Found out about this site browsing dirt bike topics online and came across a thread about wheelie boys as you guys call us. Would love to have an open discussion with you guys if you have any questions about the bike culture that has developed in northeast cities. From reading the previous threads in this topic I saw a big misconception that most of the bikes are stolen which is not true. I won’t lie and say that bikes being stolen in Philly isn’t a thing but most people save money from their jobs to buy used bikes on FB marketplace, this why bikes like 2 stroke 85s are so popular in our culture because the 85s are attainable with even a warehouse or airport job. Now that I’m older I would like to hit the tracks but street riding gave me my love for dirt bikes and was the the only thing I looked forward to in this violent ass city.
Have you sustained serious injuries? And did you wear protective gear or think about wearing it after getting hurt or watching others get hurt?
When I was younger I dropped a 450 on my foot and broke it haha, idk how I dropped that jawn. But other than that no other injuries from riding.
What safety equipment do you guys wear besides those helmets like the one in the metal mulisha logo?
When I was younger I use to wear a chest protector but as I rode more I just wore a helmet. Sounds dumb as hell as I’m writing this but that’s the truth.
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Have any of the ride outs been infiltrated by undercover police?
Is there a rule that each ride needs 1 dork on a Slingshot kind of hovering around?
How far along in the process did Fetty Wap's Baltimore motocross park go?
How do you keep from getting bored riding roads for more than 15 minutes?
Philly location checks out hahaha
cheers man
I don’t think the ride outs have undercovers, I don’t think the officials even care that much to be honest.
Not all ride out have a sling shot type person but a lot of them do ride along especially on Sundays in the summer.
I’m not sure about the Baltimore park, I don’t know much about the city of Baltimore but there’s a friendly rivalry of who’s the best on the bikes between Philly and Baltimore but they have a lot of kids that get busy on the bikes so I respect their scene as well.
When I was younger I could ride out all day without getting bored. When I look back on it now it’s all about the showmanship in the neighborhood because we live in close knit communities and being somebody that’s respected for something gives you a neighborhood celebrity status, but ofc I didn’t think that throughly about it as a kid but I believe that’s the initial desire to even want to learn how to ride a dirt bike in the first place. Even to this day I’ll never forget the first day I rode a wheelie on my block and held it up after practicing in the park for a while on my cousins’ RM85.
Hit the track Jack
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And don't come back more to the road Jack, too dangerous, and not fine Jack
Enjoy mate !
Did you ever get arrested and how often to the police break up the rides ?
What do your wheelie bros think about actual moto dudes? Do yall follow the sport?
I applaud you for coming here and posting. I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the boys in a few different films. Bad Boys and Charmed City to name a couple. I too was initially misinformed and had a bad attitude when it came to “wheelie boys”. Mainly because of the media and the negative talk online. However, I have had nothing but great interactions with really respectful guys that absolutely love 2 wheels. They found a passion and a way to do it. I have rode along for a ride out. Yeah, I was scared shitless as it felt like I was a fugitive on the run, but it wasn’t like that at all. I was surprised at the teamwork, hospitality and respect the guys had while on the road. We had an officer pull in and check it out for a second and let everyone be.
I have ridden for 42 years of my life, raced SX and Nationals and then became a full time stuntman doing mostly motorcycle work. I’m still in awe everytime I get the chance to witness the abilities of “wheelie boys”. It’s absolutely mind blowing the skill they (you) possess.
I’m sure there will be some knuckleheads along to have negative comments and I will get a lot of thumbs down, but count me in as a guy who knows there are bad apples in every group, but they don’t define the group. Keep wheely-ing and if you ever find yourself in Atlanta, look up Same Ole Clif and let’s ride.
Also, if others have read this far, Same Ole Clif is an Atlanta wheelie boy and he’s amazing. Not just as a rider, but a human being. He also takes innner city kids, adults and anyone who wants to ride to Durhamtown and has classes and introductions to Moto. He showed an interest in Stunts after being hired on Bad Boys and has worked his ass off for a spot in the industry.
Hey bud,
Here in Atlanta, they have a “don’t chase” policy. Not sure if it’s by law or just to keep it safe”er”. The times I’ve witnessed, some officers throw up a hand and wave. The riders I’ve witnessed, aren’t bouncing off medians, finding berms to rail or jumping overpasses. I was looking for all those obstacles while riding. I was told I was a crazy white dude and to settle down. 😂😂😂
Great response bro. I’m glad you got meet people from the culture and understand that we’re human beings with a love for bikes! It’s funny that you mention Durham town, my family in Georgia loves that place. I heard that you can rent bikes and a cabin out there.
If I’m being honest none of my friends follow motocross but I think the branding is a little more recognizable with people like chino getting sponsored by monster. I think it would be cool if people like meek mill would sponsor kids from philly and get them on some dirt tracks and try to get someone from the community to become a racer but I’m sure that’s easier said than done but if someone from our community was to ever make it to that stage I know the whole city and all the bike life people from all the cities would support them. Personally I’ve been watching moto clips on YouTube to get my fix and trying to learn about the sport since I don’t have a bike anymore.
wheelie boys have made there way down to this end of the world as well in some parts of south auckland, and police have similar policy but they do occaionaly bust the whole groups, impounding bikes etc,
There’s no way I could care less.
Alistair Whitton stuntman extraordinaire you’ve all seen in countless movies on one of our camera bikes leading Chino Braxton for “Charmed City”
Pit Row
I love posts like this. You cared enough to post. 😂
You can read my thoughts in the other post.
Even after being on the shitty end of the wanna be's needing to have cool bikes, i still know theres some solid dudes.. What do u do when u know home boy who is broke af shows up on a bike u know is hot? I think my hondas in Philly n i know my yam is still in Youngstown. The moto guys that are hip to the games n are prepared are gonna meet the players eventually, and we'll be reading about how so n so was such a good kid.. Thats the stuff that kills me.. bad apples (thieves) are mainly what make street dudes look bad.. im more worried about shitty drivers on their phones than a dude ridin a wheelie..
this kind of shit is why i support some type of adoption of electric bikes... imagine someone started opener up some little arenacross type tracks in the inner cities for these kids...
would benefit the community and our sport. would be very cool to see.
Eastcoastin'
Have you ever ridden on a mx track?
Yeah eff these guys. I’m waiting for my dad professional to respond about wheelies on a Honda 125 from 1997.
Pretty cool of you to stop by and start a conversation. I thought that's what the internet was gonna be used for when I was young...getting in touch with people from other countries and culture instead of relying on mainstream media to tell us what it's like live there. Needless to say, I was a utopian when I was young haha.
-How long ago did you stop and why? Do you think the scene has grown, shrank or stayed pretty much the same over the years
-Do you guys put some slick tire on sometimes or you always run knobbies?
-Do you think people would really stop riding in the streets if they had designated place to ride and practice? I'm asking because I come from the world of skateboarding and no matter how nice of a skatepark the city would build us, we would still go in the street regardless.
-Do you know how far was the closest motocross track from where you lived when you were riding or was that not even on your radar?
-Is there a vital equivalent for wheelie boyz?
-Any good stories you'd like to share?
This is a surprisingly thoughtful thread.
What’s keeping you from riding on dirt? Lack of transportation to riding areas?
Bro we all hate the thieves but rule number 1 in philly is to mind your own business. Someone who is reckless enough to steal bikes will probably shoot you over something petty. It sounds crazy but that’s how the environment was when I was growing up. But I hate to hear that your bike was stolen ,F the thieves.
I stopped 2 years ago when I moved outside of the city limits and had a child and my girl wasn’t too fond haha but if I’m back in my old neighborhood and the family is out I’ll hop on a bike and get a wheelie session in if I’m being honest. Also cost wise I couldn’t really afford a big 450 like I wanted and I’ve been saving to buy my first home. Eventually I want to buy a RMz 450 and start hitting the tracks regularly(that’s my dream). It’s hard not having a bike though, I miss riding a lot but priorities…..
Some of the fellas but street tires on the back wheel since the dirt tires wear out so quickly on the street. I’ve always preferred having dirt bike personally.
As far as having a designated place to ride, I think about this question alot and think about why we ride in the street and I think the question is a mix of yes and no. On bigger ride outs that happen in the spring and summer, I think people will always ride on the street because it’s almost like a hood motocross event in a sense even though everyone doesn’t love what we do. On the other end there’s a lot of people who do enjoy seeing the guys wheelie up and down the street and it’s a sense of being a celebrity in your hood if that makes sense. People like to feel the love of being good at something in your neighborhood and it’s a way to have fun and have respect without necessarily having to be a tough guy. And I know alot of people thankfully don’t have to grow up in extreme poverty but the culture and love in these neighborhoods means the world to us as kids and and teenagers. On the other hand when I was a kid I use to hit the park and practice wheelie all day and even as I got older my friends and I would practice in the park and in alleys for hours so I believe if we had a designated place to ride we would have rather went there than a local park.
I believe the closest track was about an hour and a half away but honestly that wasn’t on the radar. I remember as a teenager having my little 85 and 50 dollars to my name having the time of my life everyday in the summer during school vacation lol.
Thank you for posting here and answering questions. The love of two wheels should be shared with every one.
How much do the people in your own neighborhoods resist the bikes? Are they pretty much cool with if you move along or do they push back hard on you guys?
What's the favorite performance mods that help with your riding environment? Do yall run huge rear sprockets, different bar bends, etc...?
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