Modern Vespa

The general impression of scooter riding in Phoenix is that its a breeze. However, yesterday on the way home, I ran into a real breeze -- it was the most windy day I've ridden my scoot since I bought it 3 months ago. Can some of the more experienced riders on this group give a few tips on ridin' in the wind? I drive on city streets and I really had to concentrate on keeping upright. Crosswinds, headwinds and tailwinds each brought their own challenge. And crossing intersections was real fun.
thanks
MarkD

Wind is fun......

a little firmer on the grips....

you need to lean the bike to remain in a strait line in a crosswind....

be ready to counter steer into the wind(push the grip on the upwind side)...

pay attention!!!!

my $.02

R

Hi Mark,

There's no secret to it. You just have to ride even more heads up than usual, especially because you never know which direction a gust of wind might hit you from. I could list a hundred things to look out for, like holding the middle of your lane to avoid being blown out of your lane by an unpredictable crosswind, leaving extra room for braking in case you catch a tailwind, taking it a little easier in turns so a crosswind doesn't cause you to get out of shape and into trouble, be extra careful about carrying anything because a headwind can dramatically increase your perceived "air speed" and on and on.

I've spent more hours in the saddle of a motorcycle than a scooter. I've been blow completely off the road in the Swiss Alps. I've been blown within an inch of a New Jersey Barrier by a crosswind when I changed lanes and the wind caught me and pushed me way further into the lane than I anticipated. I've almost crashed on the bridge to the Outer Banks of North Carolina when I was fighting a fierce crosswind by leaning the bike and the wind suddenly abated. I was heeled over so hard that I almost ran right into the guard rail. And so on...

Hope this helps give you some ideas.

OK John. So that completely freaks me out! You're absolutely right about the unpredictable effects of wind. So how about just pulling over if it gets real windy? That's worked for me

specifics:

1. look for markers as to general wind direction as you ride. flags, tree branches. always be aware as to which way the wind blows. headwind? crosswind, left/right, and tailwind. knowledge is power.

2. increase alertness and increase muscle tonicity on handlebars. be proactive to hazards.

3. scan for any windbreaks as you ride, for example...on a country road lined with trees...as you near the end of the row of trees, anticipate wind gusts are you are no longer protected. the same is true in city driving...buildings or cityblocks may provide a windbreak until you hit the intersection or vacant lot.

4. reduce profile in headwinds and crosswinds. hunker down.

5. reduce speed. general rule in all incliment weather conditions.

6. traffic aerodynamics. use caution in approaching slower traffic, likewise use caution when being passed by faster traffic as the windwash is magnified in high wind conditions.

7. dress appropriately...nothing like cold and numbness to accelerate rider fatigue. this also applies to being distracted.

here i go with that internal dialogue...
(damn it's cold...frickin freezing my fingers...crap...crap...crap...shoulda worn my gloves. you are so stupid. look my fingers are turning white...don't look at them...keep eyes on road...<peek> i told you not to look)

8. feel free to add to this list, as i'm sure i there are sharper crayons here than i.

What I have found is that you shouldn't drive too slow either. I have a really difficult time riding 25-30 when it's very windy. When I accelerate to 35-40 it get sbetter. Faster than that gets dangerous again.

Thanks, everyone, for the tips.
MarkD

In addition to all the rest of the advice I have found that relaxing helps a lot. I get into the proper head space and trust the bike. My alertness is high, but not my tension level. If I tense up I seem to be fighting everything instead of just managing the flow.

Once I unclench my teeth and loosen my death grip on the handle bars things go much better.

I'll go with the relaxing thing. That doesn't mean not to be alert, but white-knuckle driving in wind gusts doesn't help much. Get yourself, if you can, in a safe spot (I try not to get surrounded by other traffic) so if you get kicked over a bit, you won't have that additional worry of being kicked into something bigger than you.

I read in the Proficient Motorcycling book (a MUST read) how to find the open areas while riding. Good advice there.

Also: The type of clothing you wear can help. On part of my commute I cross over a mile-long bridge. Even on calm day, you can get a pretty good gust now and then. No wind breaks. When I was first riding, I had a thin leather jacket with loose sleeves. I almost had a heart attack on my first experience with wind gusts as it caught those sleeves and I almost lost my grip.

I have since bought a good nylon riding jacket with staps on the sleeves. It made a whole world of difference.