fast progress I see :) It took 2 years to learn balance point with brake and another year to scrape. Mentality was the main problem that I couldn't break so easly , also crashed twice which basicly resetted me to zero both times :)
This genuinely reminded me of the first time i got my knee down... i chased it for months and months on roundabouts. I had friends take pictures and so on (were talking 10 years ago) and i was sooo close for so long and then suddenly "shhhhhkkk" and i looked at my slider and i was so happy when i finally managed it at genuinely legal speeds (sub 30 mph here in the uk on the road i was practising on) i have the same model smc-r with all the trick bits and i can hold a wheelie for maybe 2-3 seconds at near balance point. Thats the best i can do. Congratulations man to many it seems a silly thing to chase but us riders it means the world.
Thank you! Yeah its an amazing feeling to finally accomplish something you have put so much effort into! If you learned to drag knee im sure youll get the wheelies down too for sure ;)
Thats some crazy good progress very fast! I started learning wheelies last season with my 690, but didnt even hit the balance point all summer lol. Better luck this summer!
Great Video dude! Here are some tips of mine for everyone trying to wheelie their 690/700/701: I progressed ridiculiusly fast this year too. Had to buy a dedicated stunt bike (honda grom) which i did not care about tho. I knwo I had it in me, as i was able to do mtb wheelies, one handers, etc like a beast, so the transition to the motorcycle was the challenge and i did not want to crash the 690. So now i can coaster the grom after 3 months... and can do slow conrolled wheelies at 35-40kph at near idle behind bealance point on the 690. Going to learn coasters now 😁 on the big gal for everyone looking to learn wheelies on a 690 might i add an aditional step to this progression shown in the video..before trying to coaster, as the 690 has no real balamce point, you need to "pre tension the brake". This means that before your fork goes to horizontal start to be on the footbrale constantly, then when you are just before balance point with the fork on the horizontal point, do not close the throttle! engine brake is too stong and you will use it instead of learning footbrake, keep it cracked open ever so slightly and work against the back brake. NOW you can "hang in the back brake" like a rubber band and get a feeling for this bikes ridiculous balance point. hope this helps. after this go to coasters, they will be more controlled
Thanks! And thanks for sharing your knowledge, not tricking youself when using engine brake is important! That part got cut out in this video, its in my other wheelie practice videos where we drag the rear brake. But id say that the feeling of the rear brake is so different when coasting and when giving throttle on these big displacement bikes that it wont help you at all when coasting. On smaller displacement bikes yes, but on the 690 the difference between coasting and not is like driving a bicycle vs a cruise ship, two different worlds. But what do you mean with that the 690 has no real balance point?
@@braxen690 well it obviously has one,but not a traditional one. Because the center of gravity is so low, the topping point is only reached when the fork passes the horizontal point whereas other bike with a normal COG will reach the balance point earlier. futhermore all the mass is central. -> fuel and enhine in the middle which results in a smaller Moment of inertia around the center axis of the bike, making it easier to "turn/tip" resulting in a lesser feel compared to lets say a enduro bike with a high cog and a non 50/50 weight distribution where that balance point is more defined. hope this was more clear 😅
@@GGLiEx Then i get ya, yeah the balance point would be more narrow compared to an enduro. Though the center of gravity is fairly high on the 690s if compared to non supermotos, so i wouldnt say that the balance point is that bad ;)
Incredibly impressive that you scraped within 4 months! I can't wait to get a Supermoto again and actually learn wheelies. I was only at 1:20 level when my Drz died 3 years ago and I've only had an fz6s since which I don't feel comfortable stunting.
Great video man, you put a lot of work and showed the whole journey, wish u many views. Really inspiring. Any tips you wish you've been told when you were just starting the season of wheelie learning?
Thank you! Im glad people enjoy it! How hard it is. It looks really easy when others do it and it will feel impossible in the beginning. Many think that their technique is off, and go ask for so much advice that they end up confused. So just do you and youll figure it out eventually!
@@braxen690 Thought so. Great! I'm wondering about the landing, you obviously need to keep the wheel straight, does it come natural or you really need to pay attention to it? And doesn't the bike fall to the side on a wheelie? 😂 or it balances itself in that direction?
@@oscr_zen Since you use the bars to steer even with the wheel in the air, it comes pretty natural to set it down when going completely straight, otherwise you get the wobbles. And you learn after a few times that the wobbles are no fun hahah. No as long as you have momentum in either direction, as in throttle or brake, theres no issues. But if you are completely in the perfect balance point and just roll, its going to start to tip to either side.
just throw it untill you hear the scape and push the brake... thats how i did it :) second gear keep it balance give a little bit more gas so it starts falling backwards, dont forget to "drag" the brake untill your hear something to fully push the brake and there you go.
Why are you dumping the clutch? I was told never to dump the clutch to wheelie, as the preferred method is to just shift your weight and apply power. But I can't even get the front wheel lift up reliably, sometimes I don't shift my weight enough, or I don't have enough power until 6000 RPM, so I'm already going fast when the wheel lifts up. Do you think clutch drop wheelies are better than jerking the bars?
Yes, whoever told you to never dump the clutch is wrong. If you want to go for height and balance point, not using the clutch is very very very hard. Not to say its impossible, but i cant do it that way. Using the clutch, together with shifting you body weight (janking the bars if in a high gear and engine power is not enough) is for sure the more controlled way to do it. The front wheel comes up WAY easier and more controlled, and at the same time you wont increase your speed as much. Now the first time you try this, be careful, you wont be needing nearly as much throttle as when youve tried without the clutch. Good luck! :)
Chain and sprocket abuse. I remember many years ago i had an XL500RC and as i rolled out onto a half mile straight behind a line of about six cars, i dropped it down a couple of cogs and ripped the throttle wide open resulting in a rapid overtake and the biggest wheelie i had ever done. Unfortunately i found out a few minutes after getting home that my wife was in that queue of cars. When she rolled onto the drive i could hear the start of the bollocking before she opened the door.
Just changed both and it could have lasted several seasons more, at least the sprockets. Chain was toast. But KTM does hold up good actually. Hahah dont let any loved ones find out, theyll kill you before the bike does
@@braxen690Now she just nags me for breathing. 😂 It's probably a good thing I don't ride any more as I don't want to become an organ doner based on the sort of riding I used to get up to. Stay safe and remember, everyone else on the road is trying to kill you. 🏴☠️🏁
Is this the first bike you learned wheelie on or did you transfer your skills from a previous bike to 690? Also what were the damages from the crash and what did you fix?
This is the first bike i learned on, the first clips of the video really is the first time i practiced wheelies. Frame sliders took most of the beating so damages were plate holder, electrics in the rear and bent rear brake pedal, apart from scratches along the side . Wired up all the electrics and bent back the rear brake pedal and rode it like that for the rest of the season
@@braxen690 It’s very impressive how quick you learn balance point. My goal is to get to that point, I don’t really wanna scrape because I don’t wanna risk dropping it lol
@@braxen690 I just got a dirt bike like a week ago so been working on learning wheelies in a grass field. gotten fairly good (hit balance point a few times and held a few wheelies for about 20-30 feet) my main problem is I get to balance point and then tap the throttle too hard and loop it.
@@stevusbeefus Nice, thats good progress! How i learned balance point was by being on the rear brake all the time, then throttle input doesnt effect the height as much
Almost haha, nah but did 2-3h constant practice a day in the beginning. Got the shits in the beginning for sure, after the first time i went home completely convinced i would never dare to do a proper wheelie
Wow you did not use your rushes for a quick and dirty video. Upvote and subscribe just for this fact. Oh did I mention it was an awesome idea?! Surprised it took so long for you too crash, haha.
Nicely done, congrats 🎉! I’m just about to pick mine up from the dealer… what kind of protection are you using on your 690 and what would you recommend?
@@nikolaytotev6456 It wasnt too bad, i have pictures of it in my wheelie practice part 5 video. But frame sliders took most of the hit and luckily avoided the fuel tank, the plate holder and electrics was screwed but other than that mostly cosmetics.
Thanks, and welcome to the 690 family! I started in 2nd gear and id say its the best for when youre starting out. 1st is way to twitchy, and 3rd is a bit fast if you were to make a misstake. Though 3rd is a bit smoother so throttle controll will be easier, but when reaching for balance point the first times youll definetely want to go slower than what 3rd allows for.
Hi, I have the same bike, I can wheelie but I can’t scrape… which gear do you use to scrap? And do you use the clutch for scrape? Or is not necesary? Thanks you bro
Hey, i stay in 2nd gear but i pull the clutch and coast while scraping. Its not impossible to do it without the clutch, but then its a high risk youll stall the engine
@@javicorteslopez4204 yeah basically, but you want to stay a bit under the balance point, blipp the throttle, pull the clutch in and then catch it with the rear break just behind the balance point. If instead one is just on the balance point and pull the clutch is higher risk to misjudge how much rear brake is needed. Then just progressively go further and further back!
It really isnt easy, I looped my 690 this morning, was too aggressive in trying to retain balance point... didnt hit the brake fast enough.. shit, thankfully only broke the stock handguards and a lever, which I wanted to replace anyway. + some scratches... How many fingers are you using and are you using aftermarket or modified levers?
Ah shit that sucks, good it wasnt worse! I use one finger for the clutch, but when i started out i used two and didnt pop it as aggressively. Completely stock levers
Crashed one time while doing revcoasters, you can watch it in my wheelie practice part 5 video! Yeah dont blame you for that one, crashing sets you way back mentally
Do you pop the bike up by clutch in 3rd gear or shift from 2nd to 3rd after the tire is in the air? i can't get my smc r to go up in 3rd even with the clutch for some reason
I use the clutch in 3rd gear, you can watch me learn it in my wheelie practice part 3 video. I do 4th gear clutch ups aswell, but those demand alot of effort. Its mainly technique, sit way back and use your body weight as you pull it up, once you manage to do it once it will all makes sense!
These are the rottweiler bar end mirrors, though i have modded them alot to be fitted like this. So i dont recommend these, there are both cheaper and better mirrors for going under the bars
Very nice and motivational... I really suggest this video to anyone trying to get into wheelies cause it just felt nice watching it :)
What usualy takes 5 years or more, you did in a few months. Respect. Talent.
fast progress I see :) It took 2 years to learn balance point with brake and another year to scrape. Mentality was the main problem that I couldn't break so easly , also crashed twice which basicly resetted me to zero both times :)
It was a grind for sure! Yeah the mental block after a crash hits hard, takes a lot of effort to regain the confidence
This genuinely reminded me of the first time i got my knee down... i chased it for months and months on roundabouts. I had friends take pictures and so on (were talking 10 years ago) and i was sooo close for so long and then suddenly "shhhhhkkk" and i looked at my slider and i was so happy when i finally managed it at genuinely legal speeds (sub 30 mph here in the uk on the road i was practising on) i have the same model smc-r with all the trick bits and i can hold a wheelie for maybe 2-3 seconds at near balance point. Thats the best i can do. Congratulations man to many it seems a silly thing to chase but us riders it means the world.
Thank you! Yeah its an amazing feeling to finally accomplish something you have put so much effort into! If you learned to drag knee im sure youll get the wheelies down too for sure ;)
Thats some crazy good progress very fast! I started learning wheelies last season with my 690, but didnt even hit the balance point all summer lol. Better luck this summer!
Thanks, yeah its just to keep pushing!
Nice! inspiring, I wanna wheelie so bad but don't wanna drop my new KTM 690.
i have the same feeling with me new 701. but i guess we just need to try and find out
Great Video dude!
Here are some tips of mine for everyone trying to wheelie their 690/700/701:
I progressed ridiculiusly fast this year too. Had to buy a dedicated stunt bike (honda grom) which i did not care about tho. I knwo I had it in me, as i was able to do mtb wheelies, one handers, etc like a beast, so the transition to the motorcycle was the challenge and i did not want to crash the 690. So now i can coaster the grom after 3 months... and can do slow conrolled wheelies at 35-40kph at near idle behind bealance point on the 690. Going to learn coasters now 😁 on the big gal
for everyone looking to learn wheelies on a 690 might i add an aditional step to this progression shown in the video..before trying to coaster, as the 690 has no real balamce point, you need to "pre tension the brake". This means that before your fork goes to horizontal start to be on the footbrale constantly, then when you are just before balance point with the fork on the horizontal point, do not close the throttle! engine brake is too stong and you will use it instead of learning footbrake, keep it cracked open ever so slightly and work against the back brake. NOW you can "hang in the back brake" like a rubber band and get a feeling for this bikes ridiculous balance point. hope this helps.
after this go to coasters, they will be more controlled
Thanks! And thanks for sharing your knowledge, not tricking youself when using engine brake is important! That part got cut out in this video, its in my other wheelie practice videos where we drag the rear brake. But id say that the feeling of the rear brake is so different when coasting and when giving throttle on these big displacement bikes that it wont help you at all when coasting. On smaller displacement bikes yes, but on the 690 the difference between coasting and not is like driving a bicycle vs a cruise ship, two different worlds. But what do you mean with that the 690 has no real balance point?
@@braxen690 well it obviously has one,but not a traditional one. Because the center of gravity is so low, the topping point is only reached when the fork passes the horizontal point whereas other bike with a normal COG will reach the balance point earlier. futhermore all the mass is central. -> fuel and enhine in the middle which results in a smaller Moment of inertia around the center axis of the bike, making it easier to "turn/tip" resulting in a lesser feel compared to lets say a enduro bike with a high cog and a non 50/50 weight distribution where that balance point is more defined. hope this was more clear 😅
@@GGLiEx Then i get ya, yeah the balance point would be more narrow compared to an enduro. Though the center of gravity is fairly high on the 690s if compared to non supermotos, so i wouldnt say that the balance point is that bad ;)
Superb video. Well done
Incredibly impressive that you scraped within 4 months!
I can't wait to get a Supermoto again and actually learn wheelies. I was only at 1:20 level when my Drz died 3 years ago and I've only had an fz6s since which I don't feel comfortable stunting.
Thanks man! Yeah supermotos really are a shortcut to learning wheelies
Amazing sound of the exhaust
Great video man, you put a lot of work and showed the whole journey, wish u many views. Really inspiring.
Any tips you wish you've been told when you were just starting the season of wheelie learning?
Thank you! Im glad people enjoy it! How hard it is. It looks really easy when others do it and it will feel impossible in the beginning. Many think that their technique is off, and go ask for so much advice that they end up confused. So just do you and youll figure it out eventually!
@@braxen690 Thought so. Great! I'm wondering about the landing, you obviously need to keep the wheel straight, does it come natural or you really need to pay attention to it? And doesn't the bike fall to the side on a wheelie? 😂 or it balances itself in that direction?
@@oscr_zen Since you use the bars to steer even with the wheel in the air, it comes pretty natural to set it down when going completely straight, otherwise you get the wobbles. And you learn after a few times that the wobbles are no fun hahah. No as long as you have momentum in either direction, as in throttle or brake, theres no issues. But if you are completely in the perfect balance point and just roll, its going to start to tip to either side.
From 0 to hero nice
just throw it untill you hear the scape and push the brake... thats how i did it :) second gear keep it balance give a little bit more gas so it starts falling backwards, dont forget to "drag" the brake untill your hear something to fully push the brake and there you go.
Bro that gave me motivation to practice like every. Time i can ride
Do it! Consistency will get you far
This is sick as hell! I have a 690 too but don't stunt it as much as my f4i.
Scrap can be very hard on 701 or 690, tail is shorter and higher than on 450/500, angle should be insane
Why are you dumping the clutch? I was told never to dump the clutch to wheelie, as the preferred method is to just shift your weight and apply power.
But I can't even get the front wheel lift up reliably, sometimes I don't shift my weight enough, or I don't have enough power until 6000 RPM, so I'm already going fast when the wheel lifts up.
Do you think clutch drop wheelies are better than jerking the bars?
Yes, whoever told you to never dump the clutch is wrong. If you want to go for height and balance point, not using the clutch is very very very hard. Not to say its impossible, but i cant do it that way. Using the clutch, together with shifting you body weight (janking the bars if in a high gear and engine power is not enough) is for sure the more controlled way to do it. The front wheel comes up WAY easier and more controlled, and at the same time you wont increase your speed as much. Now the first time you try this, be careful, you wont be needing nearly as much throttle as when youve tried without the clutch. Good luck! :)
You will need a new chain now. 🤣👍🏆 very good practice though.
Nice.
dude where the hell you fixed the cam??nice footage
Scraped many times without pulling the clutch but last time the bike almost died on… I need to learn to pull the clutch I guess :)
Yeah just eliminates one more thing that can go wrong ;)
🥳
Chain and sprocket abuse. I remember many years ago i had an XL500RC and as i rolled out onto a half mile straight behind a line of about six cars, i dropped it down a couple of cogs and ripped the throttle wide open resulting in a rapid overtake and the biggest wheelie i had ever done. Unfortunately i found out a few minutes after getting home that my wife was in that queue of cars. When she rolled onto the drive i could hear the start of the bollocking before she opened the door.
Just changed both and it could have lasted several seasons more, at least the sprockets. Chain was toast. But KTM does hold up good actually. Hahah dont let any loved ones find out, theyll kill you before the bike does
@@braxen690Now she just nags me for breathing. 😂 It's probably a good thing I don't ride any more as I don't want to become an organ doner based on the sort of riding I used to get up to. Stay safe and remember, everyone else on the road is trying to kill you. 🏴☠️🏁
Is this the first bike you learned wheelie on or did you transfer your skills from a previous bike to 690? Also what were the damages from the crash and what did you fix?
This is the first bike i learned on, the first clips of the video really is the first time i practiced wheelies. Frame sliders took most of the beating so damages were plate holder, electrics in the rear and bent rear brake pedal, apart from scratches along the side . Wired up all the electrics and bent back the rear brake pedal and rode it like that for the rest of the season
@@braxen690 It’s very impressive how quick you learn balance point. My goal is to get to that point, I don’t really wanna scrape because I don’t wanna risk dropping it lol
@@thumpertorque_ Thanks! Yeah youll get there, takes alot of practice to get comfortable
@@braxen690 I just got a dirt bike like a week ago so been working on learning wheelies in a grass field. gotten fairly good (hit balance point a few times and held a few wheelies for about 20-30 feet) my main problem is I get to balance point and then tap the throttle too hard and loop it.
@@stevusbeefus Nice, thats good progress! How i learned balance point was by being on the rear brake all the time, then throttle input doesnt effect the height as much
Did you practice 24 hours a day?! It's takes me weeks just to not shit myself when the front wheel lifts more than 5cm of the ground.
Almost haha, nah but did 2-3h constant practice a day in the beginning. Got the shits in the beginning for sure, after the first time i went home completely convinced i would never dare to do a proper wheelie
Nice vid, are you using your rear break a lot?
Yes i barely rely on the enginebrake, almost always use the rear brake
Wow you did not use your rushes for a quick and dirty video. Upvote and subscribe just for this fact.
Oh did I mention it was an awesome idea?! Surprised it took so long for you too crash, haha.
Thanks, glad you appreciate the work! Haha yeah, hope the second one takes even longer
Nicely done, congrats 🎉! I’m just about to pick mine up from the dealer… what kind of protection are you using on your 690 and what would you recommend?
Thanks! Nice, the new models are really neat! I got axle and framesliders, that and handguards are pretty much all you need
@@braxen690 was there considerable damage to the bike? I cant get the picture out of my mind where I loop and puncture the fuel tank.
@@nikolaytotev6456 It wasnt too bad, i have pictures of it in my wheelie practice part 5 video. But frame sliders took most of the hit and luckily avoided the fuel tank, the plate holder and electrics was screwed but other than that mostly cosmetics.
Are you using stock gearing?
Thanks for sharing your progress
I run a bit lower, believe 15/42
Great video! Ive got myself a 690 smc-r aswell, what gear do you recomend starting with? (complete beginner)
Thanks, and welcome to the 690 family! I started in 2nd gear and id say its the best for when youre starting out. 1st is way to twitchy, and 3rd is a bit fast if you were to make a misstake. Though 3rd is a bit smoother so throttle controll will be easier, but when reaching for balance point the first times youll definetely want to go slower than what 3rd allows for.
@@braxen690 sweet, thx for the quick answer. Ill hit u back with my progress 😘
@@lxrgrandom Do it!
Hi, I have the same bike, I can wheelie but I can’t scrape… which gear do you use to scrap? And do you use the clutch for scrape? Or is not necesary? Thanks you bro
Hey, i stay in 2nd gear but i pull the clutch and coast while scraping. Its not impossible to do it without the clutch, but then its a high risk youll stall the engine
@@braxen690 ok, what do you do? Bring it to the balance point and slow down with the clutch engaged? Thanks u bro ✌🏽✊🏽💨
@@javicorteslopez4204 yeah basically, but you want to stay a bit under the balance point, blipp the throttle, pull the clutch in and then catch it with the rear break just behind the balance point. If instead one is just on the balance point and pull the clutch is higher risk to misjudge how much rear brake is needed. Then just progressively go further and further back!
Luckely for you the 690 didn't catch fire from the flip over 😆
Yeah, was prepared to see a fireball when i sent her away hahah
It really isnt easy, I looped my 690 this morning, was too aggressive in trying to retain balance point... didnt hit the brake fast enough.. shit, thankfully only broke the stock handguards and a lever, which I wanted to replace anyway. + some scratches... How many fingers are you using and are you using aftermarket or modified levers?
Ah shit that sucks, good it wasnt worse! I use one finger for the clutch, but when i started out i used two and didnt pop it as aggressively. Completely stock levers
how many times did you loop (if you did)? Ive looped my 701 twice now, scraping if off the table for me
Crashed one time while doing revcoasters, you can watch it in my wheelie practice part 5 video! Yeah dont blame you for that one, crashing sets you way back mentally
Who makes the teach gauge cluster?
The dash is original, ktm 690 between aprox 2010-2017
Do you pop the bike up by clutch in 3rd gear or shift from 2nd to 3rd after the tire is in the air? i can't get my smc r to go up in 3rd even with the clutch for some reason
I use the clutch in 3rd gear, you can watch me learn it in my wheelie practice part 3 video. I do 4th gear clutch ups aswell, but those demand alot of effort. Its mainly technique, sit way back and use your body weight as you pull it up, once you manage to do it once it will all makes sense!
@@braxen690 Ah okay, guess i lack the technique at the moment, :D thanks, great videos! :)
What mirrors are those? I hate the stock ones
These are the rottweiler bar end mirrors, though i have modded them alot to be fitted like this. So i dont recommend these, there are both cheaper and better mirrors for going under the bars
What gear were you in? And mph?
2nd gear 30-50 km/h, about 20-30 mph?
What gear did you start practicing on? 1st gear?
I started on 2nd gear, 1st is too twitchy on these bikes to start out on
yo is this where bldh recorder a rideout
Yeah same city
Definitely don't want to be dropping the front wheel down that hard if you're on anything but a supermoto/dual sport. Nice job though
the first week and the second week you use only 2th gear ?
Yes, except for sometimes shifting up to 3rd. But mainly 2nd gear
TIP #1: Practice on a bicycle before you try to translate the skills to moto ;-)
Damn, need to unlearn it now to learn it the right way
@@braxen690 Not much use to you, but might save a tail bone or two... Too many people wish to run before they can walk ;-)