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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Riding in wind gusts
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Message started by Steve530 on 06/16/06 at 18:20:55

Title: Riding in wind gusts
Post by Steve530 on 06/16/06 at 18:20:55

A couple of weeks ago I went for a ride. It was windy with a lots of gusts. I found I was being blown around quite a bit.

Anyone else have this problem, or was I just nervous?

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by 911radioman on 06/16/06 at 19:09:23

Relax, don't put a death grip on the bars and let the bike take its own path. You'll be amazed at the fact the bike will track right along when you do that. I frequently ride in 30 mph winds and have just learned to relax and let the bike do its thing.

Grip the bars tightly and every seeming pulse of blood through your hand will be transmitted to the bars and the bike will react accordingly. You won't like that reaction either... ;D

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by Steve530 on 06/16/06 at 19:19:36

Thanks. I'm sure you're right. I'm probably just nervous.

It's the gusts that really bother me. Pushed one way and then another. I find that I slow quite a bit in those situations.

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by Savage Librarian on 06/16/06 at 19:25:15

Steve530 wrote:

Thanks. I'm sure you're right. I'm probably just nervous.

It's the gusts that really bother me. Pushed one way and then another. I find that I slow quite a bit in those situations.

Nothing wrong with slowing down. It can be a lot easier and more enjoyable to handle the wind gusts at slower speeds.

Just don't panic, keep your wits about you, and trust your bike. Of course, to trust the bike, you have to keep good care of it.

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by Steve530 on 06/16/06 at 21:54:20

Yea, I feel like I have better control when I slow down in these gusty situations. Maybe more practice will help.

BTW, the bike is in great shape. A little under 4000 mi on the odo. Just about 500 mi on new tires. Re-jetted, Dyna muffler, and a K&N. As a matter of fact, it's in better shape than I am and runs a lot better, too. :)

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by thumperclone on 06/16/06 at 22:56:10

4 me better natural wind gusts than the vortex of a semi... :o

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by Steve530 on 06/16/06 at 23:01:57

Yea, trucks are a whole other issue. But at least you can move over in the lane to minimze the effect of the trucks.

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by thumperclone on 06/16/06 at 23:08:46

Steve530 wrote:

Yea, trucks are a whole other issue. But at least you can move over in the lane to minimze the effect of the trucks.

yeah when theres room..sum of these out her got three trailers and then the desert wind also.............

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by chriss on 06/17/06 at 01:35:20

i just crossed nebraska and iowa in 35 to 40 mph cross winds. I have never been a wind rider. If the wind was blowing much, I just didnt go. But i was going cross country, the roads were dry and it was warm so I just plowed along. I was just poking along and when I pulled into this gas station in O'neil Nebraska, this rider gave me some good advice. Go faster! Seems kinda dangerous but I tried it and rode all day this way. When i slowed down, the wind pushed me towards the edge of the road and I had littlle control. The faster I went it seemed to cut the wind much easier. If the cross wind is blowing from your left, push slightly forward on your right grip and it helps you from moving all over the highway. I found that the Savage handles the wind better than most bikes I ran across. Even the much heavier ones. Maybe its cause there is so much air flow thru the bike. Dont worry about gusting from large semi's. They will give you a slight buffeting but nothing that is serious. At 70 mph I had them pass me going the other way at even higher speeds and the bike handled it just fine. You wont blow over. Ive taken the best they can throw at a bike and its really more annoying than dangerous. Riding in a fairly strong wind is one thing but riding in a wind that is gusting pretty hard can get you killed. Crossing a part of Iowa farmlands, the winds were blowing maybe 20 mph but gusting to almost 45. It almost blew me across the center line and into the front of a semi going maybe 70. I said to hell with it and pulled over and got a motel room and a good mealand got really, really drunk.

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by azjay on 06/17/06 at 06:22:48

we dont get any rain, to speak of, but riding in the wind is a pretty regularly occuring event. i have found the extra rake on the savages forks are great to maintain straight line stability, as it also ads wheel base too, bigger is better. it's light weight, however, is not a freind in winds that gust or change around terrain like bridges, haystacks, rocks, hillsides etc. when riding along side my harley, debby is affected quite a bit more by the gusts than my hawg. dont over-react/over-correct and allow some lane drift and all should be well. i haven't tried riding faster,"but officer,,,i was smoothing out the wind gusts" ;D

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by steelwolf on 06/17/06 at 10:13:06

A little lesson in physics. Wind from the right, bike leans right into the wind naturally. That means bike moves to the right. Same thing from the left. These movements are slight and almost unnoticable. Kinda like the effects of countersteering. You don't need to give the bike any steering input at all. Just stay relaxed and ride as normal. The bike will weave a little as the wind comes and goes but it is nothing to be concerned about. Should the wind become very strong you may want to consider moving to the center portion of the lane. If the wind is still too strong, park it. It aint worth being like the witch in the "Wizard of Oz". ;D

Let me explain cause I know someone's gonna ask. The reason the bike leans into the wind naturally is that the wind pushing on the front wheel (lightest side of the pivot point) moves the front wheel's contact patch out from under the bike causing the bike to lean into the wind.

Title: Re: Riding in wind gusts
Post by magicfairy on 06/17/06 at 15:13:07

Grip the tank with your knees and relax your arms / grip. Will feel better straight away. Dont fight it too much, let your self be blown around a bit (within reason) then steer back on course. Many times I think I am going to get blown right off the bike but it hasn't happened yet.

Where I live we get 67Kph (42 mph) or higher winds 167 days of the year. Local rugby team called "The Hurricanes" for a reason.
;D