Unstable with high speed wind gusts

[Stabilo_Boss]

I have been having trouble not soiling myself while riding on the highway when there are high speed gusts of wind (15m/s). I don't have much experience riding at highway speeds, but find that on a calm day the 125km/h speeds are easy enough. The difficulty is that as soon as I get hit by a gust of wind, it knocks my body, moves my arms and then I end up tugging on the handlebars. I observe the other riders around me and find them not to be as affected by the wind. Is it something that is just intrinsic to the height of the bike and my body position? I find that tucking down behind the speedo greatly reduces these events.

[Hibobb]

[TiagoCar12]

1 hour ago, Stabilo_Boss said:

I have been having trouble not soiling myself while riding on the highway when there are high speed gusts of wind (15m/s). I don't have much experience riding at highway speeds, but find that on a calm day the 125km/h speeds are easy enough. The difficulty is that as soon as I get hit by a gust of wind, it knocks my body, moves my arms and then I end up tugging on the handlebars. I observe the other riders around me and find them not to be as affected by the wind. Is it something that is just intrinsic to the height of the bike and my body position? I find that tucking down behind the speedo greatly reduces these events.

I don't feel that on mine..body position i believe..

 

How tall are you? 

 

 

[Stabilo_Boss]

57 minutes ago, Hibobb said:

I am not limber enough to get into that position, but I can try next time.

[Stabilo_Boss]

12 minutes ago, TiagoCar12 said:

I don't feel that on mine..body position i believe..

 

How tall are you? 

 

 

Not that tall at all... 170cm

[TiagoCar12]

14 minutes ago, Stabilo_Boss said:

Not that tall at all... 170cm

And how long do you have your Tenere? 

[Stabilo_Boss]

6 minutes ago, TiagoCar12 said:

And how long do you have your Tenere? 

I've only got 2000km under my belt.

[WalterT]

The T7 does not seem more affected by wind than any other similar bike. Just a train of thought: when riding in high winds, you should not expect to be completely unaffected as a rider. You will serve a little under varying lateral forces. The wind pushes, the balance of forces change, the bike will move AND self-correct, you correct a bit more and return to your previous line. The bike has done a little swerve as a result. This is normal.  If you want the bike to stay dead on it's line and you try to achieve this by gripping and wrestling the handlebars, riding will become a struggle and you'll be working hard (without achieving anything, physics will be physics). If you are loose on the bike, use the knees to steady your body and let the handlebars move more or less freely, you'll be more relaxed. 

 

Be like water my friend...

[AZJW]

@Stabilo_Boss This hasn't been a notable issue for T7 riders so more details might help others help you. Weight, side cases, tires, tire pressures, velocity of crosswinds, type of surface, etc...

[Stabilo_Boss]

75kg without gear. I get knocked about with or without luggage. Pirelli scorpion STR OEM. Tire pressures at spec. 15m/s crosswinds (54km/h - 34mph). Not familiar with the different types of tar or motorway surfaces.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Stabilo_Boss

[TiagoCar12]

12 minutes ago, Stabilo_Boss said:

I've only got 2000km under my belt.

That's why i asked..

 

Give it some time.

 

 

 

[gone2seed]

Walter said it better than I can. Stay loose on the bars, they ain’t there  to strangle when you get tight.

Edited July 19, 2021 by gone2seed

[Hibobb]

2 hours ago, WalterT said:

 

 

Be like water my friend...

 

[Desert Mariner]

I wonder if it's a matter of experience? How long have you been riding? Have you ever had any quality training?

 

One of the best investments I've made in becoming a better rider was to get some training on smaller dirt bikes, and in general, ride a lot more on loose surfaces on smaller bikes. Perhaps your response to wind is a result of trying to control the bike too tightly as others have pointed out. Getting off road training has mostly cured me of that.

 

It's amazing that once I learned to stop holding on so tight and trying to control every movement of the bike in response to wind or road surfaces how much more in control I feel. I'm still learning and still pushing myself and getting better. Riding on dirt and owning a smaller bike that I don't mind crashing on has allowed me to progress much faster. 

 

I had ridden thousands of miles and thought I was a pretty good rider before I decided to get more training. I regret having waited so long!

 

 

[Stabilo_Boss]

As many of you have pointed out, it is probably due to experience. I will report back after a few thousand additional kilometers. I have been contemplating getting extra training, specifically wet weather courses. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

[UtahJack]

@Stabilo_Boss

I have found that the T7 is remarkably well behaved in high winds at high-way speeds.

You might want to relax a little, let the bike lean with the wind, you will notice that when it is leaning the tires are still planted and tracking. Remember that power is your friend allow the bikes power to plow through the wind. Riding in high wind especially gusting with varying direction is disturbing and unconvertable for everyone in time you will become use to how the bike behaves and it will be less so, but it will never become a pleasant experience. 

All that being said I revert back to my original statement out of the numerous bikes I have ridden over the past 50+ years the T7 is one of the best behaved in the wind.

 

About 15 years ago my wife and I where headed from Southern California to Reno for a bike event the wind was really bad and both of us where riding Harley Sportsters. The wind was so bad that there where actually 6 people that lost there lives in accidents on the way to the event we later found out, a couple from a Semi Truck blowing over on them.

We made a stop for lunch and saw that a group of Hessians 1% where actually loading there bikes on trailers to complete the ride, I had to laugh a little. We saw many people slowing way down and being tossed everywhere.

I told my wife we who was experiencing extremely high wind on a long trip for the first time, we are going to use the bikes power to cut through the wind. I instructed her to get on my tail in my draft and stay with me. Upon arrival it was obvious that she didn't have any problem said she had fun it was like a roller coaster ride.  Then she heard of the fatalities and realized it wasn't all just fun.  

I tell you this story to be aware of conditions, remember cars and trucks with larger side areas are even affected more than you and need to be watched out for. Lastly if the wind is high enough that you can not maintain your line by powering through and even leaning into it your bike is blown of line, it is time to stop and wait it out, it is always better late than never.

 

Above all keep smiling, riding bikes are suppose to be fun, when it stops being fun and just keeps stressing you out maybe it is time to consider your better suited on four wheels.

[DT675]

Is it possible your following traffic when this happens?  No doubt following semi’s, even pick up trucks and large SUV’s turbulent air streams can exacerbate wind gusts like your describing. 

[loneranger700]

Well despite what everyone else is saying, the bike does not do well in high winds at high speed curves if you ride with knobbies on. Believe me, I know. 

Edited July 21, 2021 by loneranger700

[concours]

Loosen up, go with the flow, don't white-knuckle it. 
Sometime between now & 50 years experience, you'll get the technique. 

[Brad887766]

Maybe try slowing down when you’re in gusty conditions. Go at a speed that feels comfortable to you and the gust don’t push you around so much.

A few years back I was going through the Alaska range at my normal speed which is about 75 indicated on my Vstrom, had some horrible gusts and eventually slowed it down to 40 until I got out of it.

Last  weekend I was blasting home at 85 indicated on the T7 and got into some gusty conditions in Thompson pass outside Valdez, it wasn’t so bad but backed it off to around 65.

I like the T7 in the wind, to me as good as a Vstrom.

[YukonPete]

The Tenere 700 is a good bike in strong cross winds, IMHO. It has enough weight to take a good cross wind blast. Maybe not as good as a heavier bike, like a GS 1200, but pretty good. Early this summer, in the Yukon driving on shitty chip seal, I got hit with cross winds so hard that my bike was literally slid 90 degrees sideways while I was going around 60-70 km/h. Very unsettling! Obviously as the gusts get strong ones speed should correspondingly decrease. I now find riding in crazy winds sort of fun! It just takes getting used to. I find that I don't try and fight the wind, but let it  blow me around a bit, while still trying to keep my bike on the road!

[delirium]

Show me 2 wheels vehicle resistant to strong wind gusts on highway LOL

You need to adjust a lay down on the wind.

[Hobes]

Like most of the people have commented, T7 is actually very nice bike to ride on cross winds. 

 

Driving in gusts or in steady heavy wind is a just another skill you need to learn. I know drivers who have driven years and still don't master the art of driving in heavy winds.

 

Here are few tips how to cope with heavy winds:

 

1. Learn how to counter steer. If you can't just don't drive in windy conditions, it's extremely dangerous and you can easily become a passenger. (Well to be honest, if you don't know how to counter steer, in my opinion you shouldn't be driving at all, but that's another topic entirely).

2. Use the whole width of a lane. If the wind is on your right drive little bit on right side of the lane and vice versa. If the wind gusts are coming left and right  stay center. Accept that gusts will move your bike off from the line. Let it do that and correct your line after you've assessed what kind of correction you need. When you are positioned correctly on a lane you will have space to do this. What ever you do, don't panic and over correct. Using counter steer, do small adjustments to your line. Only if you're  running out of lane sharpen up your counter steering.

3. Don't fight the wind. Wind will hit you as well, not just your bike. Be like water as it was elegantly put earlier. Some times especially with ADV/Offroad helmets, it makes a big difference to turn your head a bit to make air resistance smaller. Your neck will appreciate this and you will also stabilise  your vision. 

4. Lean in to wind.  Especially in steady moderate wind it might be enough just to shift your body weight off center, but in heavy wind you might need to lean the whole bike. If this is the case don't panic if the wind suddenly goes away and your bike starts turning. Assess and make appropriate line correction. And prepare for the wind to pick up again. Remember soft small line corrections are your friend. If you have correct position on a lane you'll have ample of time to react and correct before running out of lane.

5. Read the terrain and anticipate. Gusts hit you more often on bridges, getting in or out of canyons, going from forest to open etc. Learn to anticipate these places. Also semi trucks and similar can create very strong effects when passing. When you know what's coming it's way easier to be prepared.

6. Your lizard brain is wrong. Always.  Assess, assess, assess. What ever you do, don't panic and do what your instincts say. If you're scared, pull over, rationalise everything and think it over. Use your human brain to figure it out and never ever trust your lizard brain to be right. If you're still scared don't continue until you calm down. Letting lizard brain call the shots is the leading cause of motorcycle accidents. And when you're scared enough lizard brain always takes over. And this applies every time you're riding a motorcycle.