Highest winds driven in?

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Wisconsin
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2006 Honda st1300
What are the highest winds you've ridden your motorcycle in? The highest for me is about 25mph. It's hard to keep the bike steady when you are going 70 and the wind is 25 mph. I had to lock my elbows.
 
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687
I've ridden in some crosswinds before where the bike was leaned over like in a normal turn just to keep going straight, maybe 40-50MPH, I dunno exactly, we get a lot of strong winds in the desert. The full coverage bodywork on the ST1100 is like a sail in a crosswind. My favorite wind experience was about an hour outside Vegas on US95 where I rode through an invisible "dirt devil". There was no dirt in the devil to make it visible, it was just a big cyclone of wind that threw my bike sideways for a couple seconds, then when I rode through the eye I was vertical again, only to get thrown sideways in the opposite direction when I hit the other side of the cyclone.
 

DavidR8

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I rode through southern Alberta a few years back with a 30-35 mph wind off my right forward quarter.

It was completely exhausting, riding heeled over about 10 degrees. The only plus was that it was not coming across the oncoming lane. Interesting thing was how the apparent wind shifted to the side so it felt like it was more on my side and not from the front.

Had that been the case I might have parked it and waited for it to blow through.


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Duporth

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I have ridden in extreme gusting cross-wind conditions while riding around 80 Km/hr bike speed, for about 40 minutes. Not a common experience for me thankfully. To add further interest the wind was accompanied by horizontal rain and a broad sheet of water on the highway surface that seemed an inch deep.

Very difficult to assess the wind speed, but from my flying experience say 15 - 20 knots cross-wind including gust (??). I may exaggerate here. I managed to keep upright, constantly correcting against the gusts but my main concern was the tyre/road surface connection, hydroplaning, and possibly hidden deeper sections of water.

The best part was making my destination, covering my bike and taking a warm shower. Overall it was a memorable experience.

I do reflect on this ride and wonder if a roadside stop may have been wiser. However this was a large weather system and last light was an hour away.

On hearing this tale biker friends, concerned for my welfare, suggested I should have taken the rest option. At the time, I now recall feeling in control though with all monitoring senses 'turned to high'.

D
 

ibike2havefun

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Coming home from Moonshine this year I struggled with cross winds in the 25-30 mph range all day long, for most of two days. It got so bad that I stopped riding an hour or more sooner than I had planned, on day 1 of that leg, just because I was so beat.
 

BakerBoy

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I've no idea the peak speeds, but I've ridden through winds of over 40 mph many many many times, often with rain, hail, or snow. That's just normal if you're out in the plains of is in WY, MT, SD, NE, KS, CO, NM, TX, etc. I've ridden through herds of tumbleweeds, had the 'Shoei' logo blasted off my helmet and peeled the finish layer off the windshield by hail, and had the top center and right (downwind) fairings of my ST disconnect at the riveted seams from wind blasts. Very tiring.

The worst IMO is strong gusts, caused either by riding through some hilly areas (quiet air in a short 'valley' the road was cut through; big blast entering the exposed area of the road again), or by the bow wake off an oncoming semi truck.

Yuk.
 
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finger lakes ny
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Returning home from OnSTOC 2011. Lots of nastiness from Hurricane Irene. Was leaning almost all the way home.
Somehow, the little Wolfe Island ferry was running. It was interesting just watching him trying multiple times to simply pull up to the dock, let alone getting the bike aboard.
 

STGuy

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Byron, IL
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I've ridden in some crosswinds before where the bike was leaned over like in a normal turn just to keep going straight, maybe 40-50MPH, I dunno exactly, we get a lot of strong winds in the desert. The full coverage bodywork on the ST1100 is like a sail in a crosswind. My favorite wind experience was about an hour outside Vegas on US95 where I rode through an invisible "dirt devil". There was no dirt in the devil to make it visible, it was just a big cyclone of wind that threw my bike sideways for a couple seconds, then when I rode through the eye I was vertical again, only to get thrown sideways in the opposite direction when I hit the other side of the cyclone.
That happened to me on I-80 in Nevada. 84 Goldwing and the wife on the back. Leaned over into the wind to keep straight. Leaned right in the left hand side of the fast lane and the next thing I know I am in the right hand side of the right lane and I hadn't moved anything. Then with just enough time to think what the... I was back in the left hand side of the fast lane again. Exactly back where I started from. The wife goes... what did you do? Nothing was my reply.
Wyoming is the most windy place I have ridden. Been chased by Big walls of dust coming down off the mountain's and also ridden in strong wind that lasts all day. Around 40 mph

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st1300doug

60-70 MPH! Caught on the edge of a midwest Twister. Lots of fun...NOT!!
 

rjs987

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Riding west on county highway with my wife on the back of my old Gold Wing (GL1500). Storm front came straight at us with a 50 mph wind wall. When I hit that I decided it was best to turn around and go back home (only 20 miles from home). Rode back through the wall the other way and felt like I was standing still but moving about 60 mph at least. Turned north and the wall hit again, only this time was straight across from the side. Weatherman verified the wall of wind was at least 50 mph that moved through. GW was leaned way over (thought I could touch the road on the low side). Second time was when I rode my current bike home from the dealer. 145 miles almost due south with a constant 35 mph wind and 45+ gusts out of the east. That was when I learned my new bike handled wind almost as if if was a dead calm. Very nice handling. "I" felt the wind, but the bike handled as if there was none.

Been in a few other storms with high winds between those events (35-45 mph head on or offset) on the ST1100 and also on my CTX1300.
 
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ScubaDave

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st 1300
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In 03 I had steady 50 gusting to 65 Out of the West, while going South in New Mexico on the way to Moonshine.Then there was the sand that was drifting on the road.. Then this past year we had 45 or so going to Moonshine, but this time I was 2 Up. What fun...
 
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Surf City NJ
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Here at the seashore the wind often blows 20 mph plus - going over the bridge when wind is NE gusts can be considerably more. My worst experience on the bike was last summer on the Garden State Parkway - a violent Thunder Squall came out of nowhere just as I entered a construction zone with no shoulders , a terribly torn up road surface and hemmed in between cars that were not slowing much and temporary concrete road barriers. I have no idea what the wind gusts were - likely 40mph or more , solid wave of horizontal rain which then turned to hail . Thankfully I had an electric windscreen which I continually thumbed up and down alternating protection and what visibility there was. A few miles later the sun came out and when I arrived at my doctor appointment the nurse asked me what happened to my face . I looked in the mirror and it was covered in red welts from hail - open face helmet . If I had been wearing my full coverage helmet I think I would have been totally blinded as the only way I could see at times was by tilting my head down while looking up.
While moving my company work truck to higher ground during a violent winter storm many years ago I was stopped at an intersection with a road sign on two metal hat channel standards immediately to my left. The sign itself was about 8 inches by 48 inches wide and the wind was a steady 45 - 50 and gusting increasingly. Suddenly there came a horrendous shriek and the truck- a 3/4 ton with a steel utility body - rocked to the left onto two wheels and the sign which had been whipping around twisted it's standards around each other and then was gone. I later found out that it was the highest recorded gust of the storm - 94 mph.
Life at the shore in the winter - gotta love it.
Be Safe Gents - Richard
 
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bdalameda

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A few years ago I rode down the Columbia River Gorge bordering Washington and Oregon during a severe wind warning day. Gusts of up to 70+ mph with sustained winds over 40mph. It was really scary at times as you transitioned through curves with hills and canyons as the wind would hit hard after coming into clear areas. Trucks caused huge turbulence while passing by and I had to be really careful while passing because with being leaned over to correct for the wind and then passing next to a truck that blocked the wind suddenly you would get sucked in towards the truck very quickly. I saw a few trucks and campers turned over by the wind that day. I would not do it again and would stop and wait it out.

Dan
 
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Duporth

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Wo! Reading these tales my frightening wind and rain experiences have been mild, I would say. Twisters!! Goodness me!!
 

okckeith

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I live in Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains. Some days can be quite brutal. Then I am also in the bulls eye of tornado alley.
I was out getting blown around on my DR650 today. Kind of takes some of the joy out of riding on a 72 degree day. But at least I got to ride today. And I stayed in my lane.
 
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Riding from Palm Springs to Banning, CA on an XS750, the throttle was fully locked open and struggling to reach 45. Guessing the head winds (with rain) were 60+ mph. Rode the center of the lane as the head wind would push left and right, using the whole lane. A wonderful trip, as I had my buddies girlfriend as pillion to give her better protection from the wind and rain behind a fairing. My buddy hugging his tank (no fairing), hit something to take out his back tire. Now we limped to Banning on the road apron to the first off ramp and a hotel. Ah memories :eek:
 

ST Gui

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I don't know the speed of the crosswinds but there were 31 bikes in our convoy and the wind was strong enough that we were heeled over at maybe a 60-65º while riding straight down the road for several minutes that felt like a couple of hours. The Pucker Factor went to 11.
 

JohnConner

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I rode from Flagstaff to Amarillo in a day last May. Must have had a 30+ tail wind / cross-wind. When it was on my tail, it was no problem doing 75 or better, but when the road turned a little and it was a cross-wind, I had to slow to 65 or less. Gas mileage was over 50 mpg on the GL-1800 due to the tail wind.

JohnConner
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