Highway riding with a lightweight bike

[jstark47]

My Bonneville weighs 450 lbs and has narrow tires. Bumps and rough pavement make it hop and skip around a bit. Crosswinds push it, and "dirty" air in back of trucks buffet it. This is all normal highway stuff. You get used to it. The important thing to remember is the bike is not going to go down, don't overcorrect it. Keep your upper body relaxed, grip the tank with your legs, let the bike do what it needs to do.

[MakeCarsStandSTill]

Im like 6'3 my bike is around 365lbs and im around 210 lbs, , I can pass trucks of all sizes and any speed and not have any problems, the only time where theres problems is when i get over ninety and its gusty... so my advice is,, Workout more

[BLKNSLVR]

I think you will be fine. I started back riding a Kawasaki Vulcan 500 that only weighed about 400 pounds. I think all bikes feel the effects of wind and slipstreams to some degree or another no matter how much they weigh. The key thing is to know the effects and how to deal with them.

Good luck,

Greg

[Ian522]

Thanks folks, I apprieciate all the advice.

[KarateChick]

My bike (Ninja 250) is close to 300 lbs dry and I add 105-110 on a good day. The highway rides have certainly been doable and the bike gets to 85 mph without a lot of struggle. Gusty days have certainly been challenging (it feels I've been tossed around lots and the back tire has been shoved more times than I've liked in crosswinds) but at the same time I've found after a while on the gusty road, you seem to get used to the gusting & shoving. Almost like this weaving hypnotic dance in some ways. Big rigs add an interesting dimension too.

Being aware (of oncoming rigs or passing them and the wind drag involved) and staying relaxed and letting the bike do its thing (no iron-locked arms and grips) has helped me with the ride. Of course I figured most of this out during the first times when I was fighting the bike for a good while at first and realized what I was doing and tried to relax and trust my bike more.

You will be fine with time and practice.

[Koss]

I have a EX500 (though if we could buy ex250's in ZZR fashion in the US... I would have jumped on that without a single regret.)

Anyways... I would just like to add my experiences.

I commute 5 days a week on my ninja 500r, 80 miles round trip. After the first 2-3 miles... its all interstate/highway riding between 60mph-90mph... depending Halfway through my route, each way, I get to travel through the mountains. The city I live in is a very gusty city, for we live in the desert. I think two days ago we had gusts up to 50 mph. Which is quite average whenever the forcast tells us we are to have a gusty windy day. So couple that with some 10 wheelers pulling double trailers, on a crosswind eager mountain thruway, at night with gusts up to 50mph predicted by meterologists... BOY IS IT FUN! (yes... im crazy, thank you)

Honestly I would expect me to be waving a fist in the air with anger... but alas no. I actually ENJOY the ride just as much as anyother time. Almos 90% of the time I dont even notice it, or at the least not notice it enough by being annoyed or frantic or kissing the ground while being pitched at 60 degrees going 80 down a two lane highway (lol j/k)

I think, with alot of other aspects of riding motorcycles, its not only the motorcycle, but the rider that makes the ride possible.

[earwig]

My bike is very light and I have no problems, even going past large trucks... remember... a motorcycle is very small compared to the lanes you ride in so there is plenty of room to be blown around without being put in danger.

[jim5779]

Yesterday I ventured onto Interstate-10 just East of the Phoenix metro area. It was my first interstate ride ( only about 15 miles ). I ride a 525 lb Honda Magna 750 and weigh 230 myself. I was truly surprised at how noticeable the buffeting from traffic passing me, especially the 18 wheelers. Of course I was far too tense so that I made a bad situation worse. I tried to maintain the speed limit, but at 75 I was still being passed like I was standing still. I'm sure ( at least I hope ) the puckering subsides, but until then I will proudly proclaim to avoid interstates when possible.

I will soon be departing on my first real road trip. I'll be heading to Las Vegas from Phoenix. I will avoid all but a short part of I-40 on my trip.