CB1100 and Wind

[Cormanus]

I am perfectly fine! Discretion is the better part of valor. I didn't go down or anything, but the almost instantaneous and unexpected 10 inch move to the left was a wake up call that I heeded.

Wise man.

 

[the Ferret]

Here are two consecutive pics I took maybe 30 secs apart on our trip to Cali. My buddy on a Vstom 1000 was riding the left tire track and I was riding in the center on my ST 1300. We are in in eastern Colorado at this point, headed north with a west wind. Look at his wheels, look at his body posture. I have a dozen pics of him fighting the wind like this.

Look how far a wind gust pushed him in this second pic ...lol.. from the left track to the right track almost to the white line. It was a hoot to watch, but no fun to ride in.

Like I said by 3 PM we were bushed. Normally we would have ridden until dinner, but that day we got off the road at 3 PM, exhausted.

edit: found another where it pushed him all the way to the white line lol

 

[postoak_imp]

Yeah and just imagine if it had pushed him the other way, into traffic.

 

[the Ferret]

Yea no kidding, that could have been really bad.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

With wind like that, I'm impressed you had the confidence and presence of mind to even take photos.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Lanyard worked overtime that day.

 

[the Ferret]

I think I took about 1200 photos on that 11 day ride. This is a big country. Spend 10 hours or so a day in the saddle and sometimes there's not a lot to do except take pictures lol.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

... and many times it is the images that took the least thought end up having the precious instance in time (never to be again).

 

[the Ferret]

Very insightful GO

 

[Paris_imp]

Same here. Without unnecessary body work, my CB11 is quite stable in a crosswind. The only exception being when you load up the rear seat and rack with luggage and camping gear. Then it can get a bit tricky if the crosswind gets above 30 mph or so.

One of the first things I did was put the same Plexifaring on my CB that Flyrider shows in his picture. I can't say whether the wind effect on the bike is more or less with that large fairing, but the wind effect on me is reduced tremendously.

Wind, however, wasn't the reason I installed it. About fifteen years ago I had to ride through a vicious Piedmont rain storm at night on US 40/85 on a Honda CB750F. I was riding through grey curtains of rain and spray from passing trucks worse than I can describe, trying to keep up at 60MPH. That night, that big fairing was my best friend. I don't see how I could have made it through without it.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Small or no screens in blowing freeway rain really suck. Just have to bare through it until the next stop opportunity. Many times it didn't matter and I just push on because the rain was unplanned and thus had already took on a soaking. A pretty sorry situation.