r/NewRiders • u/HD_BJJ • 1d ago
Riding while windy.
I went on the expressway for the first time. Everything was great until, the wind picked up on the way back. I felt the bike wanting to slide. Any tips?
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u/LeastMeasurement8823 1d ago
Just gotta lean into the wind a bit. In heavy crosswinds you can find yourself steering into it to keep going straight.
You’ll get used to it after a while. As long as you’re able to maintain your lane you’ll be golden.
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u/HD_BJJ 1d ago
By leaning into the wind, do you mean, I lean against the wind or with the wind?
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u/LeastMeasurement8823 1d ago
Leaning against it, so if the wind is on your right you’ll apply very light pressure on the right bar and lean slightly. If it’s a head wind, best bet is to hug your tank as much as you comfortably can and squeeze with your legs, passing tractor trailers will toss you around a bit but you will be perfectly safe. Tail wind? Enjoy the added fuel economy lol.
All in all it’s best to avoid large vehicles until you feel comfortable in windy conditions.
Bridges and tunnels you will experience the worst sudden winds. Hills along the roads can sometimes amplify the effects of wind.
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u/Human-Course69 1d ago
I usually find myself yelling in my own helmet “ITS FUCKING WIMMDDYYYYY” but on a serious note you’ll end up leaning into it using you legs and core, you can counter steer into the direction of the wind as well but be prepared to reset yourself back to that centerline of the bike should that wind “whoosh” away. Everyone in the comments is giving great advice!
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u/oldEnuf2knowbtr 1d ago
Don't White-knuckle. Find that nice balance between increased awareness but not tensed up. The most important piece of safety gear you have is not your helmet, it's between your ears.
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u/Windcave42 1d ago
The only thing to watch out for is going through overpasses when the wind is strong. You'll be settled into correcting for wind, then all the sudden it's gone.
Unless youre in like 50mph cross winds, just remember its only an annoyance and not something thats going to actually blow you off the road. That being said, riding all day in heavy crosswinds is quite exhausting
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u/Physical_Ebb_1106 1d ago
Both responses so far have been awesome, literally seat time is the key, and definitely second holding the bike with your knees more than your arms! Stay safe!
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u/bgross42 1d ago
In addition, remember counter-steering - especially in cross winds.
If, for example, the wind is coming from your right - while gently hugging the tank with your knees, keep a light grip on the bars and gently push the right grip.
In addition to the above, watch for visual cues when the wind is gusty or when passing other vehicles - especially large ones like big rigs.
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u/YourFriskyFriend 1d ago
I remember the first time I went on the highway. I had the exact same experience. I felt so scared the wind was going to knock me over or make me slide. A year later, I don’t notice it anymore. In fact I don’t remember the last time I felt like wind had any impact at all on my stability.
My advice is focus on the fundamentals. Make sure your arms are relaxed and your core and legs are engaged and just keep doing it. Soon you’ll forget it’s there.
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u/BrilliantNo2821 1d ago
We have some severe side winds around here, riding straight sometimes looks like cornering, what really gets you is wind shear from the fronts of semi-tricks and wind loss from cement barriers, it's white knuckle time
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u/DaveInTheMidwest 1d ago
I think you were possibly uncomfortable with the physics and it freaked you out a bit.
If you are riding in an open area with a steady crosswind, the bike will reach an equilibrium point where it is leaned but not turning. There is some psychological adjustment, but you get used to it.
If you pass a semi that is upwind under the same conditions, you will find that your lean disappears while you are in the wind shadow of the semi, then reappears when you are out of the wind shadow.
As another poster said, unless it is a really outrageous wind, like 50 mph, it's not going to blow you off the road.
You should also be aware that headwinds and tailwinds substantially affect the performance of the bike. A tailwind obviously makes the bike seem to perform better, and a headwind does the opposite.
Vehicles in front of you, especially large ones, may generate turbulence that you feel.
Since we are talking freeways ...
You want a full-face helmet and visor. Stones are often kicked up, and you don't want an impact anywhere in your facial area.
Deer are quite dangerous. The fatality rate for reported deer-motorcycle accidents is one in eight.
Minimize your time near semis. There are lots of things that can happen near a semi, and none of them are good for motorcyclists. I was in a car once and saw a semi tire explode sideways for no good reason. It would have sent a motorcyclist onto the pavement.
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u/FalconNo1597 1d ago
I have only ridden often this season and I rode through 60mph winds and rain. The storm was so crazy two telephone poles snapped on one of the roads I was on. I felt unsafe to stop, it was blowing the bike over but I felt like it was 20 years of riding shoved in to a horrific white knuckle 32 min ride. Just give it time but don't go past your comfort zone. Allow it to grow. I stick one knee out like a sail to combat wind if it is strong otherwise I just ride now. Semis were scary at first and now they just suck. Lol
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u/Rookie_3D 1d ago
I've ridden in all kinds of wind and bad weather and usually enjoy myself dealing with it. The only time I've been scared was crossing the Rt 30 bridge over the Susquehanna River. The wind was blowing that hard down the river I had the bike leaned over so far, to go straight, it probably looked like I was trying to drag a knee. I thought the wind was going to pick me up and toss me over the side.
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u/IBeTanken 1d ago
The things people have already said are important, but the one I like to bring up is high quality ear plugs (mine are custom molded which is not that expensive).
Makes a huge perception difference in how the wind "feels".
When the wind going sideways gets to around 25mph+ is when it gets a little uncomfortable to me.
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u/RedhotGuard21 1d ago
Lean into the wind (opposite the way it's pushing you) but do it lightly.
It's really fun when it's pushing you one way, then suddenly the other way.
You get used to it. Most of my ride is forested highway with a few empty spots where the wind can really get you. Add it light bike and light person, I have been pushed almost all the way across my lane. I usually stick to center in the lane when there's wind to give me some room.
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u/duc955 1d ago
Just lean into the wind cause you really haven't got any other choice. The bike will tell you it needs to lean pretty much straight away. If it feels like you're sliding then check your tyres.
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u/jared1089_v02 1d ago
I would think that if you actually have to lean then it is time to find a place to get off and wait it out. The problem with leaning is that the wind is unsteady and with disappear while you are leaning even if only briefly. In generally, I find that I get buffeted by wind at times and it is fairly automatic to react to hold yourself upright and going straight. If I get uncomfortable, I slow down a bit and lean forward to present a lower profile. I also added a windshield to my bike and that has made a big improvement.
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u/duc955 1d ago
Why would you need to get off your bike and wait it out? What if its windy for the next week??
Try throwing some rain into the mix as well and see how you go. Unless you’re riding into a severe storm...ride to the conditions and adapt. It's only wind...you'll get used to it. It's all a part of riding.
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u/jared1089_v02 1d ago
What the person is describing seems kind of extreem. My thinking is that if you actually believe that something is unsafe, then you should respond to your own sense of the situation and not listen to others. So in this case, if I felt that I was having trouble to keep the bike on the road, I would start by slowing down - likely that will resolve it and after a bit you will realize that its not so bad. But you do this base on your own decision, not because of what others have told you to do. It is also possible that weather conditions are so severe that it is not safe to be riding, in which case one should pull off and get to cover and reassess - check weather forecast, get a coffee calm nerves. You are not required to tough it out. I suspect that if this person pulled off and checked, they would soon realize that what they thought was horrifict cross winds is actually just fresh breeze and would realize that they were misjudging and it is safe to resume and it would be their own decision.
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u/kys90000 1d ago
Slide? Or just felt yourself blown by it?
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u/HD_BJJ 1d ago
Kinda blown by it. I was going straight and I could feel like the bike sliding away from under me.
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u/kys90000 1d ago
Pretty normal in wind. Maybe it's because I ride a light naked bike so negotiating wind is easy because even if I'm easily affected by wind, I can easily counter it. You're on a heavy bike so it's probably a lot more effort to counter the wind.
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u/duc955 1d ago
Why would you need to get off your bike and wait it out? What if its windy for the next week??
Try throwing some rain into the mix as well and see how you go. Unless you’re riding into a severe storm...ride to the conditions and adapt. It's only wind...you'll get used to it. It's all a part of riding.
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u/MyTwoCentsNting 1d ago
Grip the bike with your knees and hold on with your core.
Point your elbows and knees out. (It gives a point for the wind to be deflected by.) If the wind is coming from the right, point your right elbow and knee towards it.
Keep a relaxed grip on the bars. Also, keep the shoulders relaxed.
Let the bike move around under you and counter steer as needed.
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u/RikiWardOG 1d ago
You get used to it. The lighter the bike the more it will want to move. Also not having a windshield or ferrings. I have a duke 390 and white it can hit highway speeds no problem, its really a bit of a battle. Even gets the neck muscles working lol
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u/ironicalusername 1d ago
You will get used to it. The first time I went 60 or 70, (on my bike with no fairing or windscreen) I felt like the wind would push me too. Now it feels normal.
Another commenter already said, but grip the bike with your knees/legs.
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u/Backlash_2019 1d ago
Hold the bike with your knees instead of your hands, and continue to put it time at expressway speeds. I have a 1.4L Intruder and even a large(ish) bike like that feels different in the 75mph range. It just takes getting used to, and you’ll be way more stable if your main contact is core of you <=> core of bike. If you expect to do a lot of riding at that speed I can say a windshield makes a difference, but my bike came with one and I don’t know how much of a hassle it is to get one installed.