Blown off road - totaled GSA

[Bill Harris]

The other day we had a Winter storm front move through with moderate gusty winds (I'd guesstimate 30-40 mph). I took the opportunity to go out on the Interstate for 30-40 miles to practice and evaluate how the bike took the wind. I'd rather practice under mild conditions and when I'm not under pressure to make time. I find that I'm going to need to work on that nervous instant when I cross an 18-wheeler's wake in winds.

As they say, practice makes perfect.

--Bill

[chrish4ku]

Ouch!

[strom thingie]

Wind can definitely be a bitch. Having lived in OK and KS, I have had some white-knuckle experiences myself but none ended up catastropichally as yours. Thankfully. Glad you walked away and good luck with the new bike.

[huntly2]

Many years ago, I was riding in Maine with a pile of camping gear hanging on my KZ1000 behind a Windjammer fairing. I was crossing a bridge when the wind began pushing me back and forth across both lanes. I was fighting it desperately and there was no place to pull off. I almost lost it when I looked to the side and saw a guy on the walkway who had lashed his canoe to the rail and himself to the canoe. At that point I really lost it and thinking I had entered a nightmare, put my feet down and pussyfooted my way across that bridge. All traffic lined up behind me and were polite noticing my plight. I was so thoroughly shaken that once on the other side, I immediately got a room and went to bed.

[hugemoth]

I've been riding for 44 years and didn't even know it was possible to get blown off the road.

Strongest wind I've been in on a bike was 30+ years ago riding 2 up with camping gear on a Vespa 200 near Butte Montana. I watched a semi truck get blown over some distance in front of us and at times I was scraping the edge of the floorboard on the road going straight.

At Stovepipe Wells Death Valley last year we had winds clocked at 82 mph. I saw a tent fly by with people still in it ;-). Thought about taking the bike for a ride but it would have been impossible to see through the blowing sand.

[acejones]

A few years ago I was riding from San Miguel de Allende MX to Zacatecas MX on my R1150R. The winds were blowing strongly from the left and I was in what seemed to be a semi permanent lean. As I went through an underpass the wind unexpectedly slammed me from the right just as hard. It was pretty unsettling. Wind sucks.

[troidus]

Originally Posted by LuciferMutt

Glad you are OK. Sorry about the bike. We have frequent high wind warnings in NM where the gusts are pushing 60MPH. Today is going to be such a day

I remember crossing west Texas once when the speed limit was still 55. I was being passed by tumbleweeds. The car was really quiet, too.

[SiouxsieCat]

Originally Posted by revmaaatin

I feel your pain.
I too have been blown from one side of the road to the other by 'gust'...but never into the ditch.

After reading the entire thread, I have one Q.

What did you learn from all this?
If you could have one do-over, what would you do differently?

ie, would your ride further to the R/L side of the road?

I was in the middle lane of 3.
Lessons learned: I should have picked a different route trough town instead of taking the interstate; slow down even more.
My legs were hugging the tank and I was tucked up close to the front to keep the buffeting off of my helmet. Not a whole lot of time to react, except scoot back on the seat.

Picked up the new ride today
2013

[themenz]

Nice ride and glad you are OK.

Worst wind I have ever had was riding my R1150R on Highway 50 across Nevada. Wind was probably 30 to 40 mph from my right with some serious gusting. I got gas whenever I could as mileage went to hell.

Hundreds of small and dozens of giant tumbleweeds would tear loose unexpectedly and roll across the road.

Fought this for nearly 300 miles without let up.

I had put on brand new tires for this trip of about 2,000 miles up to Utah and back. When I got back home I had to replace both tires as the tread on the right side was completely gone.

[luckygrownup]

Originally Posted by SiouxsieCat

Got blown off the highway today in KC. Went into the median, which wasn't so bad until I hit the crossover for emergency vehicles, then things just tumbled forward in the air. Was doing about 60 in a 70 zone. Walked away, but the windshield / cockpit was gone and the aluminum cases were crumbled messes. Undoubtedly a write off. Since it's my only vehicle, I'm crossing my fingers I can get settled with insurance and take delivery on an identical bike with a week or two. I loved that thing.

I have noticed the GSA does get blown around a little more than other heavier bikes. Did you get a speed wobble before getting pushed over ? I have had speed wobbles at 60-70MPH in 25-35MPH crosswinds on my GSA. Changing the ESA suspension to 1 up with luggage, increasing the preload, on the suspension helped reduced the wobbling. However, on windy days, I prefer to be on my heavier RTP. The RTP stays firmly planted with 40MPH winds. I ridden the RTP at 70MPH in a the last tropical storm we had and it was fine. The RTP is also is fine in thunderstorms. It would have been a different story on the GSA.

[jimhaleyscomet]

Glad to hear you are o.k.

I saw this post after riding my KLR650 on open roads between 45mph and 60mph today. Sometimes the wind would blow my tires over about 12 inches perhaps. The top of the bike stayed where it was so I was instantly leaned into the wind. The weird thing is the worst movements happened at the lower speeds (40mph). I just (badly) assumed the wind could not knock me over (or blow the wheels out from under me). Was that a bad assumption?

[mr. matteeanne]

Originally Posted by jimhaleyscomet

Glad to hear you are o.k.

I saw this post after riding my KLR650 on open roads between 45mph and 60mph today. Sometimes the wind would blow my tires over about 12 inches perhaps. The top of the bike stayed where it was so I was instantly leaned into the wind. The weird thing is the worst movements happened at the lower speeds (40mph). I just (badly) assumed the wind could not knock me over (or blow the wheels out from under me). Was that a bad assumption?

In irder for a wind to blow you over it would have to create enough energy to overcome the force of the bike plus you plus centrifugal force. Of course a wet or pebbled surface could reduce the energy needed. When the wind hits, the only reason the bike deviates from strait ahead is because of your body movement. Grab the tank with your knees, relax your grip on the handlebars, and relax in general.

[SocalRob]

Originally Posted by mr. matteeanne

In irder for a wind to blow you over it would have to create enough energy to overcome the force of the bike plus you plus centrifugal force. Of course a wet or pebbled surface could reduce the energy needed. When the wind hits, the only reason the bike deviates from strait ahead is because of your body movement. Grab the tank with your knees, relax your grip on the handlebars, and relax in general.

I agree with this. I think the reason the RT feels like it gets blown around less than the GSA is the better front wind protection the RT offers your body. I think on the GSA your shoulders catch a fair amount of buffeting, which results in bar induced wobbles.

Since I put a steering damper on my GSA, if I turn it up to max stiffness, even in winds in the 40ish range (I have not had it in windier conditions) the bike is as stable as a rock.

Now if the bike gets picked up and flung off the road, that is a different animal all together.

[GlassAnkles]

people don't comprehend Kansas winds sometimes. when i get an out-of-state buyer asking about a chicken strip on the side of the tire, i have to explain the power of the rolling plains.

i once rode at a 45 degree angle for an hour straight, then another hour on the way home

......yes the burrito was worth it

[Wyodrill]

In Wyoming we have a saying, "If the sun sets in the west, the wind will blow in the morning."
The Dallies are windy but the time I went thru there it was head on or to my back. If you ever travel near Rawlins, Wy you are crossing the continental divide in the Red Desert. Average daily wind it 35 mph, on days with fronts coming thru you can be in 45 mph w/ gusts to 55. I have found the only way to manage a broad reach (45 to 90 deg to direction of travel) is go slow. I have gone down the highway at 35 mph leaning like crazy. At the slower speed I am at least able to react in time to gusts and keep her on the tarmac. Plus I am not creating additional force by driving thru the wind at a higher rate of speed. (I watched the 18 wheelers doing that and I copied them.) They were riding with on one set of tires on the road. I try to find alternate routes that have some terrain to hide in or behind.

On interstates I have found that the leeward lane is usually more stable. The windward side kicks the wind up off the bank of the road and so you find either quiet air or turbulent air there. Anything but the laminar flow of wind jetting across wide open spaces.

The best is when you are following the wind, that is, when you are going down wind.