Windy Days

[zeligman]

\I had a wreck at around 60mph on 7/2 and still haven't gotten the bike bake together yet\

what happened?

[ClaudeFromGTA3]

I found the wind to be a huge pain when I started riding. However there's a trick I use to manage the wind. When I ride I keep my arms relaxed. This way any wind that hits your body will not cause your arms to move and thus your handlebars will remain straight. You can then countersteer as needed to keep the bike on your desired path. When you keep your arms tense you allow any wind that hits your body to countersteer the bike a little. Granted, staying relaxed can be a lot harder than it sounds especially when trying to negotiate traffic. However, with time and practice you should become so proficient that you won't think anything of it.

[Lion_Lady]

\I had a wreck at around 60mph on 7/2 and still haven't gotten the bike bake together yet\

what happened?

Here's what happened:

I'm currently fixing it because someone decided to pull out in front of me and I wiped out. I'm fine and the bike has very minor damage.

Did you take the Basic Riders Course? It is free for PA residents.

P

[shane-o]

I have had wind push me across 2 lanes b4 it was a reallly windy day... tress were being blown out of the ground and debris flying around all over the place , we were let out of work early to get home as it was expected to be a mini disaster day, after that, wind doesnt really seem the same


Id take a extremely windy day over hail any time





.

[amysue529]

Thanks a bunch guys! I'm going to try to maybe lean down a bit more and relax my arms- hopefully the wind won't pick on me as much then I don't have a whole lot of experience riding, so i normally ride where my boyfriend rides, which happen to be busy roads. So when there is wind, a car behind me tailgating me like the monster in jeepers creepers i tend to get way freaked out and slow down to about 40... my tailgater doesn't seem to like that one a bit.

no i haven't taken my msf course yet. I know i really need to, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

My boyfriend and all of my friends that I ride with are all experienced. They tend to get somewhat annoyed when they have to wait for me to catch up on windy days. I keep bringing up the excuse about my accident but he claims I should be over that by now. It happend in April, 3 days after my first ride... Any thoughts?

[stupidnuk]

Yes I did take the MSC in Maryland (I am in PA for school) and I have ridden dirtbikes for many years. This is the first time I have ever ridden motorcycles on the road. The accident hurt like hell, but I am fine and the bike isn't too badly damaged. I am thinking about getting Vance & Hines pipes for my bike because the stock ones are very quiet and I don't think that whoever was driving the car didn't hear me (they should have been looking but I know how PA drivers are) and think that the louder V&H drag pipes (my bike is emissions exempt) with baffles to keep from going deaf would help people hear me coming. My gear took a beating and needs to be replaced but I'm glad I had it on (I never ride without it, even though PA doesn't require it = stupid) . I know that it will happen again (I'm hoping it doesn't, but just going with the odds) and that is why I bought a used bike.

[PacificShot327]

coughcoughcoughcoughloudpipescoughdon'tsavecoughlivescoughcoughcough.

I had V&H pipes on my fzr. I really don't think it was possible for that bike to be any louder (it was horribly obnoxious - I was looking for silencers for the bike a few days before the crash). People still acted like they never saw me.

[wrecks]

no i haven't taken my msf course yet. I know i really need to, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Take the course when you get the chance. There is a lot to learn from it. unfortunately for me when I got my moto license there was no MSF course. If there was I would have taken it in a heart beat. You learn a lot taking the MSF rather than learning the hard way.

My boyfriend and all of my friends that I ride with are all experienced. They tend to get somewhat annoyed when they have to wait for me to catch up on windy days.

Your friends should have a bit more patience with you. Your still a beginner and there's a comfort level that you must reach before you start getting better. It is real important that you take your time acquiring your comfort level because having accidents on a moto is entirely different than having one in a car. Your friends should know that. If you don't get the support you need then you shouldn't ride with them.

I keep bringing up the excuse about my accident but he claims I should be over that by now. It happend in April, 3 days after my first ride... Any thoughts?

Everyone "get's" over accidents differently. Some can get right back on and some can't. My GF has crashed twice last year and she's still not over her accidents completely. Like you she has trouble in wind and in decreasing radius turns. The thing I did to help is explain/analyze her crashes and practice, practice, practice on what she needed to work on in a parking lot. By the way how did your crash happen?

[Johnj]

So when you and your friends go out riding, they all run off ahead of you and leave you behind? Let them.

It should give you some time to get experience riding at your level not theirs. Take a riding class. Check out your community college for maintenance courses because you can learn the skills to take care of your own bike.

[Veda]

Lots of sound advice from the folks above about relaxing in the wind and trusting your bike. The biggest thing I wanted to say is maybe you're not ready to ride with these friends. If they are pushing you to ride beyond your skill level they're setting you up for an accident. Go find some parking lots to practice in on an early Sunday morning and some quieter back roads to ride on.