Ever do wheelies on your Commando?

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Ledslinger

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I've got a new Barnett clutch that doesn't slip, and maybe a 1st gear wheelie is possible, but I don't want to risk breaking something. Do Commandos do sweet wheelies and have you ever done one?
 
Yes I have done wheelies on my Norton both from a stop and while accelerating in 2nd gear. Not the best wheelie bike though. I was twenty-something. (Also blasted my Norton up the steps and across the Arts Quad at Cornell in the middle of the night..)
 
A friend went to a motorcycle wheelie school once.
He said it's simple for a beginner!
Go along at constant speed of 30 to 40 mph, open throttle, disengage clutch, let engine rev to redline and then engage clutch very abruptly.

I shudder to think of the shock that is transmitted through our bikes' drive trains...
 
batrider said:
Yes I have done wheelies on my Norton both from a stop and while accelerating in 2nd gear. Not the best wheelie bike though. I was twenty-something. (Also blasted my Norton up the steps and across the Arts Quad at Cornell in the middle of the night..)
Click to expand...
Done a little blasting up the steps myself when I was at UC Berkeley
 
" it's a 30 hp transmission set behind a 60 hp engine"

And yes, of course I've wheeled the commando. Just parked my fat ass near the back of the seat rolling along in first gear and clobber the throttle, up she comes…
 
In my long gone dirt bike days on my Rickman wheelies were easy, now I consider the cost and inconvenience of repairing a blown clutch or a trashed gearbox.
Been there done that.
 
Commando's are a long wheel base bike they will wheelie but it puts a lot of strain on moving parts, clutch, GB, chains and sprockets etc, when I converted my 850 to the Featherbed frame the bike is a lot shorter in the wheel base, my Norton is lot lighter than a Commando and has a bit of work inside the motor, it wheel stands easy and sometime going from 1st to 2nd the front comes up without trying, but when I first built the 850 Featherbed I was doing wheelies everywhere, it was a well balanced bike and would stand right up but get to a point near vertical and not go back any further, it was so good and a lot easier if there was a slight hump on the road, and once up on the back wheel going up the gears without using the clutch or backing off the throttle I could keep the front wheel up right through 3rd gear.
I nearly lost my wife off the back pulling a big wheel stand one day she wasn't expecting it when I pulled it at my favorite intersection, after that day she was expecting it every time we cross that intersection, she was good on the back, I no longer do wheelies on my Norton, well maybe sometimes, as I say it puts too much strain on the major parts, and chains and sprockets wear a lot quicker doing it all the time, but just powering on and going from 1st to 2nd it lifts very easy without trying on my hotrod Norton, Commando frame bikes was a bit more harder but they can do it.
But if you want long life out of your Norton don't wheelie it all the time, might be fun but if you like replacing things restrict yourself in doing them.

Ashley
 
ashman said:
I nearly lost my wife off the back pulling a big wheel stand one day she wasn't expecting it when I pulled it at my favorite intersection, after that day she was expecting it every time we cross that intersection, she was good on the back, I no longer do wheelies on my Norton, well maybe sometimes, as I say it puts too much strain on the major parts, and chains and sprockets wear a lot quicker doing it all the time, but just powering on and going from 1st to 2nd it lifts very easy without trying on my hotrod Norton, Commando frame bikes was a bit more harder but they can do it.
But if you want long life out of your Norton don't wheelie it all the time, might be fun but if you like replacing things restrict yourself in doing them.

Ashley
Click to expand...
You need one of those T-shirts with "If You Can Read This The Bitch Fell Off" on the back. ;) ;)
 
concours said:
" it's a 30 hp transmission set behind a 60 hp engine"

And yes, of course I've wheeled the commando. Just parked my fat ass near the back of the seat rolling along in first gear and clobber the throttle, up she comes…
Click to expand...
Oh yeh...
Everytime see that 'Stone' clip I ask myself how many Commandos they use for the shooting?
Maybe it had an outrigger bearing.
I'm just dumb enough to challenge the physics and have pulled multiple wheelies, twice with bad, walk home endings..
Now a days I'm happy to arrive home with it running and ALL the pieces still attached. That's a win for me.

Suit yourself on the Wheelies, be sure to pack your phone.....
 
MichaelB said:
Oh yeh...
Everytime see that 'Stone' clip I ask myself how many Commandos they use for the shooting?
Maybe it had an outrigger bearing.
I'm just dumb enough to challenge the physics and have pulled multiple wheelies, twice with bad, walk home endings..
Now a days I'm happy to arrive home with it running and ALL the pieces still attached. That's a win for me.

Suit yourself on the Wheelies, be sure to pack your phone.....
Click to expand...
It might have been a Combat Norton, they worked well till the main bearing blows, riding dirt bikes since I was 15 wheelies come natural for me no matter what bike I ride, the 1200 Thruxton was a great wheeler, just open the throttle without even dumping it, I miss that bike.
The Honda CRF450X pulled wheelie in every gear even top gear, might be harder now with one good leg sadly.

Ashley
 
Stone was a undercover copper and become a member of the bikkie club, would never happen in real life.
 

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