How much wind is too much wind?
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,410
Likes: 143
From: Palm Desert,CA
How much wind is too much wind?
Had to ride 350 miles home today and due to meetings I couldn't start until 11am. Decided to boogie on interstate most of the way. I81 sucks at the best of times but this time takes the case, gusting winds to iver 40mph. Didn't know how to handle it lots of cross and there were times where I just thought the bike was going to come out from under me. Would love to get any tips you may have. Right now my jaw is killing me from being set so hard and my sphincter feels like it's been violated!
Had a great trip with some awesome side rides but this has not been fun!
Had a great trip with some awesome side rides but this has not been fun!
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 196
Likes: 6
Yeah, dealing with 40mph wind gusts is no joke....and can be dangerous if your not prepared for them. The bike will not slide out underneath you, but will and can blow you a full lane-width or more over if your not ready.
From my experience, stay as small as possible, meaning hunched over and being tight to the bike. Keep a good pace and speed, I find speed helps maintain straight-line stability in cross-winds. Understand the direction of the wind, so you can position your bike travel in the best place possible, along with knowing which direction to lean when it gets real gusty. And at a certain point, it's best just to pull over and find a safe place to hang out for awhile until the winds die down.
From my experience, stay as small as possible, meaning hunched over and being tight to the bike. Keep a good pace and speed, I find speed helps maintain straight-line stability in cross-winds. Understand the direction of the wind, so you can position your bike travel in the best place possible, along with knowing which direction to lean when it gets real gusty. And at a certain point, it's best just to pull over and find a safe place to hang out for awhile until the winds die down.
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 600
Likes: 10
From: Rochester, NY
Slowing down will not help. Your bike is more stable the faster it's traveling. At higher speeds if you fell off the back of the bike it would continue down the road in a straight line.
Good article on riding in heavy crosswinds:
https://rideapart.com/articles/how-t...eavy-crosswind
Good article on riding in heavy crosswinds:
https://rideapart.com/articles/how-t...eavy-crosswind
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 369
Likes: 1
From: Lubbock, TX
Welcome to my world, Lubbock Texas! The only good thing to say is that after many years and miles of riding around here I feel I have earned a masters degree in wind management. As stated above, stay small. Stay loose. Tighten up and your body motion when smacked by a crosswind will translate into bike motion. Sounds crazy but what has worked for me is to keep my arms relaxed so if my upper body gets moved the motion doesn't translate to the handlebars. Anticipate wind breaks when passing a semi or even a building on the windward side so it doesn't catch you by surprise. Trust your bike! Two gyroscopes underneath you that don't want to move off of their intended line is trustworthy. Find a speed that works for you. How the bike is set up and your skill set will determine that as well as road conditions. the only time I really pucker up here is when the wind reaches a speed that we have "brown-outs" where visibility is reduced due to dirt in the air from the local cotton fields. We can have visibility less than 100 feet at times. I park it when that happens.
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
This happens a lot around here. Pass by a wooded area to an open farm field and WOOOSH. Can get blown in the other lane if not paying attention.
I agree, make yourself smaller. Hunch down to reduce resistance. Relax and gently counter steer into the direction of the wind.
EDIT: every once in a while I just have to pull over to get my wits back. A strong wind gust like any other hazard can be startling
I agree, make yourself smaller. Hunch down to reduce resistance. Relax and gently counter steer into the direction of the wind.
EDIT: every once in a while I just have to pull over to get my wits back. A strong wind gust like any other hazard can be startling
Last edited by AladinSane; Apr 22, 2015 at 04:27 PM. Reason: added sentance
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 51
Likes: 1
From: MO
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I agree with Kcdcltd and others - stay loose - though easier said than done. A lot of the movement on the bike comes not from the wind directly, but from the wind hitting you, and your movement inputting to the handlebars. A related problem is the white-knuckle grip people tend to get on the 'bars - it further upsets the handling.
Try to maintain most of your 'grip' on the motorbike through your seat and feet (like riding a horse). Keep your arms and hands (and jaw muscles
) loose and relaxed. Steady your upper body against the wind at your core - your "abs" - not by "holding on" with your hands...
If wind is steady from one side or the other, you can adjust the ride by shifting over a bit one side on your seat.
Also, keep your focus on the horizon far down the road. The weaving bike can pull your attention in too close and too low, where you can (i) miss a looming danger and (ii) become more freaked out by the wobbling. Just like a skateboard naturally weaves around under a rider, a bike does it automatically to keep you balanced. A feature not a bug. It feels crazy, but is really no biggie. Once you get used to it weaving and wobbling, and you keep your eyes and head steady, relaxed, and focused waaay down the road, all will be well.
Try to maintain most of your 'grip' on the motorbike through your seat and feet (like riding a horse). Keep your arms and hands (and jaw muscles
) loose and relaxed. Steady your upper body against the wind at your core - your "abs" - not by "holding on" with your hands... If wind is steady from one side or the other, you can adjust the ride by shifting over a bit one side on your seat.
Also, keep your focus on the horizon far down the road. The weaving bike can pull your attention in too close and too low, where you can (i) miss a looming danger and (ii) become more freaked out by the wobbling. Just like a skateboard naturally weaves around under a rider, a bike does it automatically to keep you balanced. A feature not a bug. It feels crazy, but is really no biggie. Once you get used to it weaving and wobbling, and you keep your eyes and head steady, relaxed, and focused waaay down the road, all will be well.
Last edited by Davdoodles; Apr 22, 2015 at 05:12 PM.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,097
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From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
As mentioned, keeping your speed up can help stabilize the bike. I was running 70-110 with a Windjammer style fairing decades ago in Nevada on a winding 2 lane, didn't even notice it was very windy till I stopped - felt like a giant hand just slowly pushed me over on the engine guard. Had to wait for a lull in the wind before I could get it up and push it into the wind so I could get on it and ride off. Wind never bothers me unless it's gusting from different directions and hammers me. Only time I've ever been blown out of my lane was when a helicopter landed on the shoulder so close to me I couldn't avoid going under the blades; I was all over two lanes with that one.