Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

I considered posting this in the not-necessarily-gsx650f forum, but I think this is indeed gsx650f related because of how this bike handled it.

Today was a very high wind day in Albuquerque. Dust and wind storms severely. I had a family event to attend and I was determined, so I braved it.

I do not have any specific training or knowledge in riding in crosswinds. Perhaps others of you do, and I would love to hear your experiences.

I found that the gsx650f almost seemed to know what to do better than I did. When gusts appeared, I was alarmed on the inside, but without my thinking too much about it the bike seemed to lean into it and right itself without my intervention. It feels very odd to lean into a crosswind when not actually cornering, but it held up correctly and I think the weight of the bike as well as the physics of geometric precession also factored in.

Long story short, felt weird but right. I am told that heavier bikes like the gsx650f fare better in situations like this. What do my fellow riders have in the way of knowledge and/or experience when dealing with this phenomenon?

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Did it freak you out? Did you use any particular tactics or skills, or just let it happen?

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i usually watch the trees, or find a marker something to tell me the direction of the wind, and move accordingly, if wind is comming from the "Left" i will move more towards the center lane, and vice versa for wind from the "right" to allow some play if anything were to happen, but generally speaking. im usually goin to fast and cut thru it.. Bike knows what to do.. it keeps goin forward

Hi I'm from Saskatchewan Canada . Very flat and been known for its windy conditions. I've riden in side winds that are 60 mph and more . Not by choice but by necessity. I read a few years back on a different forum on how to ride strong cross winds. It was written by a guy that usually finishes top 10 in the 3 flag races . these guys ride at least 1000 miles a day for 10 days straight . The technique sounds weird but really works awesome. I ride a c-14 and wife has the 650f . She uses this style too.
If the wind was coming from your right you would shift your butt to the left side of the seat . Them push on your right handlebar so the bike would be counter steered to the right . It would naturally lean into the wind. The more you move your butt to the left side the more you would push on the right bar , the more the bike would lean into the wind. What happens is you will find a neutral area where the bike will track straight . Keep adjusting these two things until it does. The bonus of this system is as you move your butt to the opposite side the wind is coming from the more you take the wind off of you. That way the bike is not to prone to moving around too much as your aerodynamics have been eliminated . You are actually still sitting upright while the bike is leaned over. You're just sitting on the high side of the seat .
Sounds like the opposite thing to do but it really really works ! Always adjust yourself so the bike tracks straight . You'll feel when it is right as you'll only have to correct your steering for slight gusts of wind.

Being a new rider myself, I have experienced them crosswinds. The bike did feel like it knew what to do before I did. At first, it did freak me out. After getting used to it, I just let the bike do what it needed to do. I just made sure I was ready for them gusts and make sure to make any minor steering adjustments that I needed to do.

Riding in wind, you just kind of go with the flow... occasionally you get a heavy gust and get blown into another lane, be sure and turn your head and make sure it's safe to get back into your lane. One thing is to watch trees, cars, weed, flags... anything that moves so you're mentally prepared .

A heavier bike is easier to ride in wind just because, well, it's heavier. My 700 lb Harley will track just fine, my problem is that it only has a fairing, riding all day in 35-40 mph crosswinds is tiring. The 06 Triumph Speedmaster weighed 500 lbs, but it got blow around a lot in those winds. different dynamics, both cruisers.
A faired bike will cut thru the wind much better than a cruiser. (not talking about big H-D's or GW's here....)

From all I've read here, the 6fiddy will track nicely, not squirrely, just keep looking where you want to go.

Mary

I had a GS500F and it was prone to getting pushed around in cross winds ,you just grip with the knees and keep your arms and sholders loose.
If your top half is stiff ,the wind grabs you like a sail .
The 650F is great in the wind ,I ride in high winds all the time ,no need to hang off on this bike ,it just cuts threw with the bikes wieght ,I don't even think about it ..big gusts hit me and im lucky if I move 1 foot side ways.
Just keep your top half loose and arms bent.

Great comments everyone, thanks!

I grip the tank with my knees, keep my arms loose, lean forward a little more, and relax. The wind will push the bike and I correct with a little steering input. I don't fight it. I don't tense up. I try to stay smooth with all inputs and adjust my lean as needed.

Blue bike owners have no problems at all with the wind. We simply out run it.

Am I the only one starting to grow a little fatigued of the "my color is faster" bit?

Actually, on-topic and related to speed in the wind, I did find myself yesterday paying attention to my speed quite a bit. On the expressway, any speed above 70mph freaked me out prohibitively. The bike was handling it okay, it just gave my heartbeat a little too much "holy crap" factor for my comfort. No harm in slowing down for comfort, I figured.

The cagers passing me, though, occasionally looked at me puzzled, as if to ask "why so slow", lol. Naturally they must have found it quite unnatural to see the black colored gsx650f traveling at less than hypersonic speeds.

My first fast bike color joke. My god, what have I become.

I've wondered the same thing but never asked. The first time was freaky but I got used to it since FL is flat and always windy.

I tend to do what feels like a counter steering technique. Like dhula said. keep your butt on the opposite side of the way the wind is blowing and lean accordingly. It's very tiring though and cornering against the wind is nerve racking, but when you do it right, it's easy to keep the bike going straight.

I've also found that riding with a backpack that has some weight to it helps.

Welcome to the dark side!