WOW !!! First real ride in high wind...

[C50dreamin]

Just took a 70 mile ride in high wind 2-up w/ the little woman holding on for dear life...LOL. Bought a pair of H4 bulbs that I was going to swap out for "brighter light" from Wally World last night. Well, I got home and noticed that one of the filiments in one of the bulbs had broken off and was dangling around inside. So I was like "Oh well, I'll just put in the other one in to see how bright it is..." Long story short I was not happy as the stock bulb was brighter. So...about 1pm today I decide to go for a ride back to Sam's Empire (a 35 mile ride one way) and the wife says she wants to ride along. So I say OK here's the backpack (no saddlebags yet) she frowns a little then asks "Is it too windy ???" Im like "I don't know, lets go while we still can..." Forgot to mention that the in-laws came over to get the little one earlier. So off we go and the wind is moving pretty good but we are going w/ it as we are going out of town. We get about 12 miles out and the road turns and then we come out of the tree line and WOW !!! talk about your side gusts. I then remembered reading on the forum awhile back about someone riding in the gust and I did just as was said and just let the bike swing from side to side and rode the wind gust out and to my surprize I was still traveling the same line just a little sideways like I was on a high banked curve. Cool, I was having fun but the wife I think was a little nervous as she didn't know what to expect, but she just rode it out and hung in there tucked in behind me. After we got into town things settle back down and then we returned the lights and headed back out a different way back to the house. The winds are pumping stronger now and we cruise back on the back roads where we don't have to keep up the pace at 70mph. So we get back to the house and we dismount and walk in and she says "Let's go for another ride around town..." I just stood there amazed and was like "OK, let's put the tree up first..." Sorry for such a long post but just thought I'd share my experience w/ you guys...Zed

P.S. I just checked the wind and it's 18mph gusting to 25mph...Man I really need to order that windshield...LOL...

[krazyburro]

Reminds me of when I was doing about 70mph on a two lane highway near my house in 10 to 15 mile an hour winds when a big rig passed going the opposite direction. I was glad I was holding on with both hands cause it felt like someone just hit me in the chest and almost knocked me off the bike. Scared the heck out of me...

[Uechi Kid]

I've had a side wind make me change lane before. I was riding to work at night and day dreamin a little and BAM! BIG cross wind, in the next lane. Thank God there was no one there.

[Mavman]

I know what ya mean about "sideways, like on a high banked curve", the first few times of getting blown this way and that, it had me nervous as heck to.....like a few past posts, just keeping your knee's close to the gas tank, don't get the grip of death on the bars and so on..after a few times out in the windy's it's seems pretty easy to deal with.

[RampageRider]

I was hit by 35-50+ mph wind gusts before and had the bike canted at 45 degree angle that was a little nerve racking and white knuckle for sure!

[Firedog]

My dad has been through some pretty high winds on his bike (a gold wing). If you look closely at the tires, you can see where they are getting a bit squared-off from riding at different "leans".

[Scott58]

Got hit with gusts to 50mph (on my rebel no less) thanksgiving day. took everything i had just to stay in my lane. My arms are still sore.

[QuacktheDuck]

Dang you guys are nuts riding in 50 mph winds. Rampage if you were at a 45 degree lean in that wind....isn't that peg scraping angle? U are a brave soul lol...I'd have stayed home or at least pulled over. I'm more of a no wind to light (<15 mph) wind person, but except for yesterday it doesn't normally get too windy here.

[Smashinz2002]

Yeah I love riding in high winds, it feels like flying in turbulence sort of, pretty cool, takes some practice and getting used to though.

[RampageRider]

Yes that was peg scraping, I got off the interstate and rode the back roads at a much slower pace, all I know was that it took every thing I had to keep her up and going down the road. I had to ride like I was on my quad, lots of body english that day.

[WalterRC]

Guys!!

LOL.... you should try living in Wellington, NEw Zealand.

I am still a newbie and when I test rode a M50 and got hit by a cross wind I freaked, and nearly lost control of the bike. It actually felt as if the wind had lifted me about a 1/8th of an inch of the road and just pushed me sideways. I decided maybe a bike was too dangerous etc etc.

Anyway, bought the C50 a few weeks ago, and now am starting to get accustomed to riding in the strong cross wind. Just takes getting used to.

This morning in fact I was riding on a wet road and gusts of side wind, let me tell you thats even worse.

Its pretty cool though sometimes. Like this morning I had to ride at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle against the wind to work to maintain cruising speed, and coming home this afternoon with the wind I barely had the throttle on 1/4 to maintain cruising speeds

[kiwi pete]

They don't call it the windy city for nothing?
Rode a GT250 down the Canterbury Plains (south Island, New Zealand) in a howling North Wester, hedgerows can be fun.

[The Teach]

We get hit with cross winds all the time here as well. I'm not too sure which is worse, the severe plains winds that can push you across lanes into the dirt or the mountain gusts that can throw you around from both sides like a rag doll.

I had a hair raiser one day as well. I was lead bike as a buddy and I were coming down off the mountains in the left lane on 24 (cruising about 65mph) and hit a clearing in the trees/hills. Next thing I know a huge gust hits us both from the left side. I'm dragging a peg trying to stay in the left lane and my buddy got drug all the way over to the right shoulder of the right lane. It was a scary event when it suprises you like that and even scarier when you think that we had JUST passed a huge Blue Bird RV. We stopped shortly after this happened to calm the nerves a bit and he made the funny comparision of turning into one of those Garfield dolls you see clinging to people's cars.

Keep in on the road and be careful.

TT

[DrBob]

Oh yes, high wind can be an adventure!

As for the windshield, I find that they act as a sail in high crosswinds or when semi-trucks are around, causing much buffeting of the head and making the bike hard to control.

[C50dreamin]

Originally Posted by DrBob

Oh yes, high wind can be an adventure!

As for the windshield, I find that they act as a sail in high crosswinds or when semi-trucks are around, causing much buffeting of the head and making the bike hard to control.

Hrmmm...good info to know, I'll have to keep that in mind and test ride on a windy day after I get one installed. Thanks...

[nhoel]

Man, had my share of those experience during thanksgiving weekend... Went for a trip from LA to Las Vegas and back... whew, cold and windy. I had to keep on wiggling my fingers to keep the blood pumping in there and make sure they're not numb from the temps (thank the heavens for the brakeway cruise control and the throttle boss). On the trip, I would normally feel the bike swayed to the left (specially when passing those big trucks). One thing I've discovered with my bike.... 95 mph going uphill on a full tank of gas can only get you 95 miles before the light starts flashing... That was the worse mileage i've seen on the bike.

[blackie1491]

Go fast or go far!!!!

Were you in a hurry to donate your money to the slots?

[C50dreamin]

Originally Posted by nhoel

Man, had my share of those experience during thanksgiving weekend... Went for a trip from LA to Las Vegas and back... whew, cold and windy. I had to keep on wiggling my fingers to keep the blood pumping in there and make sure they're not numb from the temps (thank the heavens for the brakeway cruise control and the throttle boss). On the trip, I would normally feel the bike swayed to the left (specially when passing those big trucks). One thing I've discovered with my bike.... 95 mph going uphill on a full tank of gas can only get you 95 miles before the light starts flashing... That was the worse mileage i've seen on the bike.

Geez 95 uphill...man you're in a hurry huh ???

[QuacktheDuck]

I wanna know how you did 95 with the holiday traffic?! Or was it decent once you were in between and not near either LA or Vegas. At any rate, the winds are crazy out there, and saturday had some really intense winds (over here anyways).

[viper94bite]

Originally Posted by RampageRider

I was hit by 35-50+ mph wind gusts before and had the bike canted at 45 degree angle that was a little nerve racking and white knuckle for sure!

sounds like me a few wks ago. I was out for my last real ride of the year and got caught out a few hours from home with high winds and rain. Found out that night after I got home that I missed some tornadoes by about 10 miles or so. Kinda scary!