What are the physics of a wheelie?

What are the physics of a wheelie?

A wheelie is where the rider raises the front wheel, riding on the back wheel. This stunt has two concepts of physics : angular momentum and torque. Angular Momentum is basically the measure of the momentum of a object that is going in circles. Kinda like inertia for moving objects.

How does a motorcycle wheelie work?

A wheelie is also a common motorcycle stunt. The principles is the same as the bicycle wheelie, but the throttle and rear brakes are used to control the wheelie while a rider uses body weight and the steering to control the direction the inertia of the spinning front wheel acting as a balance.

What causes motorcycle wheelie?

The forwards force from the pavement is below the center of mass of the bike, which experiences a backwards reaction force due to the acceleration. The forward force from the pavement and the backwards reaction force at the center of mass create a torque that results in a wheelie if the acceleration is strong enough.

What makes a bike good for wheelies?

Bikes made for wheelies tend to deliver. Good rear brake. While handlebar brakes are a common option, a good rear brake setup is a must-have for mastering and performing wheelies. A bike for wheels will have rear brakes that work smoothly and easily so you can practice (or try a wheelie with a moment’s notice).

How does torque affect a motorcycle?

The higher the torque at the rear wheel, the faster you can accelerate (theoretically as at some point the wheel will start slipping of course) but you’ll reach the engine’s max RPM quicker, so your motorcycle’s top speed would be lower (leaving gears out of the discussion for simplicity).

How does a wheel work physics?

Wheels reduce friction. Instead of simply sliding over the ground, the wheels dig in and rotate, turning around sturdy rods called axles. Wheels provide leverage (in other words, they are examples of force multipliers or simple machines).

Does wheelie increase speed?

No, doing a wheelie does not make you go faster. You have to back off the throttle or you end up flipping over backwards. The fastest way to accelerate on a motorcycle is for the rider’s weight to be as far forward and low as possible and put in enough power to just keep the front wheel kissing the road.

Can you wheelie on a BMX?

Absolutely. You can ride wheelies on 24″ and 26″ BMX bikes, as well as 26″ and 29″ mountain bikes, using the same principles. What do I do if an object gets my way? Immediately stop to avoid hitting the object.

How does a wheelie work on a motorcycle?

To hold the front wheel in the air at a particular angle these two torques must be equal. So if the wheelie is steep enough (which is pretty easy on a motorcycle) the center of mass can be directly above the rear axle and no torque is required to keep it that – this is balancing on the rear wheel.

What is the physics behind a wheelie?

Let us define a wheelie. A wheelie is where the rider raises the front wheel, riding on the back wheel. This stunt has two concepts of physics : angular momentum and torque. Angular Momentum is basically the measure of the momentum of a object that is going in circles.

How does torque affect the rear wheel of a motorcycle?

Note that the normal force on the rear wheel does not apply any torque on the rear wheel; only gravity and the engine of the motorcycle do. Therefore, all the engine has to do is supply more torque (through the drive train) to the rear wheel than the gravitational torque, and lo and behold!

How does a motorcycle lift its front wheels off the ground?

Hence, an equilibrium is established between these forces and the motorcycle moves normally. In order to lift the front wheels off the ground, you need to disturb this equilibrium between these two opposing forces. More specifically, you need to unbalance the torques acting on the rear wheel.