GS500F handling in strong winds

[foogle]

Hi Folks

As anyone experienced bad handling from the GS500F on windy days?

I owned a naked GS500 with a large Givi handle-bar windscreen for 7 years and even though it moved around a bit in windy conditions, it was generally managable by simply leaning into the wind (or pushing on the bars).

My new GS500F is quite "unnerving" in cross winds. I expected some movment (it does have a big plastic sail attached to it's sides)  but the new GS500F seems to be very very sensitive to cross-winds and on some occasions I've suddenly been blown into other lanes on the highway.

If others have experienced this problem, have they been able to correct the "flighty" behaviour of the GS500F? I'd love to know as I'm close to selling it and its only 8 months old.

Please note I do live in a very windy city where wind speeds often exceed 70km/hr (40mph) and gusts of 160km/hr are usually experienced over winter (and it's my winter now!!).

[makenzie71]

fairings suck in crosswinds...especially on light bikes.  My TL1000 is a real handful in crosswinds, to tell you the truth...

[Piranha]

Where in the wide world of sports do you live foogle? Obviously in the southern hemi. I had a yamaha fj1100 and that was far worse in crosswinds than my naked 92 gs500e

[Phaedrus]

Yeah, I've rode my GS500F with strong winds pushing me all over the road. It if is a constant wind, you kinda get used to it..but it is those really strong gusts out of no where that will throw you for a look, especially in a corner. I've never ridden any other bike in high winds besdies my GS500F, but I'd take rain over wind anyday.

My advice? Eat a lot of doughnuts. 

[fuelish]

i have actually felt suction from passing semi's,, and having the worst roads in the country i notice the front end tends to try and shake abit at x-way speeds. none of this alarms me its a bantam wieght bike it should be sensitive.

[foogle]

Thanks for responses so far - I don't feel quite as bad about my riding abilities as I was a few hours ago.

A couple of points:

- my old naked GS was way better even with it's Givi A70 screen (but still scared me occasionally).

- I live in New Zealand.

Any tips as to how to deal with all this would be appreciated (apart from not riding 8^0).

I've added lower bars to try and move my weight further forward and alter the forward/rearward balance. I also have a PUIG touring blade on order.

[nick_villan]

sucks major on highways, thats y i try to avoid it.

[scratch]

I'm not sure with a faired bike if leaning a shoulder into the wind is going to help, but it's worth a try.

Maybe slide the forks through the triples, to bias even more weight on the front (2-3mm).

[LimaXray]

I took a ride down to the shore last weekend and crossing the barnegat bay was horrible.  There are flags on the bridge and they are almost always standing straight up because the cross winds are so strong.  It really scared the crap out of me to be pushed around on a bridge like that.  I did find that leaning over the tank did help a bit, or at least made it less scary.

[blue05twin]

Would stickier tires help with this?  I was thinking that if you installed a wider front and rear tire that were really sticky then you would not get blown side to side so bad?
Just wondering if it would help or not. 

[TarzanBoy]

Stickier tires would not make an appreciable difference.  Lowering your profile (and presenting less surface area to create crosswind drag) will help a little bit.

The only thing you can really do is lower your speed, which will reduce the amount your bike drifts when a crosswind hits it.

[Caffeine]

I have an '05 F, and I definitely feel cross-breezes.    Anything over 20 MPH makes riding...interesting.  My friends on heavy bikes tend to not even notice wind that blows me across a lane of traffic.   The GS500F's are definitely prone to cross-wind.   I compensate for it by riding on the side of the lane that the wind is coming from, so when it does gust it doesn't blow me into the next lane, just the other side of the same lane.

[CirclesCenter]

Winds in my area exceed 40 mph sustained and gust to well over 60 mph (100kph) very often (Every time but summer). I grew up with it, so it's normal to me to occasionally have to lean into the wind on a walk to somewhere.

Also anyone who knows about highway 395 between carson and reno knows the hell I have endured. (Flat Valley, HUGE hills, gust ove 100 mph at times, and calm day is 20 - 40mph winds)

How do I deal? A riding jacket makes a big difference for me. I crouch in real hard, and hold it. Aside from that, being ready and knowing my counter-steering.

[red_phil]

I have been told that the main factors in cross wind vulnerability are (in order of effect)
1) Sails, umm I mean Fairings. I'd say Bikini Fairings are a fair compromise.
2) Rear Wheel Width / Profile. A Wider tire mean less wobble, perhaps you could get a bandit wheel?
3) Riding position. More weight forwards and keep the center of gravity low.
4) Weight. Not much you can do here unless you like pies.

I'd guess bigger bikes tend to have lower and further forward centres of Gravity due to those big engines.
They definately have wider tires.

[metallic5spd]

SUX,  i went over a bridge and it felt like it picked me up and it took into the shoulder and almost over the edge of the bridge, scariest thing ive ever idone/felt/seen.  i tried to lean, could not, tried to turn wheel, didnt matter, i had about 2 ft to go until i was over, then the wind stopped for a sec and i got out of it...

[foogle]

Hi folks

Thanks for all the feed-back.

Like I said earlier knowing others have also experienced the terror of "unplanned flight" has helped my fragile nerves 8^).

All the suggestions have been good - except the eating of pies and donuts I've been on a diet.

I particularly like the idea of fatter tires which may slow the steering a bit.

Anyway - thanks again for the feedback.

[nmred]

I live in New Mexico and have on more than one occassion been blown across both lanes during our wind storms. Being 230 pounds, it is quite impressive and scares the living s h i t out of me.  What really is impressive is when a 30-40 mph headwind stops me in my tracks. 

Usually when the wind kicks up, I try not to ride next to another vehicle so I have wiggle room, which is harder when cagers decide they have to cruise right next to you even after you speed up or slow down.

Finally I try to watch the tops of trees and flags to guage the wind speed. Just be careful of the effect wind has on the opposite side of a large buliding than the wind is blowing from. It tends to be faster and more turbulent on the leeward side of any large structure. This is what cause you to be sucked closer to a building or truck as you go by.

And if it goes above 40 mph, just sit it out. Wherever you're going isn't worth getting killed over.

[TadMC]

You know, My first time taking her (GS) out on the interstate. It had to be 20 25, mile an hour winds.  Due to my inexperience I got blown into the other lane twice. Very  Very scary.

[Kerry]

Speaking of headwinds ... if you're on a long ride a headwind can eat up 25-40+ miles per tank of gas.  (YMMV)

Tailwinds, on the other hand, are cool.

[CirclesCenter]

Yeah 40mph is pretty bad.

I'm used to it from our trubulent spring and sudden thunder-storms, so I'll ride in some nasty winds, but I tend to stay of the interstate at when winds top 40.