Ping,
Back in the day I could wheelie my 1978 Yamaha DT250 for a half a mile or so. Then one day I fell off in 5th gear. I found out that you can run at 35mph, but only for a few steps. Now I’m thinking about trying to wheelie again. Road bike guys are doing insane wheelies and even the homies from the streets are wheelying clapped out bikes all over the hood. What’s the secret?
Thanks.
Bob
Unless you are an Olympic runner from Kenya there is no way you’re running 35mph. I can only guess that you had some pretty serious road rash on your face after that since there probably wasn’t time to get your hands out in front of you or plan a tuck-and-roll. Either way, nice job walking away from it and now considering doing it again. I’d like to help with your wheelie technique; I really would. But I don’t have the slow wheelie down where you use the rear brake to control it. I guess I was never willing to sacrifice a rear fender and a set of handlebars in order to learn. I’ve watched some video taken by local news reporters in Baltimore though and it looks like you can head down to an urban area there and get yourself a lesson from some real professionals. My only suggestion is to bring a firearm with you. Good luck.
PING
So David,
I sincerely enjoy your weekly column of praise and intellect for all things moto. And I congratulate you on your new career path outside the industry, balls that must take for sure. My question is this: Is James Stewart coming down with Travis Pastrana syndrome and will that continue to be his downfall throughout his career? Nothing against Pastrana, he is amazing at everything, but crashes seemed to keep him from continued success in MX/SX. James just continues to grenade himself year after year. Has he even completed an entire sx/mx series without being out injured at some point? By the way, did your KTM seize up before the forks snapped off the front, or did you just come up a little short?
P.S. Would u consider coming to the Millville national and doing a bike test with a write up the following day? This would be the bike you would be riding… (see image)
Ben Graves MX926
Ben,
I really believe that this will be a telling summer for James Stewart. His last few seasons have been rough and when you have to start using a second hand to count all his concussions on your fingers it becomes an eyebrow raiser. Hopefully he can get a fresh start this summer on a new bike and reinvent himself. For the sake of his career, his fans and the sport I really hope that is what happens. No more television shows, no more excuses and no more officer Stewart impressions. The best thing for everyone would be for James to get back to racing and having fun again.
Yes, my bike did blow up on the face of that jump and, yes, I would definitely come ride that bike. Thing looks like a beast.
PING
Ping,
I have noticed that almost every photo in articles featuring 3 digit pilots shows the rider in full helmet and gear. Outside of the podium guys I would not be able to recognize a single rider in casual wear. Why doesn’t the AMA issue a press kit with stock photos of each rider kneeling next to their helmet like a 60’s bubble gum card with stats on the back? Is there some conspiracy to keep these guys anonymous like “The Sig” on Top Gear or is Feld using Lucha Libre as their business model?
No longer anonymous,
Richard “Pugdumpster” Clutter
Dick,
Put down you tinfoil hat, Pugdumpster, there’s no conspiracy here. I know you’d like to think that some slick-dressed corporate fat cat is controlling every last mundane detail and secretly working his hidden agenda at the dirt bike races but that crap only happens in bad Disney movies. You know why they don’t make privateer moto-baseball cards with sticks of gum? Because it isn’t 1950, Dick. And because there are only about fourteen people on the planet who would actually pay money for such an item and every one of them are relatives. The real reason that head shots aren’t included in press material on those riders is that they are parked so far out in the north forty at the races that no photographers are willing to walk that distance to get a shot of a guy they don’t know. That’s why no images exist of them without their gear on. If you want to see guys in casual wear pick up a J Crew catalog. I hear they have fantastic khakis. If you want to get to know the privateers of the sport check out their websites, Facebook pages or Twitter feeds.
PING
