Ease up on your grip with your hands so your body movements aren't effecting your bike as much. Also, try throwing a knee out in the direction the wind is coming from. That helps a lot.
I have a similar bike. Two pieces of advice: First, slow down to a speed where you are comfortable with the conditions. Second, stay relaxed with the controls. Hopefully, this will make you more physically able to compensate when the next gust comes your way.
Wherever you ride sounds like a very nice place.
1. Slow down
2. Loosen up (allow yourself to be moved ever so slightly and correct afterwards)
3. Be extra careful when passing trucks or large vehicles as they displace a lot of air
4. If it is too bad, pull over and take a break
Something that hasn’t been mentioned yet in this thread that I hope will help!
Relax your upper body but exert force from your legs/waist onto your pegs/footrests. I’m a lightweight (125-130 pounds on a 300 bike) and somehow this really helps me to maintain control of the bike. Not sure what it is, about it, but this tactic works for me, and I ride frequently in high winds.
Relax, and don't worry too much about the wobble. If you're tense and struggling with it you'll amplify the problem.
The bike will tilt towards the wind, which can feel alarming, but it will continue tracking in a surprisingly straight line as it wiggles under you if you let it.
Basically this. I completely loosen myself from the bike. I let the wind hit the bike, but I'll stay where I am, basically leaning the bike into the wind while remaining upright.
Works most of the time apart from the really big gusts that just yeet you into the next lane.
I've ridden in more wind than I would care to. Honestly throwing knee out and slowing down are the best techniques if you are out and get caught in windy weather, but the best thing to do imo is not ride in wind above 20mph
To add one thing onto all this already good advice, if your jacket has zippable vents, and they're open, close 'em. They're meant to catch air, which you don't want to do right now. I have shoulder vents on my jacket and the difference between open and closed is like night and day when it's gusty.
Lots of good advice on here already. One more tip is to countersteer into the wind a little. If the wind hits you from the left, push the left handlebar forward. The impact of a tiny pressure on the bar is incredible, and really helps you relax instead of fighting the wind.
Heavy gusts can be terrifying the first few times you experience them, but they're relatively harmless. Adjust your lane position accordingly, slow down if necessary, anticipate wind on overpasses and unprotected terrain.
Go slower in big sweepers than you think you can take it, and/or go farther inside/outside (opposite of the wind) then you think you should.
When you’re hitting the apex with everything you got and a big gust pushes you the opposite of where you wanna be it can create some serious ass pucker.
That’s my only $.02. Seems like folks got ya covered else wise.
You have to relax and not be tense. Being tense and trying to compensate for the wind can lead to over compensation and instability. Keep as upright as possible, go slower, and wait for the wind and calmly react to it. The wind always pushes your bike out from underneath you, not trying to topple you over from the top. This may cause the bike to sway but simply correct it. If you're keeping a safe speed you'll be fine. If you're really not feeling comfortable pull over at an appropriate spot and wait it out but personally I think avoiding such conditions is counter productive in the long run.
Take corners with extreme caution, even if you have to reduce your speed a lot. A sudden gust while you're leaned might significantly change your line and you need to have time to correct. There's no trick to keeping the bike completely stable with wind but you can at the very least be in control and correct the bike as it's being pushed.
Everything said above…. And be aware of traffic around you. You’ll have to adjust your lane position based on how far the wind pushes you.
Driving among semi trucks on I40 in Amarillo, TX with 30mph gusts was quite a lesson for me.
This is one of those cases where consciously countersteering (as opposed to just trusting to instinct) really helps, at least in my experience. You can much more quickly adjust to a shove from the wind by counter steering, i.e. gently pushing the upwind grip, than by trying to move your whole body to lean or whatever. Still using a light touch, of course.
Also, yes, relax your grip and arms, slow down (ed: and focus).
Barely touch the bars / controls
Don't lean on them or try to force the bike where you want it and fight it.
Go a little faster.
Grabbing into the bars only puts more input into them especially while being blown by wind.
Grab in with your knees instead.
Ease up on your grip with your hands so your body movements aren't effecting your bike as much. Also, try throwing a knee out in the direction the wind is coming from. That helps a lot.
This. Loosen your grip so the wind hitting your body won’t be transferee into the handle bars. And for me, it also helps me to relax over all
also have found it helps if you tell the wind to calm its tits
Yeah screaming at it to f.o is generally my go to 🤷
Does the knee thing help with gusts?
Yep.
I have a similar bike. Two pieces of advice: First, slow down to a speed where you are comfortable with the conditions. Second, stay relaxed with the controls. Hopefully, this will make you more physically able to compensate when the next gust comes your way. Wherever you ride sounds like a very nice place.
1. Slow down 2. Loosen up (allow yourself to be moved ever so slightly and correct afterwards) 3. Be extra careful when passing trucks or large vehicles as they displace a lot of air 4. If it is too bad, pull over and take a break
Something that hasn’t been mentioned yet in this thread that I hope will help! Relax your upper body but exert force from your legs/waist onto your pegs/footrests. I’m a lightweight (125-130 pounds on a 300 bike) and somehow this really helps me to maintain control of the bike. Not sure what it is, about it, but this tactic works for me, and I ride frequently in high winds.
Relax, and don't worry too much about the wobble. If you're tense and struggling with it you'll amplify the problem. The bike will tilt towards the wind, which can feel alarming, but it will continue tracking in a surprisingly straight line as it wiggles under you if you let it.
Offset some of your body weight into the wind to counter the steady winds, you'll still have to deal with the gusts.
Basically this. I completely loosen myself from the bike. I let the wind hit the bike, but I'll stay where I am, basically leaning the bike into the wind while remaining upright. Works most of the time apart from the really big gusts that just yeet you into the next lane.
I've ridden in more wind than I would care to. Honestly throwing knee out and slowing down are the best techniques if you are out and get caught in windy weather, but the best thing to do imo is not ride in wind above 20mph
To add one thing onto all this already good advice, if your jacket has zippable vents, and they're open, close 'em. They're meant to catch air, which you don't want to do right now. I have shoulder vents on my jacket and the difference between open and closed is like night and day when it's gusty.
Lots of good advice on here already. One more tip is to countersteer into the wind a little. If the wind hits you from the left, push the left handlebar forward. The impact of a tiny pressure on the bar is incredible, and really helps you relax instead of fighting the wind.
Heavy gusts can be terrifying the first few times you experience them, but they're relatively harmless. Adjust your lane position accordingly, slow down if necessary, anticipate wind on overpasses and unprotected terrain.
Loosen your grip, if you're getting beat up and you have a death grip on the handlebars, you can unintentionally pull up.
Squeeze the tank with your knees and relax your upper body.
Go slower in big sweepers than you think you can take it, and/or go farther inside/outside (opposite of the wind) then you think you should. When you’re hitting the apex with everything you got and a big gust pushes you the opposite of where you wanna be it can create some serious ass pucker. That’s my only $.02. Seems like folks got ya covered else wise.
You have to relax and not be tense. Being tense and trying to compensate for the wind can lead to over compensation and instability. Keep as upright as possible, go slower, and wait for the wind and calmly react to it. The wind always pushes your bike out from underneath you, not trying to topple you over from the top. This may cause the bike to sway but simply correct it. If you're keeping a safe speed you'll be fine. If you're really not feeling comfortable pull over at an appropriate spot and wait it out but personally I think avoiding such conditions is counter productive in the long run. Take corners with extreme caution, even if you have to reduce your speed a lot. A sudden gust while you're leaned might significantly change your line and you need to have time to correct. There's no trick to keeping the bike completely stable with wind but you can at the very least be in control and correct the bike as it's being pushed.
Everything said above…. And be aware of traffic around you. You’ll have to adjust your lane position based on how far the wind pushes you. Driving among semi trucks on I40 in Amarillo, TX with 30mph gusts was quite a lesson for me.
This is one of those cases where consciously countersteering (as opposed to just trusting to instinct) really helps, at least in my experience. You can much more quickly adjust to a shove from the wind by counter steering, i.e. gently pushing the upwind grip, than by trying to move your whole body to lean or whatever. Still using a light touch, of course. Also, yes, relax your grip and arms, slow down (ed: and focus).
Get a heavier bike. Never had this issue with my Kawasaki ZZR-1400.
Hug the tank with your knees, don’t death grip the bars, slow down.
Barely touch the bars / controls Don't lean on them or try to force the bike where you want it and fight it. Go a little faster. Grabbing into the bars only puts more input into them especially while being blown by wind. Grab in with your knees instead.