Advice for riding in the wind

[rpmwfo]

What advice is there for riding in the wind?

The GF wanted to learn to ride last year, so I got her a Suzuki Gladius after she took rider classes and got her endorsement. . She took the MSF basic and advanced courses. We started out slow with her riding my KTM with sumo setup around the parking lots for a while. Then I got her the SFV650.

Last year she probably logged 1000+ miles riding highway, twisties, around town, etc. No problems. As the riding season wound down last year, her confidence had grown a ton.

We are thinking of taking a bike trip this Memorial weekend, but she is (and always has been) nervous about riding in the wind on the interstate along the front range in Colorado(there can be heavy gusting winds).

She has no problem commuting to work in Denver(20-30 miles) but the wind on interstate scares her. Go figure. Her commute would scare me more than the high winds any day...

I haven't really been able to come up with any advice on how to deal with the wind while riding. For several years, a bike was my only transportation, so I just dealt with whatever conditions were present. I told her to not tense up and just keep the bike pointed where she wants it to go.

Any other advice for a relatively new rider when it comes to riding in high crosswinds?

Thanks in advance.

[Walterxr650l]

Originally Posted by rpmwfo

What advice is there for riding in the wind?

The GF wanted to learn to ride last year, so I got her a Suzuki Gladius after she took rider classes and got her endorsement. . She took the MSF basic and advanced courses. We started out slow with her riding my KTM with sumo setup around the parking lots for a while. Then I got her the SFV650.

Last year she probably logged 1000+ miles riding highway, twisties, around town, etc. No problems. As the riding season wound down last year, her confidence had grown a ton.

We are thinking of taking a bike trip this Memorial weekend, but she is (and always has been) nervous about riding in the wind on the interstate along the front range in Colorado(there can be heavy gusting winds).

She has no problem commuting to work in Denver(20-30 miles) but the wind on interstate scares her. Go figure. Her commute would scare me more than the high winds any day...

I haven't really been able to come up with any advice on how to deal with the wind while riding. For several years, a bike was my only transportation, so I just dealt with whatever conditions were present. I told her to not tense up and just keep the bike pointed where she wants it to go.

Any other advice for a relatively new rider when it comes to riding in high crosswinds?

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like you already told her the most important thing, RELAX. When you tense up the force of the wind is transmitted directly to the handle bars, and the bike responds in ways you don't like. "One needs to stay relaxed so the body can take some buffeting without transmitting that to the handle bars. Keep the arms/elbows loose.

Why does a bike trip over memorial day weekend need to include travel on the interstate? Bike trips are more fun on the back roads away from the interstates.

Walter

[BobbySands]

1. relax your grip on the bars.

2. let the bike do it's thing and lean into the wind a bit.

3. relax your grip on the bars.


Wind hardly ever puts a bike down or makes it shift lanes. Wind on the rider who has a death grip on the bike can put a bike down and cause it to shift lanes.

Experience is everything, and relaxing while being buffeted is easier said than done.

[rpmwfo]

Originally Posted by Walterxr650l

Why does a bike trip over memorial day weekend need to include travel on the interstate? Bike trips are more fun on the back roads away from the interstates.

Walter

First half of the trip doesn't have any interstate. It's part of the ride home where the fastest way home is freeway. She has to be at work on Tues, so she isn't interested in taking the long way round on the way home. Me, I'm off all week so doesn't matter how long it takes to get home....

[doxiedog]

WEAVING AROUND IN YOUR LANE,is caused by rider inputs.
All the wind will do is lean you over..RELAX.
Take one hand off the bars,and let it lean.
Wind can be FUN, Wow that was a good one.

[air-cooled]

last tip to all previous, wearing a tight leather jacket helps as well, therefor(e)?, there will be less input from your arms into the handdlebars.

[sloweddy]

There have been several threads on this topic with quite a bit of good information.

My KLR650 gets blown around more in strong crosswinds than any bike I've owned.

One tip that I found helpful was sticking a knee out into the wind - the knee on the windward side.

I did a quick internet search & one of the better articles I found was by David Hough who comes highly recommended by many people here at the ADVRider:

http://www.soundrider.com/archive/sa.../dang_wind.htm

Here's a quote from "Dang Wind" - "Even if the machinery, loading, and ergonomics are perfect, a rider's balancing/steering technique has a lot to do with accurate control. Riders who consciously countersteer have better control and less frustration in windy situations than riders who merely think "lean", or who try to steer by shifting body weight.

Here's a few links to previous ADVRider threads on the subject:

Riding in the wind... January 2006
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112241

GS1150 control problem in high wind ? March 2002
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2450

Riding in High-winds -- Thanks ADV Riders... July 2006
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149883

High winds made me tap out... April 2013
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=877504


If you enter "Riding a Motocycle in High Winds" into Google or Bing you'll see a lot more links:
https://www.google.com/search?q=ridi...hrome&ie=UTF-8

If you are amused by bad amateur instructional videos - here's an example:
(not all of his advice is bad but the stream of consciouness narration is pretty bad : )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDwR_TSBPI0