to get the tire to the point of locking so you get familiarized with the phenomenon and anticipate when it's going to happen.
The Stopping Stoppie
This is the part where you do your stoppies at 0 mph. Get up to about 15 mph and then, using all four fingers, progressively squeeze the front brake, loading the front tire. At the same time, get up from the saddle and slightly lean forward. As you get closer to 0 mph, squeeze harder and harder. On practice runs the rider lets go of the front brake before the bike stops completely in order to get used to keeping balance after the release of the front brake.The Rolling Stoppie
It's basically the same procedure as for the Stopping Stoppie, but it’s done at a higher speed and it’s more likely for you to crash as well, since you get to move forward on your front wheel only. As you ride at more than 25-30 mph, squeeze the clutch and grab the front brake lever with all your four fingers. Progressively squeeze the lever while you shift your weight forward, bounce on the pegs to unload the rear end. If it starts getting too high, use less brakes. That should keep you from not crashing. You can either roll out to stop and drop the wheel back on the ground or you can release the brake early while you’re on the move and ride off.Practice, practice, practice. Take it one step at a time to avoid being taken by surprise if the wheel locks. You should also be prepared to fail a stoppie in a one-day practice only. Don’t use the rear brake, though just tapping it should get you a smoother landing while reducing wear of the chain, sprocket and countershaft. Avoid leaning forward too much and squeezing the front brake too hard. Stiffen your arms and don’t let the bike sway side to side.
Remember! Though it seems straightforward in theory, this trick is difficult to perform. Ride safe!
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