Blown Off The Road

[Million$]

Anybody else get blown off the road while riding? I was riding down the interstate @ about 75. The wind was literally blowing me to the side off the road. I was in the right lane so I was getting close to the white line. I'm 6'2" 160lbs on 91 600. I know its a light bike and Im a feather weight, but damn! Scary.

[diavolo]

The Kat is not as light as an ss, but if you are losing traction it is most likely due to the tires. I ride in windy, rainy conditions and rarely lose traction - although in really high gusts - 55+ they will push anyone. I've found Metzler Z6's to be good and Michelin PRII's to be exceptional for grip in these condtions.

[Shownarou]

Light? Where did you get that idea from?

[ygolohcysp]

Also, don't forget the principles of riding in wind. Grip the tank, very little weight on the bars. Good grip on the bars, but "loose" arms. Wind will blow your body around more than the bike, and a lot of people get nervous and tense up. That means the wind blowing your body around creates inputs into the steering of the bike without you fully realizing it. You end up fighting yourself to keep the bike straight. It also helps if you tuck down while riding in the wind, reducing the area that the wind has to take hold of you.

[Slofuze]

Light? Where did you get that idea from?

I was thinking the same thing. What I've found helpful when riding in windy conditions is to tuck in behind the windscreen, grip the tank tighter with my knees, and relax my grip on the bars.

[superbike]

Sounds to me like you were in some strong wind gusts. Grip the tank with your knees, keep your head behind the bubble and don't put a death grip on the bars...just tight enough to maintain control. Next time, add some rain to the mix to make it really interesting! It's a skill set you will develop over time.

[05RedKat600]

Anybody else get blown off the road while riding? I was riding down the interstate @ about 75. The wind was literally blowing me to the side off the road. I was in the right lane so I was getting close to the white line. I'm 6'2" 160lbs on 91 600. I know its a light bike and Im a feather weight, but damn! Scary.

Katanas are anything BUT light. 500 LBS is not a light bike by any stretch of the imagination. Lean into the wind like its a turn, just a little bit. That's how I deal with it. Makes me weave in my lane a bit sometimes, but it works.

[ErrEs]

... Lean into the wind like its a turn, just a little bit. That's how I deal with it. Makes me weave in my lane a bit sometimes, but it works.

+1
We've had some mild storms here before winter and I refused to leave the bike at home. You'll get the hang of it fast enough. Soon you'll be able to predict where and how the wind will hit you.

[Million$]

I guess its the tires. Never owned a street bike b4 so Im learning... Thanks fellas.

[Mojoe]

I guess its the tires. Never owned a street bike b4 so Im learning... Thanks fellas.

no, no, no.....it's not. or at least not necessarily. even the cheaper brands will stick to the road for the most part and not likely to lose grip unless the pavement is wet or something.

the problem is that the kat is a fat bike covered in full fairings, and when you have a strong cross wind coming at you, it is like a frickin' kite. any full fairing bike will be like that. so will a big cruiser, although the lack of full fairings and the added weight of a big cruiser will reduce the effects.

and no, the kat is not a light bike, but it's far from the heaviest.

it's just the wind, dude. that's how the wind works...things that aren't fastened down, get blown around. that's the way it has worked since the beginning of time. there is a stretch of road just north of me, running east to west, that is notorious for blowing cars off the road in the winter. last winter I think it was, it almost blew a semi trailer over the side of the bridge and into the St. Lawrence River.

there really isn't anything you can do about it. sure, your seating position and grip on the bars can make a bit of difference, but the stronger the wind, the less difference all that will make. it's just one of those things where sometimes you just have to say, "screw it, I am taking the cage to work today because I just don't feel like fighting the wind all the way to work".

+1
We've had some mild storms here before winter and I refused to leave the bike at home. You'll get the hang of it fast enough. Soon you'll be able to predict where and how the wind will hit you.

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.

counter leaning into the wind is not an action....it's a reaction. you know...the whole "for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction" theory. leaning into the wind is not an option....it's obligatory, unless you want to end up in the ditch. but if the wind suddenly stops blowing and catches you by surprise, your leaning can put you across the yellow line instead of the ditch. once you ride some roads where the wind has been known to blow cars off the road and blow over semi trailers, then you will know exactly what I mean. imho, only an idiot will ride in those kind of conditions. sure, I can understand the passion for riding making one push the limits, but I see that more as an obsession, and it could be costly. there has been a few times where I took the car instead of the bike, and greatly disappointed that I had to make the decision, but I know the crosswinds on hwy 10 coming across the flats can easily blow me off the road at hwy speeds, so I just don't do it. I have tried, and having to slow down to 35-40 mph on the hwy, and still have it blowing me from side to side while traffic is blowing by me at 70mph....no thanks. been there, done that, and it's not for me. you could give me 10,000 tips and tricks to deal with it, but hey, we are talking about a force of nature that can uproot tress and blow roofs off of houses, so just imagine how it can effect a 500lb bike cruising down the road.

what the OP needs more than anything is the ability to make a judgement call. if the wind is too strong to comfortably and safely ride, then leave the bike home and drive the car.

[scottynoface]

Get used to it

[black&blue]

no, no, no.....it's not. or at least not necessarily. even the cheaper brands will stick to the road for the most part and not likely to lose grip unless the pavement is wet or something.

the problem is that the kat is a fat bike covered in full fairings, and when you have a strong cross wind coming at you, it is like a frickin' kite. any full fairing bike will be like that. so will a big cruiser, although the lack of full fairings and the added weight of a big cruiser will reduce the effects.

and no, the kat is not a light bike, but it's far from the heaviest.

it's just the wind, dude. that's how the wind works...things that aren't fastened down, get blown around. that's the way it has worked since the beginning of time. there is a stretch of road just north of me, running east to west, that is notorious for blowing cars off the road in the winter. last winter I think it was, it almost blew a semi trailer over the side of the bridge and into the St. Lawrence River.

there really isn't anything you can do about it. sure, your seating position and grip on the bars can make a bit of difference, but the stronger the wind, the less difference all that will make. it's just one of those things where sometimes you just have to say, "screw it, I am taking the cage to work today because I just don't feel like fighting the wind all the way to work".



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.

counter leaning into the wind is not an action....it's a reaction. you know...the whole "for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction" theory. leaning into the wind is not an option....it's obligatory, unless you want to end up in the ditch. but if the wind suddenly stops blowing and catches you by surprise, your leaning can put you across the yellow line instead of the ditch. once you ride some roads where the wind has been known to blow cars off the road and blow over semi trailers, then you will know exactly what I mean. imho, only an idiot will ride in those kind of conditions. sure, I can understand the passion for riding making one push the limits, but I see that more as an obsession, and it could be costly. there has been a few times where I took the car instead of the bike, and greatly disappointed that I had to make the decision, but I know the crosswinds on hwy 10 coming across the flats can easily blow me off the road at hwy speeds, so I just don't do it. I have tried, and having to slow down to 35-40 mph on the hwy, and still have it blowing me from side to side while traffic is blowing by me at 70mph....no thanks. been there, done that, and it's not for me. you could give me 10,000 tips and tricks to deal with it, but hey, we are talking about a force of nature that can uproot tress and blow roofs off of houses, so just imagine how it can effect a 500lb bike cruising down the road.

So effectively, there is nothing that can be done?

[Mojoe]

So effectively, there is nothing that can be done?

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.

[Psycho1]

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.

[zuma]

Also, don't forget the principles of riding in wind. Grip the tank, very little weight on the bars. Good grip on the bars, but "loose" arms. Wind will blow your body around more than the bike, and a lot of people get nervous and tense up. That means the wind blowing your body around creates inputs into the steering of the bike without you fully realizing it. You end up fighting yourself to keep the bike straight. It also helps if you tuck down while riding in the wind, reducing the area that the wind has to take hold of you.

+1...and some say don't grip the bars tightly...

I experience winds like this often. From reading your original post, it doesn't clarify that you were actually blown off the road, but still, the experience can be harrowing. I normally duck beneath the windshield and do grip with everything I have, while keeping the hands loose to prevent over-reacting. I also ride as fast as I can and still be safe and somewhat comfortable because of the force of my momentum. And when the winds get up to the 70s and 80s, I try to find shelter from it and pull over. Out here, shelter between towns is scarce to nonexistent though. They have clocked 100+ mph winds in west Texas in the last year.