[Million$]

I know I need tires. I will get back with yall after that. Thanks.

[scottynoface]

Not sure where the OP lives in SC, but here in Rock Hill, SC we have a high wind warning in effect until midnight tonight, due to a cold front going through. Have had some strong gusts since midnight last night when the occasional T-storm blows through. More experience in riding with cross winds will go a long ways towards making you feel more comfortable, along with giving to the experience to keep more in control in those situations.

Its pretty bad here too, gusts of 60+

The only thing that will get you used to riding in bad weather is to ride in bad weather.

[Psycho1]

Update: Now we have Tornado Watches for a very large area from Atlanta,GA - Charlotte, NC and beyond. lol

[zuma]

well so far the only response that makes the most sense to me is Scotty's.....just deal with it.

for sure some of the other suggestions have warrant, like not tensing up because that can transfer to the bike, but hey, when you are hit with 40mph crosswinds, show me someone who isn't going to tense up. I would really like to meet that individual and ask him where he bought his cast iron nuts.

They call me zuma hotcha hotchakoo. Good meeting you. Mmmmm. Juicy Fruit.

[Mojoe]

Not sure where the OP lives in SC, but here in Rock Hill, SC we have a high wind warning in effect until midnight tonight, due to a cold front going through. Have had some strong gusts since midnight last night when the occasional T-storm blows through. More experience in riding with cross winds will go a long ways towards making you feel more comfortable, along with giving to the experience to keep more in control in those situations.

even though I agree with you that experience goes a long way, I also believe a side effect of "experience" is over confidence. I have been riding for 30 years now, and have ridden in everything from rain, slush, snow, hail, lightning storms, you name it, I have rode in it. well maybe not everything. we don't get much for tornadoes and hurricanes around here. but even with my 30 years experience, I have discovered that I have to keep my confidence in check. sure, I know how to handle those 40-50mph crosswinds if confronted with them, and can do it with a level of confidence....but what I really prefer is ti just use plain common sense and tell myself that it is just safer, and a whole lot less stressing if I just take the car or truck. personally, I ride for the enjoyment. I find no joy in fighting the wind the whole time I am on the bike, so I just park it and wait for a less windy day.

They call me zuma hotcha hotchakoo. Good meeting you. Mmmmm. Juicy Fruit.

you don't have the same kind of winds in Texas as we do here. if I am not mistaken, you are primarily flat lands. the winds do not blow in the same fashion as they do here. on large flats the winds are more constant, and usually continuously from the same direction.

here we have the jet stream, plus the surrounding mountains and valleys, which make the winds more turbulent. one second it can be calm enough to strike a match to light a cigarette, and the next second you are chasing your hat down the road because a gust came along and blew it off you head. hell, I have ridden where one second the wind is coming from the east, then it switches from the north. it's just all over the place.

oh, btw.....a loose grip is not always the answer. there are many bikes on the road that you CAN NOT let go of the grips and have it travel true and straight. a slightly unbalanced tire, a not so perfect head bearing, an over inflated (or under inflated tire...etc. etc), can put your front tire into a wobble in a hurry if any of those things play an effect. I don't know about any of you, but I have had a couple of tank slappers happen when there was no wind to speak of. I can't imagine having to deal with that when you toss in a 40mph crosswind. and if you do fall into a tank slapper, sometimes you can grab thos bars with everything you have got, and it's just plain too late and the only way you can stop it is to come on to the throttle and give it everything you got to get that front wheel back to being stable. now I am not saying that is what is going to happen, but it can. once you have experienced a tank slapper ot two, you will know what I mean. I have...a few times, and it is scary ****. I never laid a bike down because of one, but one time it was so severe that it broke all 4 mounting points on my front fender bracket. the parts guy at suzuki said that in all his years working there, he had never seen that before. my shoulders and wrists were sore for a week. it scared the crap outta me. I will never forget that sound of my front tire chirping against the pavement while it is flopping side to side at 50mph. good thing I remained calm enough to drop a gear and come onto the throttle instead of trying to stop, or I would have been toast.

I am not trying to diminish any of the suggestions so far. I am strictly giving the OP something to think about. all the suggestions so far CAN work....but sometimes they don't. nothing is guaranteed.

[zuma]

Dealing with the wind has been a way of life for those who live in west Texas.
It doesn't really bother me until it is picking up gravel and pelting me, which it has done. Racing dirt cold fronts, outrunning them (I mean a wall of brown all the way to the top of the sky) by navigating on out of the way roads is not uncommon. Out here where there is nothing to hide behind, you have to declare war on the weather if you want to ride often. It's a gas.

Mike, I'm sure you're right about the winds being different; however, I've seen the wind here change direction in a flash. And surprisingly, our roads take strange turns for no particular reason. You might not even notice the tailwind pushing you along, and then you suddenly made a sharp right or left and feel like you've been hit in the gut with a dodge ball. And with no trees or structures to clue you in, it can slip right up on you.

[Mojoe]

I hear ya, Dan. to be honest, I would have to ride your roads to see for myself. I have only seen Texas roads in photos. same with wide open stretches like say Arizona....basically asphalt laid down on a bed of sand or dirt. from what I have seen in those photos, one could be blown off the road, and then it's just a matter of keeping the bike up on a bit of rough or soft ground.

here, if you get blown off the road, it isn't that easy. most of the time you have to deal with big maple trees and 10ft ditches. it just gives you a bit more to think about.

[Slofuze]

I've gone across this bridge a few times on a bike.....quite the experience....

"Two vehicles have gone off the bridge: a 1987 Yugo was blown off the bridge during a particularly bad windstorm in 1989 (high speed may have also been to blame)"

http://micah.typepad.com/dogears_wrinkles/2007/05/mackinac_bridge.html

[zuma]

But there are about seven or eight geographic regions in Texas. I just happened to have been raised in the desert. I'm fixing that one in about three months.

[ygolohcysp]

, show me someone who isn't going to tense up. I would really like to meet that individual and ask him where he bought his cast iron nuts.

Nice to meet you. I bought mine at Costco.

[ErrEs]

oh ya...you think? I don't. it's hard enough for the weatherman to predict tomorrows weather, and he has hundreds of thousands, millions even, of specialized equipment that follow weather patterns, at his disposal. so if you have figured out where and when the wind will hit you, then by all means, patten it and you will retire early.

Yeah I know so. I think you misinterpreted my words. I never said anything about predicting the weather. I was talking about predicting where and how the wind will hit you on your current ride.
You know, the same way you scan the road for dirt, oil, wet spots, holes in the surface, playing kids, dogs running loose, cars backing out of their driveway, crazy cagers in general and many more...
It will help on your handeling and choosing your position on the road when you can "predict" wind coming from your right because there is an open spot where the wind has free play, or in the city between a block of houses.
I'm with you on the judgement call though.

for sure some of the other suggestions have warrant, like not tensing up because that can transfer to the bike, but hey, when you are hit with 40mph crosswinds, show me someone who isn't going to tense up. I would really like to meet that individual and ask him where he bought his cast iron nuts.

Oh, and yes, I've been riding in that kind of winds plenty. Like I said, there have been numerous storms here that have uprooted trees and tore off roofs. I'm not saying I would leave home in this kind of weather but when you're at work you need to get back home again. So I did.

[greentreena]

I got caught in a strong cross wind today. I'm glad my Kat is a heavy bike however I was a little surprised how it got thrown around.

[il_ragazzo]

try riding from Baker to Barstow, Ca... your leaned over so far you could drag a knee in a straight line, and passing big trucks takes the wind off of you until you get passed it. then it seems to blow even harder. Makes your neck hurt.

[KatanaGSX92]

You kind of get used to it after a while. When the Santa Ana's kick in, in So. Cal, there are times when we have steady winds at 30mph with gusts to 60+mph. At least you have the friction of the tires against the road to help you. When I was training to get my helicopter pilot's license, the majority of my training was during Santa Ana conditions. Many times I was flying almost sideways just to keep in "trim" with the wind. Makes for interesting landings

[thetable]

add some rain to the mix to make it really interesting! It's a skill set you will develop over time.

Rain?! Try it in the snow! 50MPH wind gusts and snow covered roads, it takes a real feel to tell if it's a wind gust or tires going out.

Like everyone else has said, loosen up on the controls and carry more speed.