Any views on wind?

[Running Antelope]

I gave up GSs (1150s) some years ago as I found with increasing age they were too heavy for me. I've had 650 V-Stroms and found them to be good little bikes until.. Last year I went to Eastern Europe and encountered some strong winds that blew me all over the place. This year, to celebrate my retirement, I motorbiked up to the Arctic Circle, crossed into Lapland and down through Sweden and northern Europe. The experience of fighting winds on the V-Strom terrified me at times (I've been riding for decades and know the theories about riding in winds: relaxed grip etc). Now I've got plenty of time I intend to do more frequent trips abroad but I'm worried about the vulnerability of the Strom to winds I have rarely encountered in the UK.

My question is this: I can't recall (but it was a long time ago) ever being so scared on my old GSs because of wind. What is your collective experience of 1200 GSs against other bikes with regard to their susceptibility to strong winds? I would guess they may be better: lower centre of gravity and heavier weight etc? Before changing I would love to hear your thoughts of how 1200 GSs compare to other bikes with regard to their stability in strong cross winds. Many thanks.

 

[cookie]

IME all bikes get blown about by the wind.

 

[Steptoe]

My question is this: I can't recall (but it was a long time ago) ever being so scared on my old GSs because of wind. .

There's your main problem. Tensing up. This makes you move the bike with the wind instead of the bike looking after itself.
Relax and wriggle your arms around so you haven't got a death grip on the bars.

It also helps to put weight on the footrest on the side the wind is hitting you.

 

[judge]

I haven't yet got used to my RT in high winds as the wind hits and is dissipated differently to my GS. The GS being more open the wind mainly hit me high up but blows through the bike.

The RT being enclosed becomes the barrier and the wind hits low and goes under the bike.

I'm sure I will get used to it but I was used to the GS as I rode them for 10 years, the RT is but a couple of months in my ownership and I imagine will be just like my Pan was in wind. And I got rid of that

Steptoe's advice is a good one - I initially tense up and it makes things worse, then I remember, loosen up and things improve somewhat.

 

[fizzer]

we were in the isle of skye last month,and you aint seen wind and rain anything like it,on the whole the gs for me felt planted ,maybe due to the weight ,i dont know,but compared to some of my mates on other so called light bikes ,gsxr,blades,etc,i did seem to have an easier time of it .

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

IME all bikes get blown about by the wind.

Shouldn't you be out on your bike

 

[Beemerman59]

The only thing I find a problem as such on my 1200GSA is that when cornering if I get a gust of wind it feels as if the wheels are been blown away from underneath me. I don't know if this is any particular effect of the wire wheels versus cast wheels but it can be disconcerting at times. The rest of the bike doesn't seem that effected - it just seems more pronounced on the wheels.

 

[patzx12]

No way out of this one just try and develop a good technique to counter the wind, i don’t think the bike you are riding makes a lot of difference. I guess lighter is easier to control. All my touring is 2 up with luggage so it will always be a big bike.
Constant wind is a pain like the Great Plains in the USA leaning the bike into the wind for a whole days riding. Gusty wids can catch you out. Crossing the Nulabor in Austrailia, there was no real wind but once in a while there would be a huge gust and I had to be prepared for it.
The very worst wind was In Croatia on the coast, unridable we just parked up for a few hours. A local restaurant gave us shelter and a garage for the bikes. I think it’s called the Bora.
This wind would blow you off the bike I tried to warn a group of riders but the last one in the group was blown off the bike at 50kph.
The thing was a local bike cop came down the road on an RT one handed using the other hand to gesture all the traffic to pull over, I watched him with awe.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

A big heavy bike will get blown about less. However, when it DOES get blown off course, it takes more effort to straighten it up.

Fully faired bikes (Blackbird, ZZR, RT etc) are more like to get blown about due to the solid fairing sides. Naked bikes are less likely to get blown about as they have no fairing and the wind can blow THROUGH the bike more.

I just relax and the bike seems to straighten itself up. I'm probably doing something like countersteering into the wind, but it's not done consciously.

 

[Wapping]

There's your main problem. Tensing up. This makes you move the bike with the wind instead of the bike looking after itself.
Relax and wriggle your arms around so you haven't got a death grip on the bars.

Says it all

 

[verona]

I found a few years ago crossing France

in very high winds that on my GS1150 when the wind was blowing me to the left (side wind) if I put my right knee out a bit this would counteract the wind .And vise verse . Works for me in a steady consistent wind . Gusty high winds can always catch you out . I also find the faster I go the easier it is . Probably not recommended . Also try and keep in a gear that keeps the bike under acceleration this also helps .

 

[mrsroynie]

My question is this: I can't recall (but it was a long time ago) ever being so scared on my old GSs because of wind. What is your collective experience of 1200 GSs against other bikes with regard to their susceptibility to strong winds? I would guess they may be better: lower centre of gravity and heavier weight etc? Before changing I would love to hear your thoughts of how 1200 GSs compare to other bikes with regard to their stability in strong cross winds. Many thanks.

IME your recollection is correct. Having experienced the extremely heavy side winds that are common in Texas, New Mexico and Washington State, on both my 1200GS and a Triumph Trophy, there was a marked difference in 'stability' (not quite the word I'm looking for) between the bikes. I'm not familiar with the V-Strom, but IMO the issue with the Trophy was not the centre of gravity, but the fairing that had a tendency to act as a sail and was really quite unnerving at times. The GS, on the other hand, is not only heavy (though I'm not sure if it is heavier than a Trophy) but the design makes for little wind resistance (at least with the standard screen).

There is also an issue with confidence that may have affected the way you dealt with each gust. On our first US trip in 2001, Roynie was a very inexperienced rider. He had only ever ridden about 300 miles around town borrowing my bike. The 900cc Triumph Tiger that he bought for that trip was the first bike he had ever owned. I had an F650GS - a much lower, lighter bike with a lower centre of gravity. On the day we crossed the Texas Pan Handle and started to encounter the strong side winds, we had temporarily switched bikes, so I was on the Tiger and Roynie was on my little GS. Despite the Tiger's high centre of gravity, I was reasonably comfortable once I had got used to the buffeting. Roynie, on the other hand, had no clue as to how to compensate for the the gusty winds (and one or two 'dust devils' that sprang up alongside the road). His steering was all over the place and it was pure good luck that we didn't lose him off the side of I-40 .

He blamed the bike, saying it was too light to cope with the winds. So we switched back and, yes, he did get on better with the heavier Tiger. However, since I had no trouble with the lighter 650 in the same conditions (which last for hundreds of miles, at least until you get to Alberquerque, NM), I can say for sure that it wasn't purely the bike's design that was the source of Roynie's trouble.

 

[Big Nick]

Just try slowing down..........

 

[drinkingparrot]

any veiws on wind

My question is this: I can't recall (but it was a long time ago) ever being so scared on my old GSs because of wind. What is your collective experience of 1200 GSs against other bikes with regard to their susceptibility to strong winds? I would guess they may be better: lower centre of gravity and heavier weight etc? Before changing I would love to hear your thoughts of how 1200 GSs compare to other bikes with regard to their stability in strong cross winds. Many thanks.[/QUOTE]

Stay off the beans

 

[richie]

The 11** bikes are very good in winds, I don't know about the 12 so if someone could actually answer his question....

Different bikes react differently to winds, I sold a kawasaki 600 after just a few months as it was so dangerous, it was not me it was the bike.

 

[mrsroynie]

The 11** bikes are very good in winds, I don't know about the 12 so if someone could actually answer his question....

Different bikes react differently to winds, I sold a kawasaki 600 after just a few months as it was so dangerous, it was not me it was the bike.

I thought I just did

 

[Jonnybiscuit]

If it helps, for comparison, my observations...

Ducati 1198 = Lousy (in cross winds fairings act as a sail and your trunk is close to the tank making an even bigger X area)
Triumph Sprint ST 1050 (later model with "high" bars)= Not much better (same issue)
Triumph Tiger 1050 = Better
1200GSA = Best (but still need to follow Step's advice)

 

[richie]

I thought I just did

Maybe you did indeed

 

[cookie]

Shouldn't you be out on your bike

Late start. Been out on it quite a lot lately

 

[Pablo1]

SPEED UP

It might sound daft but I find the bike less affected by the wind at higher speed