Author Topic: 1G B12s - First wheelie - whoa! (Read 4862 times)

Dennis · « **on:** June 22, 2006, 02:36:04 AM »

I was out riding with my brother-in-law this evening along the waterfront. He rides a hopped up Harley Deuce (nice custom!). Anyway, we were on a long straight strech w/ no traffic and he took a few stabs at getting the front wheel up - at ~700 lbs. he wasn't having much luck. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, I was just following his pace (not a problem for the B12

). The third time he shot forward I followed with a little more authority and the front wheel came right up. It surprised me a little but the bike felt perfectly stable. I just let up on the throttle a touch and the front end settled back to the ground gently. Whoa!

The wide abundance of midrange power on tap is breath-taking!

While I have to admit that the experience was a rush I've no future plans for any more wheelies - I like having both wheels planted on the ground thanks!

Desolation Angel · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2006, 09:43:13 AM »

Gotta watch out for those accidental wheelies!

My only wheelie was an accident, too. Got off work once and the battery was dead. Tried to bump start it and on the third try that mother caught, reared up in the air like Trigger, and with me screaming, "Hi ho, Silver! Away!", dragged me through the parking lot at my hospital with all the Mexicans working on site pointing and laughing. Que? What's up with the Gringo, man?!

Dennis · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2006, 05:48:56 PM »

Holy smokes Herb! When you say 'dragged' do you mean on the bike or off?

Desolation Angel · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2006, 08:33:52 PM »

Quote from: Dennis

Holy smokes Herb! When you say 'dragged' do you mean on the bike or off?

I'm speaking "colorfully"! No, I was on it, but just barely, haha!

scooter trash · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2006, 09:30:36 AM »

Quote

Herb:\Gotta watch out for those accidental wheelies!

Happen to me all the time.

tannerismyhero · « **Reply #5 on:** June 23, 2006, 11:34:04 AM »

Rubber side down. Rubber side down.

scooter trash · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2006, 12:16:28 PM »

It is. The front rubber gets tired sometimes and accidently needs a rest !!

solman · « **Reply #7 on:** June 27, 2006, 10:29:05 AM »

I've floated my front a bunch of times. I do remember planning on floating the front up while leaving an grand opening for one of motorcycle shops. The problem arised when that one particular time when it decided to keep going.

I wouldn't have minded so much, but it caught me a bit off guard.

KX5000 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2006, 12:15:54 AM »

that's actually the main reason I bought my bandit. When I took it for a test ride I "accidently" launched the front end, I've been in love ever since!

texasbandit · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2006, 10:24:37 AM »

My first "demo" on a Bandit 12 had the front wheel floating within 200 feet of where I started. I just rolled the throttle on like I did on my VX800 -- little bit of difference - eh!

amboman · « **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2006, 12:25:56 AM »

My Bandit used to make the job easy when it came to lifting the front wheel. I have to confess that the front of my H***a CB 1300 is a little harder to lift up.

It seems that I ride the H***a a little less harder than I did the B12. Still I love the Bike though.

stormi · « **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2006, 08:56:28 PM »

I've done it once with the B4, and twice with the Hornet. Every single time I was off the gas fast enough to make the bike shimmy a little disconcertingly when it came down.

1. Dita had stalled twice in traffic on "Main street" Edmonton ( Jasper Ave) and I was a little grumpy, with myself, the guy behind me honking, and with Dita for being so unforgiving. After stall #2, I started her up, revved the crap out of her, and dumped the clutch while staying on the gas. I got off the gas when I realised I was starting to climb the back of the front seat to sit on the back seat. (A sign your leg muscles can use some work too....)

2. Someone in a big dodge diesel cut the other half off in traffic, so close there was almost an accident. He gets in my lane, looks at me, and goes "Get him!" The guy was trying to race me anyway, I'll never understand why cagers do that, that's why he got in the lane in front of Ryan. (He was sitting there revving his engine.) When the light turned. I revved the bike and started letting the clutch out. A 919 does a little more with a generous helping of gas than the b4.

I launched so hard, my front wheel came up ( first time on this bike) probably only about 4-6" but I was already doing 50 - 60kph by the end of the intersection and picking up speed fast. It scared the hell out of me. Mostly due to the people that had "Warned" me before I took possession of the bike. (It's a pretty mean bike, are you sure? A 900? That's a lot of bike for you, why not this GS500?? You're gonna get yourself killed on that thing! You can't handle that power....) It came up really smoothly and it felt stable, but I had nightmares of looping it out. Christian Pfieffer I am not. So I got off the gas and the bike hit the ground fairly hard, and shot forward again. I beat the guy twice. By Accident.

It's not something I try to do,... it happens sometimes though.

gyrogearcrunch · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2006, 09:36:22 PM »

Quote from: Dennis

I was out riding with my brother-in-law this evening along the waterfront. He rides a hopped up Harley Deuce (nice custom!). Anyway, we were on a long straight strech w/ no traffic and he took a few stabs at getting the front wheel up - at ~700 lbs. he wasn't having much luck. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, I was just following his pace (not a problem for the B12 ). The third time he shot forward I followed with a little more authority and the front wheel came right up. It surprised me a little but the bike felt perfectly stable. I just let up on the throttle a touch and the front end settled back to the ground gently. Whoa!

The wide abundance of midrange power on tap is breath-taking!

While I have to admit that the experience was a rush I've no future plans for any more wheelies - I like having both wheels planted on the ground thanks!

Do you have a green 1999 B12? I have one of those - I think they were all made on Wednesday or something. Mine does the same thing when I put the juice to the moose after turning a corner and shifting into second, but it's never a problem. In fact, I believe I got tossed out of the 'riding club' because none of the 'Hardley-esque' semi-pirate types could make their rides do this. Never mind my protests that this was happening strictly by accident!! Had the bike dynoed out of curiosity - it put 110+ HP and 74 lb-ft. to the ground, even tho the chain was bad, the plugs were old, and the oil & filter needed changing. All this on 87 octane.

Herb

Herb

gyrogearcrunch · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2006, 10:27:17 PM »

Quote from: stormi

The guy was trying to race me anyway, I'll never understand why cagers do that

Oh, those crazy Canadians! I ran into a few while stationed at Phalsbourg AB in France. Boy, were they pissed when I kept beating them in rallies (Lorraine Motorsport Touring Club - USAF) with my Volvo B16 (perfect 50-50 weight distribution). Well, it wasn't quite fair. I had the head ported and polished and a straight-through Italian exhaust system on it, not to mention Koni shocks and Michelin X's. Well, I DID need to be able to outrun the Citroen DS21's on N4! By the way, you can't beat the Jambone sandwiches in Saverne.

After I got back to the land of the round doorknobs and married, I found myself honeymooning on the Queen Elizabeth Highway between Montreal and Toronto (1964) in a '62 Triumph TR-4 (the 4-wheeled variety) when an Oldsmobile convertible wanted to race. Well, having a standard rear-end ratio plus a Laycock DeNormanville overdrive, I took up the offer. I think he realized something was wrong after I pulled away from him above 125 mph. I knew she was good for about 135, having run some hot-rodders to exhaustion (theirs, not mine) on the Pennsylvania turnpike in 1963. So, I kept this guy at bay by repeadedly slowing just enough for him to catch up and then pulling away again (oh, how CRUEL!). Besides, I was enjoying the expression on his face! We kept this up more than halfway to Toronto, about 3 hours, until I had to get gas. I wonder if he remembers me as well as I remember him.

Now I get my jollies on a '99 (BRG) B12 Bandit, but now I'm In Florida where the loonie-tunes run the roads. Seems as if every cager in the nation comes to FL in the wintertime and they all want to race in the red-light Grands Prix! Little do they realize who and what they are dealing with when the light turns green. That's the point in owning a B12 Bandit, though, isn't it? Although lately I notice that there are some very warm cage-mobiles out there on Dale Mabry in Tampa - able to hit 60 in 6 seconds or so. Even the Corvettes have gotten a lot faster. Must be time to contact Dale Walker (heh-heh!). As that fast-food ad says, "Yeah! THAT'S what it's all about!

Herb

(this is "herb 0", not the other herb. I'm prolly old enough to be his grand-dad).

banditII · « **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2006, 06:04:38 PM »

Yep, the good ol bandits have great low and midrange power. Somebody shoot me if I ever go to sell this one.