When I first got my VFR I could not believe how much the wind was affecting me. I had a ZX-7 and it felt heaps more stable. Recently I changed my rear shock and guess what... I hardly notice the wind now. Days I would dread in the past are completely different now. Changing the rear shock on my bike has made a MASSIVE improvement..
I can see a bad shock making the bike a little light in the loafers.... cool beans now go ride that thing till the wheels fall off!!!!!!!!!!! (figuratively not literaly)
That's great Pap, I realised that on my old Gen 5 which had 100000km on it. The wind would make it very skittish. I tried to set up the suspension (static sag) and realised the rear shock was shagged. My newer Gen 5 has 28000km and handles the wind like a train. The other thing I noticed was a new rear tyre helped a bit. What brand of shock did you put on??
Kind of depends on which way the wind is blowing and the direction of travel. Headwind or tailwind not too bad since the fairing aerodynamics are in tune with same. A crosswind or change of direction of travel can make a fairing act like an improperly set sail. The folks here that have crossed the Columbia River Gorge when the wind is kicking gusts of 60mph and the road changes direction as much as 90 degrees on both sides of the bridges will know about this. Stock Honda monoshocks don't last long and if the tires are shot change em, wind or no.
I've always been surprised, impressed, and bewildered how bikes seem to automatically step out and brace themselves against the wind. We regularly get 30mph sustained winds with gusts that near hurricane force. The wind normally comes out of Wyoming or it downslopes off the mountains in the summer. So running I25 north or south you get blasted from the side. It's always amazed me how the tires seem to step out and brace themselves against the wind while your body holds the same line. It would seem like a sudden blast of wind should tend to knock a person over. The only time it gets real hairy is when you run a stretch of concrete with the grooves in it running parallel. The tires will track in the grooves and have a harder time stepping out to brace against the wind. My VF500 had a lot harder time with the grooves than the VFR does. I'm guessing the narrower tires had something to do with it. That's my experience anyway.
Hi all, I guess I was keen to post about this as, my bike in the wind was really crap and I never would have thought the suspension could cause that.
My thinking on that was that a worn out shock or spring is usually shorter in distance ie it is compressed. That will tend to cause the bike to be slightly squatted at the back and have slightly less weight on the front (only slightly) - A bit like on hard accelaration (the back tends to squat). This might reduce the front contact patch and make the bike feel uneasy - but only noticeable in cross winds. Just my opinion
A shot shock and tires make for bad handling on any bike. "Not a good thing" as Martha might say. Maybe you guys from OZ just need to eat more. Not perfect but just tossing that in the old "solution" pile.. Some of the old timers here maybe have driven a VW bug or a Porsche in a strong crosswind. Great fun.. for a few minutes, then ya want to pick up a "robust" hitchhiker.
I dunno. I kinda get a rush out of riding in the strong cross winds. Especiall when pulling out of the lea of a semi into the windw.. WHOOLYAAAA. Mind you a couple years back in central California, From Atascadero, almost all the way to Mount Shasta, I had a constant cross wind from the west for several hours. I was kinda tired by the end of that day. But it was a constant, and basically I rode the whole time at a constant 4 degrees or so off up-right.
Lets see if we got this right? The winds were "strong" enough to blow you four degrees from 90. Somehow the numbers are a bit hard to crunch. Makes for a good story though. I think you meant "lee". Behind a 60 footer in Kamm envelope the winds and subsequent gusts would be diminished relative to the speed of the rig. Hopefully, you are not in the habit of riding along side (in the lee) of a tractor/t railer combination, wind or no wind whilst on the slab when those truckers are at 70+ mph. May the Good Lord be with you when they peel you off the Jersey barrier or guard rail. BTW, From Atascadero to Weed is give or take 500 miles unless somebody moved one or the other.
Actually I totally lied BB. It was only to Willows. My mistake. I called it a day there cause I had a conversation at roadside with a state employee and this seemed to be a good time as any to call it a day. And it was not from Atascadero either. It was from Victorville, through Bakersfield then on to Willows. Google says 497 miles. But it was part and parcel to my first trip to Atascadero. Don't remember what time I left Vic though. And for riding 4 degrees off up right, what I was trying to get across was that just about the whole trip was a constant blow that required riding at an angle rather than straight up and down. You know. Lean into the wind so you don't graze with the cows. Don't worry though BB. I don't make a habit of riding along side of a semi. But I do from time to time find myself beside one. Especially when I am over taking. The other options for me are to remain behind one with my head bee bopping all over the fucking place due to turbulence, or trying to squeeze past them by contorting myself some how underneath and shooting myself out the front similar in fashion to a teenage boy on Spanish fly at a stripper bar for his first time.
Thanks. I went back to check, not only on Google, but also in my mind. No problem finding things on Google but..... First year I went on to Victorville to visit family there after Slo. The second year it was directly out of Atascadero with Drewl babysitting me most of the way, with a stop at Toes for a brew, then called it a day, (night time by then) at Weed. I think that is where I lost my camera. Yup. That's what it was for sure. Went back onto Google Maps Satelite and looked and tunderin Jesus, I could still see my camera right down there in the parking lot at the Qulity Inn and Suits of Weed.
Rain Grooves Possibly, but I suspect you are running tires on your VF500 with a center channel. My old Ninja 250 had the same problem, until I dumped the stock Dunlops for BT-45s. Eliminated the center channel, and the problem. Rear tire width was only 130. I also had upgraded the rear shock and fork springs.
If ya'll want to have some real fun on scarified roadways and slabs with rain grooves, try it in a high crosswind with bias ply tires. Great fun. Steel bridge grates are fun too. Just an opinion but let the trailer/tractor rigs go first, same thing for busses. Did I mention anyone talking on a cell too? If not, now I did.
