Quote:
Originally Posted by exupstateny
When I first spotted the name of the thread I thought it may be some new kind of marriage ritual. Then I realized you left the g of bridges  .
All kidding aside, I have been riding for almost forty years starting out with dirt bike riding which teaches you a lot about balance. I don't have any problems with the wind but I think that comes from experience. I agree with OTC that you and probably anyone else that is new to motorcycle riding should probably take a class or at the very least get some tutoring from someone that has a lot of experience riding. |
TAKE A CLASS & TAKE IT SLOW!
I've been riding for 4 years now. I've never even had a close call and I've probably got ~15,000 miles in so far between 3 different bikes. I took it slow.
I'm currently on my heaviest and most powerful... a nearly 600 lbs when wet 650cc Suzuki GSX F.
Prior to that I had a Ducati Monster 620.
Before that (my first) was a 125cc little bike.
Point being, I started out small and worked my way up and had ample opportunity to get away with dropping my bikes and picking them up. I'm not sure how big your new bike is, but it factors into things. The little ones also didn't have enough throttle to get me into too much trouble, and were agile enough to flick around obstacles that I might've struck otherwise due to my inexperience or inattention (which should never be a factor on a bike).
To answer your question, I currently live in New Orleans and we get some wild cross winds on some bridges that are several hundred feet high. I'm totally comfortable with them now, but let's just say my first time experiencing them at 60 mph with cars all around me... well, my ass left marks in the seat from how tight it was clenched.
The wind will push you over -- either towards another lane or the shoulder. It will either push the whole bike while you've got everything straight and you're not leaning, or it will literally push you up top and lean the bike for you.
You just counter steer it... it comes naturally to me now and I don't even tense up anymore (which you really never want to anyway, a level head is best). We had 30 mph winds down here yesterday with a cold front moving through. I just leaned deep into some of the wind to stay in my lane and keep the bike straight.
The tricky bit comes in when the wind stops and you need to get the bike upright again. You just need to be in a constant state of readiness and anticipation of that moment and correct the posture of the bike. It's a constant situation you face when crossing the bridge.
It's not a panic thing... it's smooth and natural, your instincts will tell you what to do the moment you feel it. My bike sits pretty high, and I'm told guys with lower bikes (choppers, etc) don't have as pronounced an impact from the wind.
We've also got a 24 mile long bridge that spans Lake Ponchartrain, so that's my experience between that one and the Crescent City Connection, and the Huey P. Long... our 3 biggest bridges where wind is a major factor some days, and bikes are not permitted to cross them.
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MCs riding across bridges
