How To Do A Stoppie on Your Motorcycle by KingsMotorcycleFairings.com

A motorcycle “stoppie”, also referred to as a nose wheelie, is a very exciting and extremely dangerous stunt to learn. A stoppie is when the back wheel of your motorcycle is lifted off of the ground and you are riding the bike solely on the front wheel. The stoppie motorcycle trick comes with great risks of injury and bike damage, so we highly recommend learning this stunt only if you are already an advanced or experienced motorcycle rider. Now, before we dive into “How to do a stoppie” our team at KingsMotorcyleFairings.com wants to discuss the safety measures that should be seriously considered before attempting this new trick.

How to Prepare

Again, stoppies are extremely dangerous. When learning any new trick on your motorcycle you always want to make sure you are taking the highest precautions and protecting yourself as much as possible. The safety measures are similar to when you are riding on the street, so you should always be wearing protective body gear and a high quality Helmet. It also would be a good idea to invest in knee pads, elbow pads and ankle pads. The more protection the better, given that there is a high probability of falling off, face planting or tipping your motorcycle during the learning process. In addition to keeping yourself protected, you’ll want to practice in a secluded area away from any other vehicles or people to ensure their safety as well as your own. 

The Secret Sauce

Once you've located your practice area that is secluded with smooth roads and free from potholes or any other obstructions, it is now time to start your training. Step one, take your speed up to no more than 15mph (anything above this speed multiplies your odds of failure and injury as the difficulty level increases at higher speeds). Once you’re at the right speed, gradually pull the front brake lever until the fork is compressed. Loading the front forks is very important, because it transfers the bikes weight/force to the front before bringing up the rear tire. If this step is not done correctly the bike could possibly slide. While you are pulling in your front brake, start shifting your weight by leaning forward. The back wheel of your motorcycle will now start to rise. While practicing, slowly let go of your front brake before the tire is fully off the ground. This will bring your tire back down, doing this will allow you to get more comfortable with your balance point & bike control during the stunt. As you get more comfortable practicing and learning how to balance, you can gradually start to let your rear tire come higher off the ground during each new attempt. Keep in mind your rear brakes will not help you if you need to come back down, so avoid going too fast or leaning forward too much.

As a final reminder, this stunt is not one that should be taken lightly as it is difficult and dangerous to perform with a high probability of injury if you do not slowly ease into learning. This trick can also leave your motorcycle fairings and gear damaged, so we recommend weighing out the pros and cons before fully diving in and taking this trick on. It's best to take it slow, remain calm and learn in stages for the best results. Remember to take all of the necessary precautions mentioned earlier and if you are not fully comfortable learning this trick yet, then don't. Thank you, be safe and have fun riding!

How to Pop a Wheelie on a Motorcycle by KingsMotorcycleFairings.com

You know how to ride a motorcycle, but do you know how to pop a wheelie? A wheelie is one of the most famous bike stunts to execute for riders and for spectators to witness. To some riders, performing stunts on a motorcycle can be extremely intimidating (which it should be, since they can be dangerous). However, with proper guidance and control you can learn how to perfect the skill of a wheelie over time in a safe way. Now, there are a number of different variations and techniques to performing a wheelie, so to start, our team at Kings Motorcycle Fairings highly recommends learning how to first master the most basic, “power wheelie”!

Before you start

Motorcycle stunts, including the power wheelie, can be very dangerous, so we highly recommend learning this stunt only if you are already an advanced or experienced motorcycle rider and by doing so in a secluded and safe area. We also want to emphasize the importance of wearing a motorcycle helmet & protective gear at all times when riding, but especially when learning a new skill on your sport bike. In addition to the regular protective gear you consistly wear on the street, it certainly wouldn't hurt to be extra precautious by adding a little extra gear (such as knee pads, elbow pads and even ankle pads). Just like learning to ride a bicycle for the first time as a kid, it is likely that you will be falling frequently before you get the hang of it. 

Step 1

Put it in 1st gear! Power wheelies are much easier when starting off in first gear, it's all about using acceleration to assist the bike in pulling the front wheel upward. The main objective to learning how to perform a wheelie is finding the right speed. We recommend starting the learning process by using speeds no higher than 10-15 mph. Going too slow can result in not having enough force to pull your front wheel upward. Going too fast can result in loss of control and can quickly put you in an unsafe situation. The key is to find a constant speed in-between 10-15 mph that will allow you to successfully find your balance point. Once you have found a good speed, you are ready to take on step 2!

Step 2

When you are ready, drop your speed and then open up the throttle and accelerate! This will help give you more power and a kick when you hit the gas. As you are doing this, pull the front wheel of your bike upward. If you feel as if you are going too far back, slightly hit the back brake to prevent yourself from flipping backwards. When you hit the rear brake, keep in mind that this action will cause your front wheel to come back down, so it's very important to land your front wheel as straight as possible. If your front wheel does not land straight or you land too suddenly, it can cause your bike to shake on impact resulting in a crash and possibly injuries. 

Step 3

This step is about maintaining your balance during the power wheelie. When your front wheel is in the air it is important to find your balance point in order to be in the wheelie for a longer period of time. Lean back on the rear side of the bike, making sure the balance point of you and your bike is in the center. Pro Tip: Any sudden tipping forward or backward can interrupt your point of balance and result in the bike tipping over and damaging your motorcycle fairings (breathe & remain calm).

Step 4

When you are ready to end the wheelie, use your rear brake (like we mentioned earlier) to bring the front end of your sport bike back down to the pavement. Again, keep in mind that you will want to hit the brake slowly to ease your way back down. When you hit the brake too hard it can cause you to lose control resulting in you and your bike falling over. Pro Tip: You can slightly increase your throttle as the front end is coming down to help balance out your movements.

Lastly, motorcycle wheelies are an extremely fun but dangerous aspect of motorcycle riding. It is very important that you remember to be extremely aware of any other vehicles on the road and be personally safe by wearing your motorcycle helmet & protective gear. Kings highly recommends that you always practice in a secluded area free from other vehicles!

How To Hand Wax Your Motorcycle by KingsMotorcycleFairings.com

Before we dive into “how to wax your motorcycle”, our team at KingsMotorcycleFairings.com wanted to share with our readers what makes waxing your bike so important. Well, waxing your motorcycle is one of the most cost efficient ways to keep your sport bike in tip-top shape! It's easy to assume waxing is done just for aesthetics, however a layer of protective wax can significantly help keep your bike both dirt and dust free while enhancing the natural shine of your fairings! In addition to waxing being very beneficial for your bike, it can also be a fast and easy process once you get the hang of it.

How to prepare

Prior to waxing, you’ll want to ensure your bike is freshly washed and rid of any dirt, dust and debris. If you’re new to hand washing your motorcycle, or simply looking for some pro tips, please visit our previous blog article on “How To Wash Your Motorcycle”. Properly washing your motorcycle prior to applying the wax is crucial, because it will help reduce the chances of scratching your bike when applying the wax. Pro Tip: You’ll want to move your bike into a shady area, it’s never a good idea to wax in direct sunlight. The sun can cause the wax to essentially bake onto your bike making the wax very difficult to spread effectively.

What you'll need

• Microfiber cloths

• Motorcycle wax

• Microfiber applicator pad (this helps evenly distribute the wax for a better finish and typically comes prepackaged with the motorcycle wax you purchase)

It’s time to wax

Ok, now it is time to wax your freshly washed bike. First, grab one of your clean microfiber cloths and lightly wipe away any dust or dirt that may have settled. Next, grab your microfiber applicator pad and your motorcycle wax. Apply a quarter size amount of wax directly to the applicator pad. Trust us, a little wax can go a long way and adding too much wax at once can make the process less manageable and messy (plus, you can always add more wax during the process if you feel it is necessary). Now when applying the wax, focus on one area at a time and lightly apply the wax with the pad in a circular motion. At first glance, you’ll likely notice a dull and cloudy residue being left behind, this is completely normal and all apart of the process as the wax thins out and dries. Once finished applying the wax across all of your painted motorcycle fairing pieces, simply let the wax sit and finish drying fully in a shaded area before starting the next & final step. 

Final step

You're almost done, congrats! Once the wax on your motorcycle has dried, take a clean microfiber cloth and start to thoroughly wipe the excess residual wax away. During this process you’ll start to notice the dull residue slowly disappearing, with some spots possibly needing a little extra elbow grease depending on the wax and how much was applied. After you have finished wiping off the wax, take a step back and examine your bike for any wax marks, chunks or streaks you may have missed. If you discover a few dry areas on your bike that could have used a little extra wax, you can always go back and repeat the waxing process in that specific fairing section. That's it. Simple enough, right? You’re now ready to take your bike out on the road and show off the freshness!