Being able to pull a mile long wheelie isn't always useful when rolling down the highway or approaching a traffic light at high speed. So if you want to give the family in the minivan up ahead something to talk about. Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the front brakes and roll right beside them, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed to get a stunned reaction.
The stoppie may not be he king of stunts yet, but capable machinery has only been around for about ten years. Until now sport bikes didn't have the stopping power and stability to raise the rear wheel. These days the rolling stoppie can be seen at almost any stunt show, and is being done by street bikers to. It doesn't take much to get the rear end off the ground on a modern bike. Short wheelbases, low weight, and soft tires help to do this. Watch any professional sport bike race and you'll see most of the rear wheels are skimming along inches above the ground under heavy braking. The rolling stoppie just takes things a bit further, but its the same concept, heavy braking.
Before attempting a stoppie, there are safety precautions that need to be followed to prevent injury, or damage to the motorcycle. The front tire is very important. Low-end sport tires are garbage. They cost less, but when your sliding across the pavement you'll wish you had paid for better ones. Most newer sport bikes come from the factory with fairly good tires on them. Fairly good means that they will still need to be warmed up before attempting any stunts. The quality of your tires does not mean much if they do not have the correct air pressure, check for the recommended pressure frequently. Also, if you're going to attempt a stoppie it should not be your first time on a motorcycle. It takes years to learn how to properly handle a bike. Equally as important as the quality of the front tire is the quality of the road surface.
