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How to Do a Burnout on a Motorcycle Download Article The complete ins and outs of doing your first burnout Reviewed by Jason Shackelford
Last Updated: January 6, 2025 References
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Applying the Brake
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Releasing the Clutch
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Q&A
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Warnings
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This article was reviewed by Jason Shackelford. Jason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience. This article has been viewed 393,743 times.
A burnout, also known as peeling out, is when you spin the wheels of a motorcycle while keeping the frame of the bike stationary. You can use a burnout to create a big cloud of smoke and impress your friends, but over time, it can damage your rear tire. To do a burnout, take a strong stance, engage the clutch, and rev up the engine. When you’re ready to start, put the motorcycle in first gear and release the clutch to cause the tire to spin.
Motorcycle Burnout: Quick Overview
In neutral, put both feet flat on the ground and pull the clutch all the way in. Hold the front brake with your right middle finger and put the motorcycle into first gear. Rev the engine, lean forward, and release the clutch to burnout. Reengage the clutch and release the throttle to stop.
Steps
Part 1 Part 1 of 2:
Applying the Brake
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1 Stand with both feet as flat on the ground as possible. To prevent the tires from gaining traction, put the least amount of weight on the bike by standing over the bike. If the tires have too much traction, then the motorcycle will move forward when you attempt a burnout.[1]XResearch source
2 Start the motorcycle and keep it in the neutral gear. Turn the key in the ignition and start up the engine so it can warm up. Check the temperature gauge after a few minutes to make sure the dial is at about the halfway point to indicate that the engine has warmed up.[2]XResearch source
Keep the engine in the neutral gear while it warms up.
You can rev the engine a few times to get it warmer faster.
Allow the engine to run for at least 5 minutes before you attempt a burnout.
Warning: It’s dangerous to perform a burnout with a cold engine because it can sputter and suddenly gain traction, causing the motorcycle to lurch forward.
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3 Pull the clutch lever all the way in. On most motorcycles, the clutch is the lever on the left hand of the handlebars. Use all 4 fingers to engage the clutch by pulling it back all the way to the handlebar.[3]XResearch source
Keep a tight grip on the clutch lever so it stays engaged.
If your motorcycle has the clutch on the right handlebar, be sure to engage it fully with all 4 fingers of your right hand.
4 Hold the front brake with the middle finger of your right hand. Apply the brake and rev the engine throttle simultaneously by holding the front brake with your right hand. Use just your middle finger to pull back the lever for the brake so you can use the rest of your hand to work the throttle.[4]XResearch source
If you have a motorcycle with the throttle on the left-hand side, then use the middle finger of your left hand to apply the brake.
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Releasing the Clutch
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1 Put the motorcycle into first gear. Use your foot to click the gear shift pedal so the motorcycle shifts into first gear. Keep the clutch engaged with your left hand so the motorcycle doesn’t shift into gear yet.[5]XResearch source
2 Rev up the engine close to the red line on the gauge. With your right hand, rev up the engine by twisting the throttle down. Look at the repetitions per minute (RPM) gauge and look for the red line towards the top of it. Rev up the engine so the arrow is about 75% of the way to the red line at the top.[6]XResearch source
Start revving the engine slowly to make sure the engine isn’t in gear and the bike won’t move.
It’s important that you build up the engine before you put it into gear so the tire spins too fast to gain traction.
3 Lean forward slightly to shift all of the weight off of the rear tire. Make sure your feet are flat and you’re standing stable. To make sure that all of the weight is off of the rear tire, lean forward a little bit.[7]XResearch source
4 Let go of the clutch to perform a burnout. Don’t ease off of the clutch to disengage it. Instead, let it go in 1 motion by releasing all of your fingers at once. The engine will then engage in first gear and the rear tire will start spinning to create a burnout.[8]XResearch source
The longer you hold the burnout, the more wear and tear on your rear tire.
Tip: Hold the burnout for a minute to create a plume of smoke.
5 Reengage the clutch and release the throttle to end the burnout. Use your left hand to pull the lever to engage the clutch, which will pull the engine out of first gear and into neutral. Rollback the throttle with your right hand, but keep the brake engaged the entire time. The rear tire will come to a stop and your motorcycle will not roll forward.[9]XResearch source
Do not release the brake until the tire has completely stopped spinning.
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Community Q&A
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Question Can I do a burnout on any motorcycle? Adam Monk Community Answer No, because if the front brake is terrible then the bike will just push it along. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 27
Question Can I do this with a Pulsar 150? Community Answer Yes, you can do this on a Pulsar 150. Make sure your front brakes are good or else the bike will start moving. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 16
Question How can I do a burnout with an automatic motorcycle? Community Answer Lock the front brake, and give the throttle it all. If that doesn't work, it's not happening. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 9 Helpful 20
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Warnings
Do not perform a burnout until your engine has warmed up. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Burnouts will degrade your rear tire over time. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Reviewed by: Jason Shackelford Auto Technician This article was reviewed by Jason Shackelford. Jason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience. This article has been viewed 393,743 times. 19 votes - 89% Co-authors: 24Updated: January 6, 2025 Views: 393,743 Categories: Motorcycles | Vehicle Sports In other languages Spanish German Italian Russian
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Reader Success Stories
Steve Gagnon
Jul 19, 2017
"I learned how to do the skills and I am confident that I can achieve them on the bike. More importantly, the warnings are excellent and well worth noting!"..." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Reviewed by: Jason Shackelford Auto Technician Co-authors: 24Updated: January 6, 2025 Views: 393,74389% of readers found this article helpful. 19 votes - 89% Click a star to add your vote
Steve Gagnon
Jul 19, 2017
"I learned how to do the skills and I am confident that I can achieve them on the bike. More importantly, the warnings are excellent and well worth noting!"..." more Share yours!
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Download Article The complete ins and outs of doing your first burnout Reviewed by Jason Shackelford 
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Reviewed by: Jason Shackelford Auto Technician This article was reviewed by Jason Shackelford. Jason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience. This article has been viewed 393,743 times. 19 votes - 89% Co-authors: 24 Updated: January 6, 2025 Views: 393,743 Categories: Motorcycles | Vehicle Sports In other languages Spanish German Italian Russian 
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1 Stand with both feet as flat on the ground as possible. To prevent the tires from gaining traction, put the least amount of weight on the bike by standing over the bike. If the tires have too much traction, then the motorcycle will move forward when you attempt a burnout.[1] 
2 Start the motorcycle and keep it in the neutral gear. Turn the key in the ignition and start up the engine so it can warm up. Check the temperature gauge after a few minutes to make sure the dial is at about the halfway point to indicate that the engine has warmed up.[2] 
3 Pull the clutch lever all the way in. On most motorcycles, the clutch is the lever on the left hand of the handlebars. Use all 4 fingers to engage the clutch by pulling it back all the way to the handlebar.[3] 
4 Hold the front brake with the middle finger of your right hand. Apply the brake and rev the engine throttle simultaneously by holding the front brake with your right hand. Use just your middle finger to pull back the lever for the brake so you can use the rest of your hand to work the throttle.[4] 
1 Put the motorcycle into first gear. Use your foot to click the gear shift pedal so the motorcycle shifts into first gear. Keep the clutch engaged with your left hand so the motorcycle doesn’t shift into gear yet.[5] 
2 Rev up the engine close to the red line on the gauge. With your right hand, rev up the engine by twisting the throttle down. Look at the repetitions per minute (RPM) gauge and look for the red line towards the top of it. Rev up the engine so the arrow is about 75% of the way to the red line at the top.[6] 
3 Lean forward slightly to shift all of the weight off of the rear tire. Make sure your feet are flat and you’re standing stable. To make sure that all of the weight is off of the rear tire, lean forward a little bit.[7] 
4 Let go of the clutch to perform a burnout. Don’t ease off of the clutch to disengage it. Instead, let it go in 1 motion by releasing all of your fingers at once. The engine will then engage in first gear and the rear tire will start spinning to create a burnout.[8] 
5 Reengage the clutch and release the throttle to end the burnout. Use your left hand to pull the lever to engage the clutch, which will pull the engine out of first gear and into neutral. Rollback the throttle with your right hand, but keep the brake engaged the entire time. The rear tire will come to a stop and your motorcycle will not roll forward.[9] 
Adam Monk Community Answer No, because if the front brake is terrible then the bike will just push it along. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 27 
Community Answer Yes, you can do this on a Pulsar 150. Make sure your front brakes are good or else the bike will start moving. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 16 
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