What do you do when the wind blows fierce

[yojimg]

For me the NC is the most stable windy riding motorcycle I have had. My Vstrom was a white knuckle kite ride, the CB500X also got blown around but not as much as the Vstrom. I can ride the Columbia Gorge and not worry about the bike. Now if I am wearing my Arai XD it is another story.

Wow the Vstrom is worse than the CB500X? My CB500X was horrible in cross winds -- I would've guessed that the heavier VStrom would fare better! Good to know.

 

[Motorat]

CB was bad but not as scary as the gen 1 Vstrom. I was coming home from a Polar Bear ride in Portland and had to cross the Glen Jackson (route 205) bridge with its swirling winds. I changed lanes several times without my input. The bike was like a big kite.

 

[Rev Ken]

I read that you should hang your knee out in the direction the wind is coming from. Has anyone else tried this?

Yes that is 'part' of the best way of handling cross winds.
If you are holding on with your knees and handle bars 'counter steering' makes everything worse.
As has been said, RELAX, let your windward knee 'flap' as it wants - think of why riders on a circuit hang their knees out. It help to turn the bike on the knee side. Then really relax your grip on the handle bars. Again, if you think about it the wind blows you body which makes you turn the handlebars the wrong way to stabilise (counter steering again.)

In other words think COUNTERSTEERING, it's the magic word

 

[The Phoenix]

Yes that is 'part' of the best way of handling cross winds.
If you are holding on with your knees and handle bars 'counter steering' makes everything worse.
As has been said, RELAX, let your windward knee 'flap' as it wants - think of why riders on a circuit hang their knees out. It help to turn the bike on the knee side. Then really relax your grip on the handle bars. Again, if you think about it the wind blows you body which makes you turn the handlebars the wrong way to stabilise (counter steering again.)

In other words think COUNTERSTEERING, it's the magic word

Relax and enjoy the chaos seems to be working. Thx for your input Rev Ken.

 

[BenR]

Good responses to the original questions.
The NC is rather stable given it's light weight; every bit as stable as my cruisers.
Sometimes when I KNOW of a windy area, such as the mouths of large canyons that I'll be passing in front of, I can tuck down for a few hundred yards giving the cross wind less sail to get ahold of. It's helped quite a bit. Also, in high winds, when I see a semi or motor home coming, I'll do the same and it stabilizes the bike a bit more.
Like, the Ferret, I've also had some life threatening gusts going through Colorado on more than one ride. That being the case, with that state, whatever wind warnings are given, I take very seriously and plan to stay put. Usually the winds exceed the warnings.

 

[salishmoto]

Great thread. Nothing new to add and agree with wisdom shared her, just what we teach as MSF Rider Coach's. Relax and compensate with lane position.

Will tell a story that one time I was riding my wife's brand new little Yamaha R3 back home and hit the Columbia River at Vantage in Eastern Washington. The river is famous for winds, and on this day it was blowing a solid 40+. I'm a sailor, I know my winds. That little bike was tilted over so steeply I swear I could touch the ground with my hands if I had wanted. Fortunately, I'd ridden in lots of wind and just relaxed and stayed far to the windward side of the lane for the inevitable gusts.

 

[dduelin]

I've ridden in high winds before, or thought I did, until last Monday when leaving Fort Stockton, TX. Starting out on the journey home to Florida winds were in the 20s and 30s mph out of the south which is a 90 degree crosswind to I-10. NOAA had posted a gale warning with gusts possible to 50 mph. The terrain there is mostly flat with low mesas between me and Mexico. Between the steady blow, the gusts, and the rolling turbulence off the tops of the mesas the wind was unpredictable in direction and speed. I rode loose and prepared to be displaced half a lane or out of my lane which I was at times. The crosswind was about 35 - 40 degrees apparent and while the RT has excellent wind protection the apparent wind was dealing body & helmet blows that came around the fairing and wind screen. The best thing was in the earliest part of the day there was little traffic as I bobbled and weaved for the first 150 miles of that 600 mile day. After a couple of hours I was relieved to be out of the worst of the wind. The storm front was moving quick across the USA and I had more crosswinds and some rain the next morning but the wind was not as stong.

 

[Hank]

Some riders also suggest pressing harder on the upwind foot peg. I have tried it but I am not sure it made a difference. The knee thing works. I live in Oklahoma.