27mph winds. Gusts to 41mph. Would you ride?

[SpyderSkeets]

It's such a nice day, except for those damn winds! Would you go out and fight those winds or save the riding for another day?

[Chupaca]

I would go even in the wind. It is a workout but the spyder tracks nicely.... you on the otherhand will blow around in the wind. I find a relaxed mode and go with the flow and it is not all that bad. If you fight it you will feel it at the end of the day....:thumbup:

[Grandpa Pete]

That's pretty typical when I ride from Minnesota to South Dakota. Seems I start getting nailed right after Wilmar.:lecturef_smilie:. Just think of it as an ab workout:thumbup::thumbup::hun:. Party on:doorag:

[Saluda]

We do it (ride in the wind). Lately it seems we're getting more and more of it.

[Nokesy]

I have driving in high winds on my two wheeler, found out later I had driven through a trough of tornadoes thru Texas. Quite the experience riding at a 45 degree angle with a ton of rain. The spyder I found did quite well when I was going through Atlanta with gust up to 50.

I would rather drive in nice dry and sunny with a temp of 70 degrees but does not happen that often;)

[johnsimion]

We live in Las Vegas and wind is frequently an issue. When it's windy, we choose to ride on city streets and just run errands and go look at other people's expensive homes. At low speeds in the city, it's still fun to ride, we don't need hearing protection and the wind isn't much of an issue. By comparison, wind like you describe would be really unpleasant out on the highway in the middle of the desert or in the mountains, especially if it's kicking up dust, too.

[JayBros]

I would go even in the wind. It is a workout but the spyder tracks nicely.... you on the otherhand will blow around in the wind. I find a relaxed mode and go with the flow and it is not all that bad. If you fight it you will feel it at the end of the day....:thumbup:

An absolute, BIG +1, particularly if you have a BajaRon sway bar and a good laser alignment.

[SpyderAnn01]

That’s a pretty typical day in Las Vegas. We rode to southern CA on Friday in those exact conditions and it isn’t a big deal. Dodged some tumbleweeds and the intercom can get annoying when the wind opens the microphone but the Spyder handles great.

[ARtraveler]

40 mph winds should not be an issue on the :spyder:--if you are aware and can keep it in control safely. We have done it many times.

1980's in the Badlands National Park. Riding a Yamaha Venture Touring, winds gusting 60 to 80 mph. We had to lean into the wind to keep from getting blown over. The wind dehydrated us so much that we stopped at the Cedar Pass Lodge and drank a couple quarts of ice water along with our meal. Amazing, I can still remember that ride in detail. :thumbup:

[finless]

I had to once when I bought my Spyder and had to drive it home from Palm Springs.
Winds through the pass were easily this speed with gusts probably more. And not head on or tail on but side on!

It was rough at first as I was a new Spyder rider. But over few miles I got to see how the Spyder handled it and it was way better than I expected. More body buffeting than the Spyder moving around. In fact the Spyder behaved well. The only time things got a little scary (and I mean a little) was passing big rigs. I am sure we have all been driving a car and when you pass the big rig your blocked then BAM wind again. Same thing on the Spyder but again nothing exiciting in response. Just don't over control.

Would I do it again? I wouldn't go do it just to have a casual ride that day but I would do it if I needed to get somewhere. e.g. like on a trip and no choice. In no way would I let it hold up my trip unless I had all the time to spare and did not care to be somewhere.


Bob

[Lew L]

Yes I would ( and have ) ride in winds /gusts like those you mention.

[finless]

Actually I did have to do it again one time coming down the 5 freeway from Redding to LA.
It was blowing like stink. Nothing I could not handle EXCEPT the dirt storms from dried up farms and tumbleweeds!
Dodging giant tumblers, almost as high as you are, flying across the freeway at 65 is not fun.
Getting a sand blasting is also not fun! When I got home, I had sand in my underwear...

Even geared up, the wind sucks the mositure from you.
CARRY PLENTY OF WATER! Stop when you are tired and take a break even if for just 15 minutes.

Finally, plan gas well! Head on winds make you suck more gas. A lot more!

Bob

[MurrayBrown]

It's such a nice day, except for those damn winds! Would you go out and fight those winds or save the riding for another day?

Unfortunately, this area of Canada suffers from some interesting winds at times. The bottom line is that riding in them is not an issue, as opposed to two-wheel motorcycles.
Go out and enjoy.

[ARNIE R]

Don't mind the cold as much as I do the wind - hate it even when the the temps are reasonable. However, my limit is about 45F and it wasn't much warmer than that today. Tuesday will be nicer.

[4 MARIE]

You really call THAT a wind ? ha ha ha...don't make me laugh.

[canamjhb]

Went through Oklahoma and Northern Texas last May. There were Tornados all around and winds were 40-60 mph+. I survived.

[PapaHotel]

Big difference if it is a head/tail wind vs 90-degree crosswind. I was riding two up and found we were, in essence, a huge "sail." With a 40+ mph crosswind that was a surprise after clearing a "protected from the wind" area, I was in the oncoming lane before I figured out my predicament. I opted for straight into the ditch rather than rolling it trying to correct in the side gravel.
I was extremely lucky that I was in an area without the fenced barbed wire found a few hundred feet down the road.

It took me awhile to get my confidence back to where I ride if wind is projected to be above 20 mph.

[cptjam]

Yup. Kinda fun, really. Every trip thru New Mexico is exactly like that!!!

[rcturner]

Here, in southern Minnesota, if you aren't going to ride in the wind, you aren't going to ride. Like many others, we get a kick out of hearing that some part of the country is suffering with 20 or 25 MPH winds. That is pretty normal here.

[Bob Denman]

Question: Do you normally ride less than "27, to 41 mph"? :dontknow:
Then why would you let a gentle breeze bother you? :D
It'll clean the cobwebs out of your head: get out there and RIDE!! :2thumbs:

[cruisinTX]

It's such a nice day, except for those damn winds! Would you go out and fight those winds or save the riding for another day?

I live a little way north of Amarillo; according to the NWS, the windiest city in the country. We see winds like in the picture on a regular basis. My personal limit for riding for enjoyment is about 30mph although I have ridden in much higher winds out of necessity. Most of my riding has been on two wheelers. Having lived in this area all my life, riding in the wind is kind of a given if you want to ride more than four days a year when it's calm.

All that said, my bikes are much more stable in heavy cross winds than the Spyder provided you can keep the speed up to at least 70mph. The R1100RT (pictured) is especially good at handling cross winds due to the design of the full fairing. On it, above 70mph the aerodynamics of the fairing pretty much negate any wind until it reaches speeds over 60mph.

[murphybrown]

It's such a nice day, except for those damn winds! Would you go out and fight those winds or save the riding for another day?

Only weather that has stopped my ryding is when the roads are snow/ice covered... Been in some serious winds (above 45 mph).our Spyders are incredibly stable...those cross winds sure do "snap" my head and neck Tho!! :yikes:

[trucker1]

Just think of it as a challenge or maybe a new adventure. If your on a long trip and get caught out in a storm you still have to ride to get where your going. So just embrace the moment and ride it like you stole it. Have fun, be safe and enjoy the day.

[wmh9680]

Big difference if it is a head/tail wind vs 90-degree crosswind. I was riding two up and found we were, in essence, a huge "sail." With a 40+ mph crosswind that was a surprise after clearing a "protected from the wind" area, I was in the oncoming lane before I figured out my predicament. I opted for straight into the ditch rather than rolling it trying to correct in the side gravel.
I was extremely lucky that I was in an area without the fenced barbed wire found a few hundred feet down the road.

It took me awhile to get my confidence back to where I ride if wind is projected to be above 20 mph.

Up here in Chicago (the wnidy city) we have winds but not usually as bad as out in the plains although we are a flat state. The Spyder is sooooo much better than a 2 wheeler. It does get scary when you come out of a protected area into a flat unprotected area. I've had many a scary ride on 2 wheels in the wind. It takes alot to make us not ride but some days the wind was toooo much. Mike

[SpyderAnn01]

I live a little way north of Amarillo; according to the NWS, the windiest city in the country. We see winds like in the picture on a regular basis. My personal limit for riding for enjoyment is about 30mph although I have ridden in much higher winds out of necessity. Most of my riding has been on two wheelers. Having lived in this area all my life, riding in the wind is kind of a given if you want to ride more than four days a year when it's calm.

All that said, my bikes are much more stable in heavy cross winds than the Spyder provided you can keep the speed up to at least 70mph. The R1100RT (pictured) is especially good at handling cross winds due to the design of the full fairing. On it, above 70mph the aerodynamics of the fairing pretty much negate any wind until it reaches speeds over 60mph.

In 2013 we were returning to Las Vegas after attending Spyderfest and Amarillo was its usual windy self. So much so that a few weeks later we were making some mods to my new RT and I found someone’s City of Amarillo Water Bill from 2009 had blown onto the interstate and found its way between two belly panels on the bike.

[jmatera]

It's such a nice day, except for those damn winds! Would you go out and fight those winds or save the riding for another day?

It was like that here in NY yesterday and I went for a ride. Really had to hold on when those gusts hit especially on the interstate but it was fun ;)

[HayRog]

Wind ?? Hell yeah :2thumbs: -- refreshing.
After many times at 45 degrees on 2 wheels, upright on 3 wheels is, well, a breeze ;)

[Eviltwin]

We had about the same amount of gusting down in southern VA. Spyder is up on a jack in the garage while I'm working on the rear wheel, so I took out the Silverwing. A couple of times I caught some big gusts from the side, that was, em, interesting. Still all in all it was a nice ride. I try not to let a nice weekend morning go by without getting some 2/3 wheel time in. Doubt I would have noticed it nearly as much on the Spyder.

[dpetrick]

I ride in windy conditions a lot here in NW Iowa. Wind is why we have lots of turbines creating electricity. Average wind speed is 13mph here.

[HIspyder]

Drove through 50+mph cross winds in SD on my way back from the Homecoming event in June.

My left hand went numb a few times, winds from the left, and I had to point my head into the wind while looking out the right side of my visor due to neck strain. I got pounded for about 4 hours but the F3 was as stable as can be.

These events definitely build confidence in the machines capabilities.

[SpyderSkeets]

Took her out for a nice ride. My body was being pushed this way and that way, but the Spyder didn't even wince.

[jScotD]

I have driving in high winds on my two wheeler, found out later I had driven through a trough of tornadoes thru Texas. Quite the experience riding at a 45 degree angle with a ton of rain. The spyder I found did quite well when I was going through Atlanta with gust up to 50.

I would rather drive in nice dry and sunny with a temp of 70 degrees but does not happen that often;)

yes riding at 45 degrees is interesting..happened going through OK...and yes there was rain...cold rain...and by the time I got to Flagstaff , I was riding in snow ruts...only wind today was in my hair ....running up and down the road on the Spyder

[UCLA F3S]

Those wind speeds are the norm out here in Mojave/Tehachapi! :roflblack:

All joking aside, the Batpod is a good deal heavier than your standard 2-wheeler, PLUS adding my 225+ lbs. self helps the thing stay planted when the wind gets a howlin' :thumbup:

[Pirate looks at --]

On our trip home from Valcourt we experienced 45 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 60 mph in Southern Minnesota and South Dakota. So weird in SD as it was also 102 degrees. As someone else stated, the Spyder doesn't move, but your body wants to fly off the motorcycle. Headwinds and tail winds are not too bad, but these were cross winds and it was a great workout staying on the seat. We had the same winds in Wyoming a couple of days later the difference was that we started in a dust storm that ran into a rain storm and we literally were in a mud storm. When we saw the RVs blowing across the highway from lane to lane with almost no visibility we stopped at the "Little America" resort in the middle of nowhere and got a room and waited for calmer weather.