wind!

[i2kdave]

I was coming home from work on Friday and it was windy enough to make me slightly uncomfortable. I looked up the weather for that day and the wind gusts were supposed to have been around 12 - 13 mph. Tomorrow, they're calling for 20+ mph winds and I'm wondering if I should just drive the truck. Any advice?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by i2kdave

Tomorrow, they're calling for 20+ mph winds and I'm wondering if I should just drive the truck. Any advice?

That's about the cutoff for me.....except for puttering around town. If you're relatively new at this, I'd say yes, take the truck.

[Water Warrior 2]

Better to be safe than sorry if wind makes you uncomfortable. Save wind rides for your play time when you can return home at anytime. Work up to it at your own speed and comfort level.

[alanmcorcoran]

Dave,

If you are comfortable going 65 plus on the GZ, you are more likely to be able to handle the 20mph wind if you're commute is at 40-45mph. If you are not comfortable with the buffeting and battering that goes along with that level of speed, or you have to go 65 plus to do your commute, take the truck.

(If you happen to get the 20mph at your back, you can probably post some record speeds!!)

[i2kdave]

thanks for the responses!
now they're saying the wind could get up to 30 mph, so I'm definitely driving the truck :mad:

[mrlmd1]

It's not the wind in your face like Alan suggests, or on your back that's the problem - it's the strong gusts from the sides that can suddenly shift you laterally on the road, causing you to switch lanes, go into other car's paths, push you off to the apron, etc.
20-30mph winds can be a hazard and you are safer in the car at that level.

[adrianinflorida]

I cross this bridge going to and from work each day:


It's about 60 some odd feet high at tne middle, with a pretty long causeway at each end. all of these stupid cold fronts we've had this winter have resulted in 2-3 days afterwards of 15-20 MPH winds out of the North-Northeast. Earlier this week had another front, the ususal 15-20 MPH winds, so an interesting run across the bridge in the morning. Coming home that evening, the wind must have picked up to 30 MPH or so, let's just say it was interesting, I felt like Valentino Rossi needing to hug the tank to get low enough to not get blown over.

I felt like an idiot, till I saw a guy on a big Harley doing the same thing after getting caught off guard by the crosswind.

[music man]

I had to ride about 80 or so highway miles in about 25-28mph winds with gusts up towards 40mph yesterday and it F@#$ING SUCKED, i had to go about 35-40 most of the way just to keep control of the bike, and sometimes when it would get real bad I just stopped the bike for a minute to relax my death grip on the handlebars.

If I would have been at home I wouldn't have rode at all, but I was at a friends house 80 miles away and had to be back yesterday, so I had no choice in the matter.

[alanmcorcoran]

You guys probably know this already, but you have to learn to countersteer as needed into the wind just like you are taking a curve. It works the same way - push the handlebar in the direction the wind is coming from. I live in a very windy area and 30 mph winds are not unusual. It's those sudden weird gusts that are unnerving. I've gotten so I kind of automatically compensate, but it's not fun. If I think the wind speed is going to be over 30, I won't ride more than the commute to work.

[music man]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

It's those sudden weird gusts that are unnerving.

Exactly how are you supposed to countersteer into a sudden weird gust of wind, if its sudden there is no planning for it right? But yes for just the "wind" blowing, that will work fine, but not for those 10-15mph extra gusts.