Wind (scuse me)

[AdyJ]

Not really a GS or not to question, as I'm gonna get one soon anyway, but...

How do you Adv. riders find the lardy beast in strong winds compared to other bikes?

Just made me think after feeling the beautiful gusts of side wind down the M56 tonight.

My ZX12R isn't too bad, but my ZZR1100 was like riding a two wheeled spinnaker sail in strong winds!

So, whaddya think?

 

[Cheesy Mike]

GS loaded with panniers, top box and big old me presents a "large" wind target. Sure the bike gets blown around a bit, but I found the bike very easy to manage once I changed my riding style. For me, simply loosening my grip on the handlebars and gripping harder with my knees and thighs made a huge difference to the controllability of the bike.

Mike

 

[Jack]

Went from a Blackbird to a ADV the Bird was quite a handful with side winds but the ADV just shrugs them off.


Jack

 

[HeatedGrips]

GS + panniers +topbox+tankbag = Bavarian wind surfer.

Pretty bad in crosswinds, but nothing that can't be coped with. I went to France with a mate, he was on his 916.

Terrible weather, storm-force winds, and I was getting blown about a bit while he hardly suffered at all.

Mind you, I was carrying all his gear - and the tools for fixing the Duke every 50 miles.

 

[Wraithwrider]

I was following Jim McS down the A1 to the BMF on Friday. There was a lot a sidewind about making the ride entertaining. Jim thought that he had it bad on the GSA until he looked in his mirrors and saw the 1200 dancing around

Peter

 

[Fenlander Strasse]

My KTM 950S is the worst from this point of view - gusting gales in the fens are entertaining.

 

[Flyer]

I found my previous bikes (VFR, Blackbird) worse in xwinds than my GS. I think this is because the airflow 'attaches' to faired bikes like the air around an aeroplane's wing - and when that air moves sideways (xwind) the bike moves with it.

Unfaired bikes like the GS sit in a more turbulent airflow, and are not so 'attached' to the airflow, so don'r move quite so readlily with those xwind gusts.

That's my theory anyway.

Flyer