The wind, my GOD THE WIND!!!!

[meyrick]

So the rain finally goes away and I decided today is the day I will take my scooter out for the first time since I brought it home from the dealer.

Never has 30mph been more near-death terrifying than it was today. Never have I been so completely scared witless on 2 wheels. The wind was throwing me around like a rag-doll. I wanted to see what it could manage top-end wise so I took it along a straight road with a 50 limit and 50 was totally suicidal. Dropping back towards 40 and a guy in a Landrover overtook me. It was so odd; like being on water. His ‘wake’ nearly pushed me off the road completely.

During the entire ride I was fighting with the wind trying not to fly into oncoming traffic. 95% of the time I was doing under 30mph.

I am assuming this scooter is so much harder to manage in the wind than my old bike because:

a) It has fairing all over the place
b) It weighs about as much as a fart
c) Teeny tiny wheels maybe?

Anyway, I am feeling a bit gutted that I went for a scooter over a bike. Sure it’s really convenient, but it handles like a bucking bronco...

Feeling like a bit of a prat now

[veeeffarr]

It'll be alrite when the wind dies down, all 125's are crap in wind

[lllN30lll]

[rick1974]

[LeeR]

I had exactly the same problem on the M5 this morning, I'd stopped at a mate's in Birmingham last night. On the 90 mile commute to Avonmouth the wind twice got the better of me forcing me on to the hard shoulder or across into the next lane. By the time I got to the M4 interchange at Bristol I was down to 45mph and not relishing the ride past Filton or over the Avonmouth bridge. Wind gusts up to 30mph are no fun and as I was exhausted I got off the motorway, gave up trying and came home via the A38 to Gloucester, even then it took me nearly an hour to get home.

I hate the wind, I'm close to giving up, I'm even looking at a second-hand car in Swindon tomorrow, my wife says don't sell the bike... but right now I can't see the point.

Did I say "I hate the wind"?
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[meyrick]

Hmmm...ok, maybe it's not just the scooter. I rode my old 125 all winter though and I'm sure I'd remember it being that bad. I think it's a bit worse on the scooter.

Maybe I'm just bitter...

*dreams of a 500*

[veeeffarr]

Try boffing past 2 abreast lorrys at stupid (legal, officer) speeds on the motorway in this wind, that's scary too

[Jeneric]

Anyone remember a program called 999-lifesavers? It used to scare me sh*tless as a kiddo and the only episode i clearly remember was the story of a man who was blown off a motorway whilst riding his bike. He landed in a drainage ditch and impaled himself on some kind of pole, i clearly remember the narrator saying "the only thing that saved this mans life were his leathers" (hence why i the 1st thing i bought for my bike were some decent leathers). Anywho... this thread just reminded me of that, so i guess its a problem whatever your riding.

[meyrick]

[J0Al1]

I crap myself on my 600 with nills . . . . . .

[iooi]

Scooters are worse because you cant grip the bike with your legs to help control a side wind.
I always find that slower speeds seem to be worse than when you get upto 60 ish.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[Spoon261]

It all depends on the bike. I live in a very flat (no trees or hills) windy area (near the coast), probably the worst in England. My wind speeds are often twice that of inland and the gusts are terrible. Probably explains all the wind farms springing up around me.

I have had a lot of bikes and my family have had loads as well.

One very bad bike in side wind was a Honda NTV650 (it had a full powerbonse fairing added). It was almost impossible to ride.

Another was a MZ251 with half fairing.

It was so embarrassing on the MZ251 having to use 3rd gear and 30mph in very strong side winds (you may call it gale force = mains wires were bent allot). And a 125cc un faired bike went past me at 45mph like their was no wind at all!
Car drivers were doing 60mph like their was no wind!

A Honda CB500 fully faired and a Honda VFR800 fully faired were fine in side winds.

My current bike, Honda CG125 is ok until it gets so windy that its almost impossible to walk in to the wind / will blow some people over.
The bike is more stable with a full petrol tank = bike needs weight.

Of course a leather coat makes you and the bike more stable in wind.

As for a scooter, its design is totally wrong. Theirs no weight at the front end and its an aerodynamic brick to side winds at the front. And of course it’s the front wheel that controls the direction of the bike!

I have learned that weight, aerodynamics, power and grip of the tyres are all important in side winds. That’s why you change down to a lower gear and use higher revs. There are riding skills to side wind, ask other people / a riding instructor.

[LeeR]

[Spoon261]

LeeR

I have done the Birmingham to Bristol motorway route a couple of times.

One time was on the MZ 251 with an air rifle in a ruck sack on my back. The wind was pretty bad and the fact the air rifle was in a gun bag that was higher than my head made it a lot worse. I found it very fatiguing out in the open even at 60mph. So I went in to the slipstream of a lorry and found it perfect, nearly totally sheltered from the wind. I staid behind that lorry all the way to Bristol at 60mph. I never drive right behind a lorry, but just within my breaking distance, still find enough slip stream to help. Caravans and vans are not big enough / their aerodynamics are no good for slipstreaming compared to a lorry.

[LeeR]

[matthab]

my ybr seems alright in crosswinds. i just grip the tank with my legs and thats about it.
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2005 - 2006:Peugeot jet force 50 TDSI (sold)
2006 - Present: Yamaha YBR125 06 (extras:pilot sporty tyres and screen)

[nynfortoo]

I managed to slipstream behind a lorry for almost my entire 45-mile commute yesterday, through the awful winds. It was (comparative) heaven; not to mention without all the air-resistance to tackle, my trusty CG125 actually had torque in 5th gear.

I don't like travelling behind lorries, though. It makes you invisible, and you get a great reduction in your view ahead; but would I take all that over violent wind? Absolutely.

[iooi]

[Dalemac]

cars are least affected by wind, they are more earodynamically shaped, are not huge like lorries but also have a fair amount of weight to help keep them on the ground.


You get used to wind after riding in it for a while, well i have anyway, the worst thing is going round a twisty and being blown onto the wrong side of the road......not thats dangerous...
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[faddius]

Wind....fun isnt it...

Add sleet, freezing temperatures, fog, visor misting up and having frost set on it, having frost set on the front of the bike, a motorway and a 110 mile trip home in the dark....

Fun...I still remember that night 3 days before christmas, thought I was going to die.




Funny thing was, despite the cold and the moist air and the sleet, a lorry still managed to catch fire on the side of the motorway. Poor driver, wonder how he explained that to his boss...

[Deansvl125]

Hello there i ride a suzuki intruder 125 brilliant in the wind and the rain for that matter. Even better after having a screen fitted huge difference, i commute around 40 miles to work and have never really had a problem with the bike in wind although have fell off in the rain (Rider Error) TWICE. Still got lots to learn.
You may not like the crusier style but there brilliant in bad conditions, big back tyre quite a bit more weight than your average 125 and you sit lower in the bike although without a screen you can sometimes feel like a big leather parachute.
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Feel the wind feel the rain feel the sun but god it hurts when you feel tarmac

[BlastThemAway]

found that my head gets thrown about in the slipstream of a car too
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GPZ500s (ex500d) rider.

[phk6]

scooters give you good survial instincs coz every one is trying to kill u.

every one should have to ride a 50cc ped for 6 months before driving a car/bike would save alot of lifes. i think...
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Current .. 2008 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure ..
Before .. 2003 Yamaha Fazer 1000 .. 2004 Kawazaki Z1000 .. 2003 Suzuki Sv1000s .. 1999 zx6r Track Bike .. 1999 CB 500 Cup ..
/Phil

[Mart_er6]

[krebsy]

Used to drive a 2CV and the best way to handle the wind (or long motorway journeys for that matter) was to duck into the slipstream of a lorry and let it suck you along. Saved loads of fuel doing that. I could always tell when I was in the right place as the roof used to "deflate" (it used to rise off the middle roof support at speed).

3 days after getting the ZZR I rode it two up with full tank bag and Mrs. K. wearing a rucksack 200 miles up the M1 and back down again in heavy crosswinds (especially around Sheffield). Kept feeling the back kick out every few hundred yards or so (even worse for the pillion) as the wind pummelled the fairing.

Kinda used to it now. Hacking around Silverstone was "fun" as at one stage the tight bunch of bikes I was in got blown sideways by a heavy gust just as we braked for a tight corner. Slightly unnerving..

K.
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