Tyler Wheelie Wizzard Shepard Wows the Crowds
- 24 Aug 2012
Although most riders would be satisfied with riding along the highway and trails and even embarking upon an occasional race, Shepard has managed to take his passion for cycles a step farther. The twenty-eight-year-old has also managed to master the art of riding wheelies. In fact, Shepard performs motorcycle wheelie shows several times a year. The rider schedules in the neighborhood of fifteen to twenty shows annually, and throughout the past twelve years, has wowed audiences in fourteen states.
Shepard first got interested in the sport of riding wheelies and performing other tricks upon watching the "Wheelie King", Doug Domokos, perform in 1995 at a flattrack race in Celina, Ohio. Shortly thereafter, the rider began working on his own bag of tricks and eventually scheduled his first of what would prove many performances to come. The rider performs at an array of different types of events. When asked the strangest event he had experienced, the rider answered, "A church Easter egg hunt. I did my show, then the kids took off for eggs in a huge swarm. Referring to another gig, he continued, "I once rode two hours non-stop during a parade in Columbus, Ohio. I could barely let go of the grips when it was over." Most anyone who has any experience on a bike at all can rev the engine, pop the clutch and grab a wheelie, but there is an art to riding on one's back wheel for any distance what soever. when asked the trick to riding wheelies, the "Wheelie Wizzard" explained, "You have to keep the rear brake on the entire time, then adjust the throttle for how high you want the front wheel to come up."
Although some of his stunts are performed with the front tire secured to the bike, Shepard also performs stunts with his front wheel detached. In fact, this seems to be a crowd favorite. When asked what stunt gets the most response, he said, "The wheelie, without the front wheel, over the top of the Ford box-van. It looks awesome, but you can crash really easy." Referring to the stunt that he considers the greatest challenge, Shepard continued, "The toughest has to be riding down fifty feet of 2X4 wood planks. You set those boards down, and suddenly, any parking lot becomes rougher and more off-camber than you ever thought. When I do that the first try, it's such a relief," he continued. "It took me fifteen tries one time to make it." Recalling the skill he is most proud of the rider shared, "Riding a wheelie blind folded. It doesn't look hard, but wow, does it mess with your mind once you make a couple of turns." Tyler "Wheelie Wizzard" Shepard does not use his every-day bikes when it comes time to perform. In fact, he uses four different bikes, some of which are modified to fit his specific needs. Both of his Honda, CRF 50s are stock, but the sprockets that originally came on his Honda CRF 450 had to be changed, as he performs in a lot of small venues, such as parking lots. Once the gear ratio was modified, the rider could literally ride a wheelie slower than the average person can walk. Tyler Shepard is also aware that to perform at his best, his bikes must be in optimal running condition. That in mind, he depends upon K&N filters to keep his engines running contaminant free. "Maintenance is huge," he explained. "I am a big oil and air filter change guy. Every bike I use is equipped with K&N air and oil filters. The air filters are great and last forever, and the oil filters work really well at trapping all the dirt and grime. One of the filters on my CRF 50s has been used for over ten years!" One might suspect that Shepard would find the fact that he can perform talents that very few riders can accomplish as the most enjoyable aspect of his sport, but not so. When asked what he enjoys most, the rider said, " The people who come out with all of their kids. They have stories about when they used to ride, and the kids are telling me about how they have bikes. I just like hearing stories fans tell." Sharing his future plans, Tyler "Wheelie Wizzard" Shepard said, " This winter, I'm doing a huge Monster Truck Show tour all over the country. To find out the dates, you can go to www.wheeliewizzard.com, or www.toughestmonstertrucks.com. I'd love to see you there." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
