Wind Gusts at Hwy speeds.

[synthlegend]

Ok all of you 'i wanna lighter adventure bike' guys. I have a question. Sometimes when riding at HWY speeds (65-up) a sudden gust of wind makes my bike move suddenly and uncomfortably. In my small world, I think that this might be even worse if I wasn't riding a 450+ lbs beast. Both my Strom and Scrambler are 450+ bikes. They are shaped very differently and have very different heights. Nevertheless, I have experienced this phenomena on both bikes. So light weight bike guys...how does this play out on your 300lb dual sports?

 

[Tuco]

 

[jetdr21]

On my DR not much, but front tire does make a big difference. D-606 is much worse than a MT-21. Have an EO7 on the front with not much prob.
Also have an MT 21 on front of my 500 and no problem.
IMHO The MT21 works much better than the D606.

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[jetdr21]

606 much worse when worn over new..

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[JMZ]

Just keep riding in it. Someday you won't worry about it at all.

Stickers ??? We don't need no stinking STICKERS !

 

[synthlegend]

I'm just wondering if the lighter bikes move alot more...not worried per se

 

[garfey]

I'm just wondering if the lighter bikes move alot more...not worried per se

Yes

 

[JMZ]

OK , I can't lie. Back when first started riding again , "rode dirt bikes my whole childhood " I bought an 01 KLR 650. The first time I took out of town the wind scared me so bad I turned around and rode back home. LMAO.

Stickers ??? We don't need no stinking STICKERS !

 

[JMZ]

Yeah garfey is right.

Stickers ??? We don't need no stinking STICKERS !

 

[synthlegend]

OK , I can't lie. Back when first started riding again , "rode dirt bikes my whole childhood " I bought an 01 KLR 650. The first time I took out of town the wind scared me so bad I turned around and rode back home. LMAO.

Stickers ??? We don't need no stinking STICKERS !

Went over a large bridge on my first day ride, when we got near the top, I wasn't quite prepared for the wind gusts. Thought I was gonna have an involuntary lane change! I've gotten used to it since, but I still notice a sudden blast. Sometimes I do slow down a bit

 

[South Tex]

Even my gsa rides at a lean when going to the coast on a windy day. My 701 will scoot across the lane in a side wind. JMZ said it though, just ride and get used to it. I pay more attention to those tree lines that block the wind I’ve been leaning into. That sudden lack of wind will get you all outa line.

 

[Windmill]

My Gen. 2 KLR with aluminum panniers would make you pucker in wind, cross or head wind. I think fairings make some bike worse. A side wind hardly affected my Royal Enfield, but it was low and open motor. I don't much care for bikes you can't see the engine. That is not the trend these days.

 

[Tourmeister]

You have to learn to relax and let the bike wander a bit. If you try to fight it and hold it on a super straight line, you will just wear yourself out and it doesn't really do any good. With time, you will also learn to anticipate wind blasts from certain conditions, like breaks in tree lines, passing 18 wheelers, and more. It eventually becomes one of those things you still pay attention too, but it doesn't worry you.

 

[Mr. Clortho]

I'm just wondering if the lighter bikes move alot more...not worried per se

Yes, haha, they move around a lot more than a big bike.

My CRF250L does what it wants at highway speeds depending on the wind and pavement conditions. However, it does not bother me, and I hardly notice anymore unless it strafes over half a lane. I suppose coming from the dirt bike world, the bike is constantly moving around under you and almost never planted. You quickly learn to stay relaxed and loose, let the bike move around under you, react (not over-react), and correct. I have made it a habit to ride on the right side of the lane most of the time so I have some wiggle room, assuming there is a shoulder. If the bike hops over a couple of feet, it does not put me into oncoming traffic or into the door of a cage. In the end, it really isn't bad or dangerous as long as you are vigilant and don't 'fight' the bike.

In contrast, my CB500X stayed a lot more planted and wind was less of a factor. My Vstar 1300 behemoth stayed put and was actually a bit boring as it burbled along without a care.