[NCBirdMan]

Hey Y'all,


It is a VERY blustery day here in Western NC and while out riding my Blackbird I had something happen that in 50 years of riding has never happened to me before. Evidently, I had the wind to my back as I was about to make a left turn, once the bike was halfway though the turn and at full lean the wind coming in from the left actually dislodged the rear tire from the pavement. It was like a pressure wave was trapped against the frame and the pavement and magnified because of the lean angle. Today's education ,thankfully, was without cost and consequences. Add that to the "what if" survival file. :surprise:


NCBirdMan
Keith

 

[ZekeValk]

It is a windy day out here on the east coast, even down here in central South Carolina. That's a interesting scenario and I can see the dynamics at play, but I'd still suspect a little loss of traction...maybe a random oil spot, wet spot, tar snake, or something. Maybe I just don't want to believe the wind could do that.

Thanks for sharing and glad you made it through the turn.

 

[dwatc]

You didn't say how hard the "blustery" wind was blowing but I wouldn't be too surprised if was somewhat less than 30 to 35 mph. Out here that's a breezy day so I'm like the other poster that something "helped" the rear break loos like fine sand, oil or the like. We ride in wind over 30 mph routinely out here in the spring or don't ride at all and I've never had the wind come close to doing what you said.

 

[NCBirdMan]

You didn't say how hard the "blustery" wind was blowing but I wouldn't be too surprised if was somewhat less than 30 to 35 mph. Out here that's a breezy day so I'm like the other poster that something "helped" the rear break loos like fine sand, oil or the like. We ride in wind over 30 mph routinely out here in the spring or don't ride at all and I've never had the wind come close to doing what you said.

There were significant gusts all along today's ride easily in excess of 45-50 mph, I even had to turn around when a large tree blocked the road. To be clear, the turn I was taking I am VERY familiar with and I "access" the condition of the surface regularly for the treachery that lurks. When I say the tire "dislodged" I don't mean it came up off the pavement but rather it was an extended drift I wasn't planning. I obliviously underestimated the power of a wall of fast moving air. In any event it left an impression on me.


NCBirdMan
Keith

 

[Steve F]

Sounds like you hit a "hard point" like a foot peg and you actually got lifted and slid a bit to the right.

 

[NCBirdMan]

Sounds like you hit a "hard point" like a foot peg and you actually got lifted and slid a bit to the right.

Sounds plausible except for the fact I wasn't even close to grinding anything. I slide and grind all the time, I know the difference and my peg feelers give excellent feedback. Nah, this was something I never experienced before and after 50 years of tearing up the pavement I suspect it probably won't happen again, especially now that I know it is within the laws of physics. Gee, I hope my sharing wasn't a mistake. Just trying to heighten the awareness for my fellow motorcyclists.

K

 

[98valk]

I've had gusts of wind literally blow me across my lane and almost off the road. I wouldn't want that to happen in a turn.

 

[WVMANDINGO]

I've had gusts of wind literally blow me across my lane and almost off the road. I wouldn't want that to happen in a turn.

I had a series of strong wind gusts do the same thing to me shortly after getting the Goldwing, very unnerving. Literally moved the bike over several feet. I pulled the bike over and checked the wheels to see if they were loose or if a tire had went flat. After everything checked out okay, I restarted my ride and had it happen a couple of more times and realized it was the crosswinds. The Goldwing do not handle crosswinds very well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[Rosknight]

I slow my turns in high wind days just because they can move me across a lane and by turning I am changing the angles and don't want surprises

 

[schlep1967]

Wait till you are going through a sharp curve to the left with the wind coming from your left. You don't realize it but your lean is compensating for that wall of wind. Until you turn just far enough that the wall/wind ends. And the bike tries to fall to the inside of the curve on you.
First instinct is to let off or brake when the opposite, giving throttle, is the save.

 

[Elwood]

Sounds very plausible to me. Years ago riding my Harley Ultra Classic on an extremely windy day I took a left turn in town at about 20 MPH. As I leaned into the turn a very strong gust of wind (microburst maybe?) stood the bike right up and I had to death grip the binders to stop from going onto the sidewalk. Laundry check revealed all was well and I proceeded on my way. Had never happened before or since and truly hope it never does. Maybe I'll use common sense and stay out of the adverse conditions. Or not...

 

[El Toro]

For the OP - I have had the same sensation. The first time was on my CB350K4 in spring of 1973 on the Worcester Expressway. I literally felt like I’d been blown over two feet. It was probably just a small amount, but it felt big.

Later, I’ve always been interested in the side wind performance of bikes. All the tourers are designed to be ok in frontal winds. But side winds are handled very differently.

The most dramatic difference between longitudinal and transverse wind force reactions in my experience has been on the K1600GTL and K1300S. Both have really good slipperiness in the head wind, but both can get exciting in cross winds.

I have not really tested the new Wing in serious cross winds yet. Head wind performance seems good.

The only odd wind issue I’ve experienced was on the 1.5 hour rest ride. I felt some unexpected force in gusts ... but it hasn’t occurred on my own bike. The only real difference was that the demo bike had an OEM backrest. Maybe that was a factor.

 

[Rhys]

As an East Coast rider, I thought I'd seen it all.....

This summer I did a 13,000 mile cross country trip and got a REAL EDUCATION on riding in the wind.

Places like Yakima Oregon, Oklahoma and Beartooth Pass had winds that scared the crap out of me.

Up on Beartooth, you ride twisty curves on narrow roads with winds howling 30-40 mph. All I wanted to do is get off that mountain that day.

Glad you're safe!

 

[maxtec1]

Last Friday evening Wife and I going to dinner on our 2018 wing. The wind was out of the north steady 35 and gusting quite a bit higher.. We were headed east and came out on to a 2 mile long bridge across the lake. The wind pushed the wing form one side of the lane to the other. I was in the left lane and almost moved into the right.(white lined it) This happened at least 6 times before we got off the bridge. (No more whit lining) My wife had a death grip on me. The first time was a big surprise the other times I was ready for it. But I have ridden in high winds on my other bikes and been pushed around but I agree the wing does not take cross wind well. Just know it does happen.

 

[Micky Runey]

……... In any event it left an impression on me.

From your description of the event, I highly suspect it also may have left an impression on the Blackbird's seat.:grin2:

Glad you didn't go down.

 

[rayjoe]

Blackbird

I owned a blackbird (500 lbs and 152 HP) and it was easy to get just a little too much throttle and cause the rear end to drift. That, with the wind may have caused it.

Ride safe and have fun!


Rayjoe

 

[BrokenBackJack]

After having bikes for the major part of my life we now have a Goldwing Trike the last 4-5 years and that definitely helps when having strong side winds.

 

[tamathumper]

The Wing is basically the same in the wind as a sheet of plywood - there are no holes in the frame to let air through, and it has a high trunk in the back and windshield in the front, so every available inch of cross-section catches the wind.

I was coming up out of Grand Escalante onto the top of the ridge where it's a sheer drop on both sides and the road is basically the only flat section to ride on, albeit very curvy and winding. It was snow-squalling and the Wing was getting pushed from the center of the road all the way to the edge more than once.

That's when I saw the "Cows in Road" symbol highway sign and I thought - "Really? Seriously? How the #$% would a cow get up on this gusty knife blade of a roadway?!"

 

[DillTm]

Leading a group of fellow wingers in the Texas Hill Country, I led the on a country road and we came across a small stream of running water due to recent rains. There was a one lane bridge to cross with about 1 inch of water running across it. It was a very slight downhill to get on the bridge maybe 15 feet before the bridge but only maybe a two and a half foot drop if that. I had my 12 year old daughter on the passenger seat and after stopping to observe the situation, I proceeded to go across. About the middle of the bridge I gave a little gas and the bike did a 180 degree spin on the bridge. Now, I am facing the opposite way looking at about 5 bikes and my right foot can not be put down because it would take about 5 feet to reach the bottom of the creek and I'm not that tall. I'm sitting there with Amy on the back afraid to drive out only my left foot on the bridge which was really mossy and slippery. I did not want to risk the rear tire sliding sideways or we would have the bike and all laying sideways in the water. All my friends watched what happened and dismounted to come to my aid. With the bike in idle mode, they helped push the bike to the dryer pavement just off the bridge. Some of those guys got wet feet but those with good riding boots did not. That was something we talked about for several chapter meetings after that. That in the Spring of 1998 with all of us riding GL1500s.

 

[NCBirdMan]

I owned a blackbird (500 lbs and 152 HP) and it was easy to get just a little too much throttle and cause the rear end to drift. That, with the wind may have caused it.

Ride safe and have fun!


Rayjoe

Yep, you got that right Rayjoe. As I stated in the original post the wind was at my back (didn't realize at the time) and didn't come into play until I made the turn. I had no appreciation for the wind speed so I proceeded to negotiate the turn in my usual manner. As a previous poster stated it may have been a microburst. Over the years I have ridden over bridges and mountain passes here and out west with powerful crosswinds and managed just fine. On this this day the power of the wind surprised the heck out of me. Fortunately, the turn is a "safe" one, in that there are no curbs, abutments or other traffic and the pavement is smooth and clean.....and so is the seat of my Blackbird! >