Riding in wind

91st11rookie

91st11rookie

Joined
May 1, 2024
Messages
2
Age
43
Location
United States
Good evening all,
I have had my st11 for a little over a year. Riding temps do not bother me, hot or cold, I have the proper gear to stay cool and warm. It is the wind. And even a little bit effects my ride. Up until this bike (#14) and 16 years of riding, I have only just come into this issue. It is like I am riding a paper plate that the smallest gust pushes me across the road.
Now I say small gust. I am talking only 25 mph. I was out Saturday on my way home and boom, went from steady 15mph crosswind to a body slam pushing me across my lane across the whit line into the shoulder.
What in the world am I doing wrong? Loose grip. Lean angle. I have no idea. Im 5'9, 225lbs.
I love this bike, but I just can not seem to get this right on this bike, and I do not want to let it go.
So please let me know what I could do to help this out.
I have a tank bag that I always ride with, wear my riding jacket and pants, riding boots and my helmet. I keep my bags on as I tend to carry supplies on my ride or hit the store on my way home. I have a backrest as well.
Any help would be appreciated. Ive never had this issue on any other bike, and this is the first bike I have had with any fairings at all. Though I did have a 96 magna I put a batwing on, which I really miss- great bike...
 
Constant steady winds are predictable and therefore easy to deal with. Wind gusts are unpredictable. Countersteer to correct as the need arises while trying to ride the furthest upwind in your lane as is safe to give you room to accomplush that correction safely. Loose grip is almost always preferable.

Your bike is large fully faired motorcycle. i.e. It has a lot of surface area that is going to catch a lot of wind.
 
I rode my ST 1300 for 14,000 miles in 2024 & 2025. I was in some pretty high wind conditions and it just didn’t seem to bother me, or make me move more than maybe 1 or 2 feet within my lane before I would countersteer to correct.

I rode my Honda Shadow 1100 with a windshield on a day when there was a high wind advisory and the State Patrol was actually telling big trucks to get off the road and park them. I saw gusts of wind push lightly loaded 53 foot truck trailers around and tip them at what may have been a 10° lean angle.

I just kept buzzing along at 70-75 miles an hour on the interstate —this was up near the Tennessee / Kentucky border in the mountains— and I don’t recall having any real issues.
Now, at that time I probably weighed 350 pounds in all of my leather riding gear, so that may have been a factor for stability. My body weight alone was more than half the weight of my motorcycle alone.
 
Against all instincts seems the unconventional the most effective:

loosen up and let the motorcycle do its thing...

In crosswinds the ST1100 features an "auto lean effect"... but only if you let it... (the efforts of +150 engineers and excessive tests in the wind tunnel really payed off...)
Hard grip on the handlebar and a stiff back are counterproductive...
Just a slight squeeze with the knees, gentle contact on the grips and let the bike tilt underneath you...
On really harsh gusts one can assist with soft operation of the rear brake...
(in the Alps over here the winds ripping over the crests can create some nasty wake turbulence/share winds down in the valleys, hammering you side to side...)
 
Riding in wind is a bit like riding on gravel. If you are tight and rigid, you are making things worse when the bike reacts to the uneven surface or wind gust. If you relax and 'go with the flow' both you and the bike will be happier.
 
Just watch adjusting too far for the wind when choosing lane position because when it changes, the initial reaction will be the opposite until you've again adjusted. Riding on NV highways and passing vehicles results in lots of maneuvering as the push stops and starts and stops again both from vehicle drafts and them blocking the wind when alongside!
 
I'll add a couple thoughts.
  • Your mental attitude. You know there are wind gusts out there, and you know that for whatever reason in the past that they have affected you. And because of that you instinctively react looking for things to go wrong. And so they do.
    • So as others have said -- Relax. Let the bike move under you. Ride to the upwind side of the lane to give yourself some room.
  • Go faster. Two of the posts above mention riding at 70 mph. Obviously, that won't work in a school zone. :D Going faster doesn't seem logical, but it is. If a wind gust at 25 mph hits you at 10 mph...you'll feel it a lot. If a 25 wind gust hits you at 70 mph...it's a fraction of the force pushing you ahead. Look up vector physics if you want to learn more.
  • Look at that movement as a beneficial thing. It does wonders for keeping tailgaters off your rear. At a stop light, I'll purposely let the bike move back and forth with the gusts. Everyone around me sees it...and no one follows closely after the light changes. They just know I'm going to get blown over in front of them. I'm not...but they don't need to know that. ;)
  • And if it gets really bad and there's more than one lane to use, find a large vehicle to block the wind. Semi's have a calm area in the last couple feet on the side towards the rear. I've hidden in that spot through Ellensburg where they always have high side winds.
  • Lastly, look out ahead. It's the same principle as good cornering technique. I took an Advanced Riders course when I first started riding again. The instructor told me that I was looking just in front of the front wheel. How did he know that?!?! Because he could see that I was correcting my line constantly. If you're looking out say 10 seconds in front of you, it'll take a lot more force than a 25 mph gust to move you around. But if you're looking even 50 ft ahead of you...you'll get pushed around.
  • The real "last" comment. Look at the trees and vegetation in that 10 second space ahead of you. You can spot where the wind gusts will be by seeing a "calm" spot and then the place where the vegetation is getting hit hard by the wind. You'll know when that wind gust will be.
Hope this helps.

Chris
 
I've ridden in high winds, and it doesn't bother me much. An all day ride across west Texas, for example, can be a day of constant corrections.
As mentioned muchly already, stay relaxed but attentive.
It can be more work, but it's really manageable. The heft of these big bikes, even with all the swoopy bodywork, can actually aid in stability.
Depending on the direction of the wind, it sometimes helps to swing a knee out into the windward side. This helps pull you back into the wind instead of being pushed away from it.
You can get used to it, by observing the bike's behavior, but also watching for clues... trees and vegetation leaning in one direction, dust or sand being blown across the road, cars or trucks drifting and correcting, etc.
Be mindful of riding into wind breaks so that you're not overcorrecting, such as riding by big buildings, big trucks and even cars that buffer the wind until you get by them or through them.
When riding on high wind trips, I find I develop a rhythm, and it's not that bad.
I reckon experience will be one of your best teachers.
They call me the breeze,
And I keep blowing down the road.
 
With 14 bikes and 16 years of riding, if you are sure that its the bike that is "off " then it could be time to dig deeper. Check swingarm bearings and the condition of the swingarm. The 1100 arm is steel and known to rot, although most of those reports come from overseas. Check wheel bearings for play. Check steering head bearings for play and notchiness. Are your tires worn evenly or flatter in the middle. What are your tire pressures? Check motor mounting bolts and all frame/suspension bolts. What is the condition of the suspension... any bouncing like with a bad shock or forks. Not sure if the 1100 has a preload adjustment, but if so, try dialing in more preload. With 16 years of riding I wont delve too deep in to your skill other than to say that countering the wind is completely the opposite of counter-steering, meaning, if you are fighting the wind with your steering, you are likely exasperating the issue, but, im sure you already know that.
 
Sadlsor said:
Depending on the direction of the wind, it sometimes helps to swing a knee out into the windward side. This helps pull you back into the wind instead of being pushed away from it.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I've found this to be quite helpful.

Many over the years have found higher speed to help. Not sure why, but I have found the opposite to be true for me.
I think my ST1100 is good in the wind, and around trucks, which I get by as quickly as possible.
 
FWIW, in the ancient volumes of ST1100 lore there are two 'devices' that are supposed to help that situation.
One is a Stefi Plate and one is a Belly Pan.
Some say they do help some say they don't.
I have them both on all of my ST1100s and to me they help.
 
When I first got the ST1100 I noticed the cross wind effect right away. It took some time, but I got used to it after a year or so. Seems like you are in the same situation now. Very good points mentioned already to check and verify. One thing my bike had was a tall and wide windshield when I switched it out with the OEM one it made a difference. The bike will dance around more if the tires are over inflated, make sure they are at the right psi. How old is the rear shock and how firm do you have it. I seem to handle side wind coming from the left side of the bike better than the left; I also can corner much lower on the left than the right, so there is that.
Take a ride without the luggage and you should notice the bike is much easier to handle, see if that is the case on a windy day. After many years the winds don't bother me at all, even in the cold. I think you will get used to it as long as there are no mechanical issues.
 
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