suggestions on how to ride through this...

[minos36]

so, i decided to take the gs to anaheim this morning for the Children's Hospital of Orange County Walk at disneyland. 6am, the freeway (highway for you east coasters) was clear and calm. hours later during the walk i started getting allergies and noticed that the wind was picking up heavily. off in the distant horizon the sky was stained with a hint of gradient brown from all of the dirt and dust that had circulated throughout the atmosphere. it was f*ing windy. in fact, here's the wind advisory:

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ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS-
913 AM PDT SUN OCT 21 2007

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT MONDAY...
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM MONDAY TO 6 PM PDT TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN DIEGO HAS ISSUED A WIND
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM MONDAY TO 6 PM PDT
TUESDAY. A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT
MONDAY.

SANTA ANA WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE THIS
MORNING...THEN CONTINUE AT TIMES THROUGH MONDAY. THERE WILL BE
AREAS OF NORTHEAST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH STRONGEST GUSTS TO
AROUND 85 MPH BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE
BELOW THE CAJON PASS AND NEAR THE COASTAL FOOTHILLS OF THE SANTA
ANA MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.

AS OF 3 AM...THERE HAVE BEEN GUSTS REPORTED AS HIGH AS 70 MPH
BELOW CAJON PASS AND 50 MPH IN THE SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS WITH A FEW
REPORTS OF DOWNED TREES...POWER LINES...AND ROAD SIGNS IN THE
INLAND EMPIRE.

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED
OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS
OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.

THE WINDS WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR MOTORISTS
WITH HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND SAND COULD
REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO. WATCH FOR BROKEN TREE LIMBS AND
DOWNED POWER LINES.

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the moment i exited the disney parking structure i felt a blast of wind that almost tipped me over, but i fought it with a slight lean to the right. i knew this was going to be a difficult ride. i had no choice but to ride back home so i made my way to the 57 freeway to go north. i thought, maybe if i was riding faster i would be able to slice through the strong winds. man, was i wrong. even when i was going around 70mph i could feel the wind push me hard on the right side, causing me to merge to the left lane. i tucked behind the fairing and gave the bike a slight lean to the right to stay in my lane and not drift left. this seemed to work well but then i started to feel the lower half of the bike start to slip and wobble so i pulled back up to a more upright position to maintain balance. this was how most of the ride on the 57 took place and at times i felt like i was just going to get blown right into a car. approaching the 91 freeway underpass i felt the winds get stronger and didn't want to fight it anymore. i got off on to local streets and took it easy (dodging branches, broken trees and piles of leaves) all the way home.

so my question to you guys is, besides not "riding during heavy winds", are there any tips on being more stable when getting hit by blasts of winds like this? i'm perfectly fine with normal freeway wind caused by passing cars and trucks, but this was another beast. would calling a friend to pick me up during such harsh conditions and leaving the bike behind been a better idea? was i crazy for toughing out these kind of winds? other cagers certainly looked at me like i was insane or asking for a death wish. 

thanks in advance for any input.

[GeeP]

If you have to ask, it might be better for you to get a ride home.

I've ridden in sustained cross winds of 40 MPH with gusts to 65 mph.  About the only thing you can do is stay loose and counter the gusts.  100MPH is different.  With those kinds of cross winds it will be very difficult to keep even a low profile car on the road.

Remember that it isn't only you that needs to stay on the road.  All those other cages around you are going to be all over the road too.  If there are any trucks on the road, you can guarantee they'll be swerving from white line to yellow line and back again.

If you do decide to ride home, I suggest you take roads less traveled.

Stay safe.   

[yamahonkawazuki]

honestly get rid of fairings, ( catches wind) or a heavier bike

[CndnMax]

Don't fight the wind, stay loose on the handle bars and the bike will ride it out. you could ride next to a cage to help cut the wind a bit but always have an eye on the cage they might swerve from the wind also or just want to change lanes.

[Kasumi]

Ride the surface streets if you need to get home, in the cover of buildings which will shield the wind. Plus the slower speeds will allow you to counteract wind movement before you get taken into a lampost before you can react.

[TragicImage]

well, seeing as I'm dealing with much worse than you right now up in Palmdale, and we have this problem annually...


Just lean into it, stay away from the edge of the road, and the center of the road.... middle of your lane.  Keep up a decent speed so that your forward momentum is the main force not a side burst of wind, and tuck in, almost lay down on your tank if you can. 


Now, don't take any of this advice if you are not comfortable on your bike.  I absolutely mean that.  The last thing you need is another distraction.  Cage it, use the Metro, the Busses, whatever.... if you're not 100% comfortable on your bike, then don't ride in these winds.

[ohgood]

The strongest side winds I've experienced were about 25-35 mph gusts. They were definitely not sustained. I found if I was traveling 45-55 mph, and weighted the pegs more, with a comfortable upright position, it was much better.

After arriving home and checking the weather, I was pretty certain 35 mph was what I experienced. Anything more than that and I would wait out the weather. A 40+ mph gust could toss you on anything, and you already know the cages will run you right over.

I'm having trouble believing a previous poster was riding in 40 mph sustained and 65 mph gusts. That is quite a bit of energy for a 400 lb two wheeled machine with a 200 lb ballast (you) to counteract. 45 mph could easily tip a static bike on it's stand. 65 mph could toss up a stone, newspaper or small animal. None would be fun.



<shrug>

[minos36]

thanks for the tips, everyone.

GeeP/Kasumi: that's pretty much what i did. took side streets on the way to the freeway, then got off to take more side streets next to taller buildings and cagers to block the wind for me. there were few cars on the freeway but any car that didn't look like it could tip over and crush me (meaning any tall trucks or vans), i would take an opportunity to cruise next to them (within a safe distance, of course, fearing they'll drift into me) to have them block the huge gusts.

CndnMax/TragicImage: i'll give that a try. i have to admit, i was tense from having to deal with the wind. perhaps being loose would make it easier. don't get me wrong, i'm very comfortable on my bike or else i wouldn't have been determined to get home on it. i was able to experiment with different riding postures (even tucking to the point of laying on my tank) to minimize the effects of the strong side winds. you guys do have it rough in palmdale, though. i ended up on surface streets because my rationale was: if i get blown over, i wanna be going 30-40mph, not 65-80mph.

ohgood: those were definitely 35mph+ gusts i felt. it would be interesting to see a flying possum or raccoon, though.

[TragicImage]

The strongest side winds I've experienced were about 25-35 mph gusts. They were definitely not sustained. I found if I was traveling 45-55 mph, and weighted the pegs more, with a comfortable upright position, it was much better.

After arriving home and checking the weather, I was pretty certain 35 mph was what I experienced. Anything more than that and I would wait out the weather. A 40+ mph gust could toss you on anything, and you already know the cages will run you right over.

I'm having trouble believing a previous poster was riding in 40 mph sustained and 65 mph gusts. That is quite a bit of energy for a 400 lb two wheeled machine with a 200 lb ballast (you) to counteract. 45 mph could easily tip a static bike on it's stand. 65 mph could toss up a stone, newspaper or small animal. None would be fun.



<shrug>

come to Palmdale, we have 40mph sustained winds regularly, with gusts up into the 70's..... Research the recent deadly pile up on Highway 14 here in So-Cal.... I was out riding that day... good times.

[CanadianRider]

I rode in strong winds yesterday too, that were pushing me towards the middle line, thankfully not over, so this is topical for me.  I'm on the faired GSP, and I have a Laminar Lip.  I did what others above did, summary:

* slow down - the go-faster-to slice-through-the-air tactic doesn't work, means the gusts will have more consequences
* have pressure on the handlebar that you'll need to countersteer, so you can react immediately and, importantly, firmly, to any gusts
* lie on the tank - the body above the bike line catches the wind and is a significant factor in being pushed around, so you are reducing overall wind profile as well as lowering CofGravity.  This also helps move weight onto front wheel to stop it drifting (I've had the front wheel drift back and forth sideways which is scary)
* push the knee into the tank that is away from the wind (i.e. pushing the tank into the windy side)
* either hold the tank with the other knee for general stability, or if the wind is steady, open that knee (windy side) out into the wind.  It acts as a sail and you can feel a small but distinct stabilising effect (anything helps in these conditions)
* weight the pegs
* hands relaxed on handlebars.  At least not gripping....
* think heavy!!

I generally find that cagers can see I'm being blown around and don't hassle me if I'm going slower than usual for the road.

Glad you got home safely!

[Oklahoma_Mike]

The wind Saturday here was torture. Some friends and I put about 230 or so miles in. I do not have a faring and wish I did. Think of you body as a leaver on the bike the further you are from the fulcrum point the easier it is for the wind to move you. For this example the fulcrum point is the point on the pavement directly below you. The taller you are the more you will move around I lay on the tank and my movement from the wind dropped down by 50% or so. I sit up in the saddle and it was like Mike Tyson was trying to punch me off the bike. My buddies were riding full faring bikes and laying on the tank. When we would pull over I would say "Dam this wind" to that they would reply "What wind"  smart asses

[philward]

I have an F that has become an 'E' - I have to say that I really notice the difference in the way the wind affects the ride.

With the fairings on, when the wind got strong and gusty I was blown quite noticably around in my lane (esp on the freeway).  Now that the fairings are off, that phenomenon has largely gone.  Yes, you do still get the wind affects on your body as rider, but I find that with a relaxed posture this is absolutely nothing compared to before (the bike happily rides it out).