Most motorcycle riders have experienced the disappointment of setting out for a ride on a lovely day only to find that the wind wasn’t interested in providing them with a smooth, easy ride. Instead, you can find yourself being whipped around the road in a way that can be rather frightful for less experienced riders or those who have never rode in windy conditions before.
Therefore, it is important to know how to operate a motorcycle in the wind wherever you are riding. Thankfully, once you get the hang of it, riding in the wind can be a pretty straightforward reality. You can control windy riding conditions with the help of these suggestions.
Motorcycling and the Wind
How well your particular type of motorbike is suited for riding in wind is one of the first things you’ll need to consider. Motorcycles can behave very differently in this regard, yet there are certain similar characteristics among them.
The wind tends to push lighter motorbikes around more than larger motorcycles, such as most sport bikes and certain nakeds. In order to cut through the wind, a fairing, such as the kind found on a sport bike or touring cycle, is frequently helpful. The absence of a fairing on a naked bike or cafe racer, on the other hand, can frequently result in more time spent on the highway fighting the wind.
Due to their heavier construction and lower center of gravity, heavier motorcycles like cruisers and touring bikes are typically slightly more stable in the wind. If you have the option, it is preferable to ride one of them in strong winds rather than a sport bike.
If there are often strong winds where you live, you might want to add a windscreen to your motorcycle. As saddlebags and panniers might make your bike behave more unpredictablely in the wind, you might wish to avoid adding a lot of them.
Various Winds: Tailwinds
The simplest form of wind to ride in is a tailwind, which comes from behind your motorcycle. Unless the tailwind is extremely strong, you might not even notice it. Tailwinds might make your bike to go faster than you’re prepared for, which necessitates longer braking distances and generally more cautious riding. This is the main safety concern.
Headwinds are a type of wind
More difficult than tailwinds can be headwinds, where the wind is coming from the front of the bike. In order to “tuck in,” or make your body more compact and minimize the surface area that the wind meets, you should lean forward and downward over the gas tank of your bike. If you think you could use a bit more power behind you, shift down a gear.
Crosswinds are a type of wind
Crosswinds, or winds that come from either your left or right, are typically the most difficult to ride in. When they threaten to blow your bike off the road or into another lane, they may be downright terrifying.
The best course of action in a crosswind is to relax. Don’t try to correct every time the wind moves you slightly; instead, maintain a loose grasp on the handlebars, extend your elbows slightly as if you were riding a dirt bike, and maintain a somewhat relaxed posture. To prevent being blown into oncoming traffic or onto the shoulder, keep as much of your weight in the centre of the lane as you can. This will really increase your stability, despite the fact that it can seem paradoxical.
Other Safety Advice for Windy Riding – Recognize how the terrain around you affects the wind. For instance, riding over mountains or structures may result in wind that rapidly and continuously changes direction. Take extra care when passing through tunnels, emerging from behind mountains, or traveling through any other region where the wind could suddenly pick up after being blocked.
Keep in mind that huge vehicles, such as trucks, can generate their own wind drafts. Recognize and follow the best practices when riding around trucks.
If there are strong gusts, make sure you have a good pair of Bluetooth motorbike speakers and an intercom with you while riding. You can always keep your hands on the bars when riding in hazardous conditions if you use a hands-free voice command system, such as the Cardo Packtalk Bold.
Increase your frequency of pauses and pay attention to how your body feels. It takes a lot of muscle to ride in strong gusts, which may be very taxing.
Consider wearing insulated clothing to ward off the chilly effects of the wind while wearing a full set of protective motorcycle riding gear.
Conclusion
Regarding the rain, what? That is also taken care of by us. For more information, go to Moto Dammei’s motorbike riding advice in the rain. Additionally, Moto Dammei’s complete line of motorcycle communication solutions will astound you when it comes to the best Bluetooth motorcycle helmet systems available, wind or no wind.
