Ridin' the wind

[Rocket_Rider]

Bit of a brown pants moment on the way to work today.

me being me I didnt check the weather - I daily commute and have all but given up checking weather. I probably should have registered it was unusual for a fellow rider to be warning me about wind at the petrol station after he had just come from where i was heading.

So i pull onto the highway and get hit with 57km/h winds that gusted up to 83 km/h. the 53 was uncomfortable but ok as it was constant, the 83km/h well lets just say that tightened certain muscles when it hit.... The rocket touring is a heavy bike, it was getting pushed like a rag doll and shook quite dramatically, only thing I could figure out was to slow right down to about 80km/h.....in a 110km/h zone... not fun!!!

any strategies/tips for riding these beasts in wind? I tried to just be loose, put my knees out and go with it, but i felt like a balloon on a string getting hit by an air compressor gun! Hoping it settles before the trip home tonight.... one thing ive learnt, the weight in this bike is a bit top heavy.

 

[Ishrub]

Good to see you have it back on the road.

Did you have the big screen on? It would have been far far worse on a light bike with a heavy rider.
That weight really helps stability despite the surface area. Screens can amplify wind effects big time though, for the good and bad, depending on design and direction/strength of gusts.

 

[Rocket_Rider]

Good to see you have it back on the road.

Did you have the big screen on? It would have been far far worse on a light bike with a heavy rider.
That weight really helps stability despite the surface area. Screens can amplify wind effects big time though, for the good and bad, depending on design and direction/strength of gusts.

no, no screen thank god....

yes back on road but bike still has issues which also didnt help... a slightly osciallting bike in high wind - yep its a puckering experience!

 

[Ishrub]

A few burgers at Macca's on the way to and from work now that All day burgers are available. Add 50 kg in few months and voila.
If you do have another upset you will bounce and roll far better than any air bag too!
Fat saves lives! I have deployed my life saver quite a few times now!

 

[Tal]

i just go faster...seems to work for me.....i dont have the big screen and stuff tho...

 

[Rocket_Rider]

i just go faster...seems to work for me.....i dont have the big screen and stuff tho...

Yes my normal strategy but the high speed weave I have on bike at the moment makes going faster an equally dangerous move!!

 

[scot in exile]

Maybe time to get the bike looked at/fixed before something does happen, would hate to read about a crash caused by the high speed weave/wobble

 

[Boog]

@Rocket_Rider My Touring seems to do better in wind that strong. I usually ride at 135KPH (I had to use google to convert MPH to KPH) and will get hit head on with a 85ish KPH wind head on. The bike slows quite a bit and I just twist the go handle harder.

On the cross wind gusts, I just try to lean into them enough to maintain my lane and be ready to ease the lean as they cool off.

I do ride with the wind screen on so yes it does surpass the owner's manual with head on speed, but so far all is well.

Now add rain or worse, hail and things get less boring for sure...

 

[Claviger]

Tuck. Tuck down as far as you can it makes a huge difference.

 

[phar2slo]

18 months ago I got caught in really strong cross winds nearly ended up in the on coming lane with a truck coming the other way.

Wheels were almost on the centre line and rest of the bike At a 30 deg angle.

luckily for me the truck moved right over the fog line and I think now that it was the pressure wind wave off the truck that pushed me back across my lane.

Possibly the closet I come to biting it.

Was fully loaded up and all up weighing about 550kgs.

Have ridden on a smaller Yamaha virago 1100cc in strong cross winds for 140km
And didn't have any where as much trouble.