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| *Vultures Knob>>>Street Bike |
Why does my street, sport, motorcycle automatically (without my input) lean into a strong wind gust? |
Whenever I ride my motorcycle in high wind areas, when gust of a cross wind comes along, my motorcycle automatically leans into the wind. I have tried this with and without my hands on the handlebars to try to eliminate any input from my hands. I have also consciously tried not to lean with my body into the wind. It is most noticeable when I come out from an area where the wind is blocked into an area where there is a strong cross wind. This is street, sport bike (Ninja 750 CC) with a full fairing. I do remember this happening also when riding my father's Honda Gold Wing about 20 years ago as well. You are leaning into the gust....its instinctual. If you didnt lean into it....you would wipe out. Your subconcious has a self preservation reflex that makes lean without really noticing it. No matter what the explanation...the Motorcycle is not leaning on its own. Its just a machine doing what its told. I drive a Suzuki Volusia 800 touring bike. The bike does not lean by itself but you do it without realizing it with your lower body to compensate for the movement of the bike. Actually, Your body acts as a sail, and as you experience those wind gust they push you and you bike the same way a sail would push a boat across the water. But given forward momentum and the fact that your tires are indeed gripping the road you get the same effect as if a friend lightly pushes you to try and squeeze by in the hallway. 20 year rider ZX7RR & GSXR 1000 You and your bike lean into the wind because it's acting like a sail. The wind gets caught up below the center of gravity where the weight distribution is the least from a cross-wind perspective (down by the wheels) which in-turn pushes the wheels away from the wind, or gives the feeling of leaning into the wind. It happens often when you pass a tractor-trailer on the highway. You will feel it as you get by the nose of the truck. The feeling is worse on lighter bikes than heavier bikes.. You ride in the wind "without my hands on the handlebars"?!!? Well, young Thomas Edison, the answers above are all correct - you are unconsciously leaning into the wind, or your Ninja is haunted by the ghost of the last idiot who rode around with his hands off the bars. Gyroscopic effect. A motorcycle in motion is a big spinning gyroscope, and when you apply a force to a spinning gyroscope it pushes back. Try it with a spinning top - same thing happens. The phenomena is called 'rigidity in space' :-) |
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