Just wondering if it's me or has anyone else noticed the bike being moved in a crosswind? The bike is a 2008 FatBoy with the cast wheels. Now I have to say I haven't been riding in several years and just bought this bike a few weeks ago. I think it has got to be the wheels cathing the wind.

 

I have ridden with laced wheels for years and it has happened to me as well. As a matter of fact, it just happened yesterday on I40 west of Realeigh.

 

I but 32,000 miles on my 2000 Fatboy and yes from time to time a strong cross wing did push but it does the same to my Street Glide. It may be more so with the SG due to the increased windage of the fairing. I don't think the wheels are the issue.

FBL

 

any wheel; cast, lace or spoked will do the same. I wish I could find it - (somewhere here onHDF) there is a thread by an engineer, explaining that all wheels, when running at around 35 mph becomes "solid". I know that's the principle behind why helicopters fly.

maybe Mythbusters could do a segment???

 

I have a 06Fatboy and i find the cross winds less of an issue now than when I was riding a rice burner. I don't buy into the agruement that these bikes with cast wheels are effected more in cross winds than those without because on a particular day when it was fairly windy I didn't get push around needly as much has I was expected when I was riding the Fatboy.When I got home, I was called back to work and decided to take the rice burner out to see the difference on a windy day and I felt the wind more on the rice burner than the fatboy, my conclusion was thatthe fatboy was the heavier bike and therefore less likely to be pushed around thanthe lighter bike and the wheels didn't have an effect.

 

Happens with my spoke wheels too.

 

You and your bike represent about the same amount of surface area as a sheet of plywood when viewed from the side, regardless of cast or spoked wheels. You will get pushed a little from crosswinds. That's just part of the experience of riding.

 

In my experience, weight is the most important stability factor in cross winds. If you think its bad on a Fatboy, be glad you weren't riding a lightweight 400 - 600cc metric.

 

My Sportster with detachable windshield gets pushed around MUCH more than my Softail Custom with detachable windshield. Higher center of gravity and less weight.

 

Yep, as they say above.
I thought the wheels were part of the problem, but apparently not.

MikeM