How To Wheelie A Dirt Bike (Like A Pro And Not Fall Off)

Knowing how to wheelie a dirt bike is fun and looks cool

Performing a wheelie is not only about looking cool. Being able to wheelie comes in handy when you’re out trail biking with your dirt bike too. Getting over logs or large gaps and streams or other obstacles sometimes requires a similar manoeuvre.

Steps to how to wheelie on a dirt bike:

1. Find your balance point.
2. Find a long straight piece of soft land like like grass to cushion your falls.
3. Learn to balance the throttle and don’t be too aggressive.
4. Keep your right foot over your rear brake to use if you go beyond the balance point.
5. Do loads of practice.
6. Don’t learn or practice on a highway!

How to wheelie a dirt bike step by step

Now that you’ve mastered riding your dirt bike, you may want to improve your riding skills. Add in some techniques and tricks, like how to pop a wheelie on a dirt bike.

Performing wheelies is a great confidence boosting skillto learn. This is not only fun to do, but looks pretty cool too. The trick with performing a wheelie is to not end up on your butt.

Here’s a list of the steps you need to take to perform your very first wheelie on your dirt bike. This set of steps is to perform a rolling wheelie, as compared to a standing start one or a wheelie using your clutch (see below).

Step by step guide to perform your first wheelie on a dirt bike

• Firstly find some open ground where you can perform your first wheelie. A long straight is best. Don’t do this on a public road or an area frequented by too many people. I suggest finding an area of soft ground, just in case you go over the back. A grassy or sandy area is best which is nice and soft. This will save you and your bike from major damage.
• Check that your throttle control moves freely, make sure it doesn’t stick.
• Next check that your back brake works well, which will be used to stop you going over the back.
• As you first start to wheelie, keep your feet on the ground and out at the back to help you balance yourself. This will also help if your bike goes off to one side or the other to keep your balance.
• Don’t over throttle or be too aggressive on how much power you apply. If you are too aggressive you will flip off the back.
• Don’t blip the throttle too much, but instead be consistent with it. Open the throttle and be as steady as you can. You may have to balance the throttle to keep the bike in the balance point.
• As you’re doing the wheelie, always cover your back break with your right foot. This is just in case you get beyond the balance point. If you do, you need to hit the break and this will bring the front of the bike back down. But don’t jam the break on fully, otherwise you may end up going forward and over the handle bars when the bike corrects itself.
• At the beginning of the wheelie, and depending on the power of your dirt bike, you may need to use your weight to start the wheelie. You may need to transfer your weight to the back of the seat, but this depends on the bike and how heavy you are too. But if your bike has enough power, the first blip of the throttle should bring the front up.
• Finally, practice loads and eventually you’ll get the hang of it.
• Then more practice…
• As you get better you’ll be able to change through the gears in the wheelie too.

How to wheelie a dirt bike 2 stroke

If you have a 2 stoke dirt bike you may like to find out how to to wheelie this type of bike. The key to a wheelie of a 2 stroke dirt bike is a smooth and minimal throttle.

The trick is to not to be too aggressive with the throttle so the engine does not go into its power band. Or you could end up on your back eating dirt!

Here’s a short video showing a 2 stroke wheelie:

How to wheelie a dirt bike 4 stroke

The acceleration on a 4 stroke is smoother and more reliable than it is on a 2 stroke. Also, a 4 stroke doesn’t have a power band in the same was as the 2 stroke, so it’s arguably easier to learn to do a wheelie on a 4 stroke. The power band on a 4 stroke dirt bike is more spread out.

Here’s a video of a 4 stroke dirt bike doing a wheelie

How to do a wheelie on a dirt bike with a clutch

What I’ve explained so far is how to do a wheelie on a dirt bike with a clutch, but this is with the bike already running.

Wheelieing a dirt bike with a clutch, but from a standstill is slightly different. This method is probably a bit easier and good for beginners whne learning how to do a wheelie.

If you want to add the following steps to the above step by step guide to doing a wheelie on a dirt bike.

Further steps to how to do a wheelie on a dirt bike with a clutch

• When the engine is running, pull the clutch lever in all the way and select first gear.
• Move to the back of the seat to transfer your weight to the back of the bike.
• Make sure you keep your foot over the back brake pedal at all times. Or if you prefer keep both feet on the ground and drag them off the back to stop you going over.
• As you let the clutch out pull the throttle back more sharply than you would normally and pull slightly on the handle bars.
• The front of the bike should lift from the ground.
• Maintain the throttle and balance your body.
• If the bike goes two far and you’re in danger of going over the back, blip the back break and the front will come back down.

Tips to not crash your dirt bike when doing a wheelie

Always remember that when you’re riding your dirt bike, there is a chance you may crash. In fact if you don’t crash, you’re probably not pushing yourself.

When you begin to add tricks or additional skills into the mix, like doing wheelies, this is when you are more likely to stack your dirt bike!

Here are a few tips to help prevent you crashing while doing a wheelie:

• Don’t be super aggressive with the throttle, or you’ll go over the back.
• Always cover the rear brake with your right foot to use and bring the front wheel down if you go beyond the balance point.
• Hang your feet off the back of the bike and drag them behind on the ground instead of placing them on the foot pegs. Of course this means you are not covering the back break.
• If you have more than one dirt bike, always opt for the lower CC bike to practice your wheelies. The more power the bike has, the more chances are of you crashing. You need to learn to control the power.
• Make sure the area where you intend to do the wheelie is as flat a possible. If there are lumps and bumps in the terrain, this will unbalance you in the wheelie position.
• Make sure you have a long enough straight to perform the wheelie so you don’t end up crashing into obstacles.
• If you’re heavier than the average rider, don’t sit too far back on your bike.
• Always make sure you’re wearing the proper safety gear when doing wheelies.

Final conclusion to this article on how to wheelie a dirt bike

I’d like to finish on telling you to be careful when you perform wheelies. As already mentioned, don’t do wheelies on public roads or on the street, as this is dangerous and you’ll get into trouble with the police or cops. This is especially true if your dirt bike isn’t road legal!

Make sure that you’re happy with the basic skills of riding a dirt bike, before you progress to more complex skills like performing wheelies.

I hope you enjoyed this article about how to wheelie a dirt bike

I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of dirt biking in the comments below. Please also share your photos. Either from your cameras or videos from your Gopro’s!

If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions about dirt biking (or specifically about how to wheelie a dirt bike), please comment below with your questions.

There will also be many more articles about dirt biking for you to read and learn about this fabulous sport and hobby.

Have fun and be safe!