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Well, from a legal point of view, no, at least not on a public road.
A wheelie is described as the deliberate act of lifting the front wheel. Whilst there is no specific law on wheelies, when you are doing one, it is deemed that you are not in full control of your bike, braking and forward vision which can in turn lead to prosecution.
It can also be argued (by the prosecution) that the more spectacular the wheelie, the greater the loss of forward vision. Of course when you are in the midst of a wheelie, most of your steering and a big chunk of your braking has also been lost. And, you have most likely done this deliberately.
I find on my Z900, which is described as a streetfighter, that when laden with luggage, this makes the front end very light and on acceleration this can lead to the beginnings of a wheelie. Ooo er is the polite version of what is going on in my head.
I am not a fan of wheelies myself, I do not like the sensation and feel of the bike when the front end is heading upwards. However, I know many of you are keen to ‘pull a wheelie’ and, as impressive as they are, they are just not for me.
A lot of new bikes now come with rider aids and one of these is wheelie control. I really like this aid and if a bike I am riding has this, I set this to the ‘no wheelie please’ setting!
What can you expect to be prosecuted for if you are caught ‘pulling a wheelie’?
As there is no specific legislation that deals with wheelies, the police can prosecute you under Section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 which deals with the offence of Dangerous Driving.
To commit the offence of dangerous driving, you have to ride in a manner which falls below that which would be expected of a competent and careful rider in circumstances in which it would be obvious to such a competent and careful rider that such riding would be dangerous.
Dangerous Driving is often applied to deliberate stunts, ie. wheelies and typically carries a mandatory 12-month driving ban, a hefty fine, and a requirement to pass an extended re-test before you can ride again. In extreme cases, if someone is injured for example, a prison sentence may be awarded to you also.
or
Driving Without Due Care and Attention (careless driving) – this may be applied for shorter or inadvertent lifts, or if the court accepts it was careless or a momentary error which resulted in a temporary loss of control.
The penalties for this charge would usually result in 3 to 9 penalty points on your licence and a substantial fine.
It should also be noted that under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act, police have the power to seize and potentially crush vehicles being driven in a manner that causes alarm, distress, or annoyance.
Riding on private land is legally permissible if you have the landowner’s permission and road traffic offences relating to public roads generally won’t apply in the same way.
However, you still need the land owner’s permission; your insurance may not cover stunt riding and if the land is open to the public, some road traffic laws may still apply.
Locations such as industrial estates, supermarket car parks, and empty roads are usually classed as “publicly accessible” and if the police catch you pulling a wheelie there, road traffic laws and penalties still apply.
If a wheelie is required to avoid a hazard in the road then, with expert evidence supporting the appropriateness of the wheelie (for safety reasons), it can be a defence to a charge of dangerous driving. These will be very rare occasions and expert legal advice should be sought here.
So, are wheelies on UK roads a wheelie good idea?
In short, wheelies on a closed track or private land with the land owner’s permission are generally lawful, but this is subject to circumstances.
And wheelies on public roads, streets, or public car parks are very likely to result in police action if you’re caught.
If you have been served a notice of intended prosecution for performing a wheelie (or indeed any other motorbike related offence), you should seek expert legal advice.
Knowing and understanding the law and how it works can be a minefield which is why it is always a good idea to seek the advice of people who do know and understand it. The guys at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors have expert knowledge in this area and are all riders themselves.
If you need advice, check out their website at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors
BK
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