Getting frustrated with the wind

[rich12]

So I've been commuting on my bike since April and have had a ktm duke and a yamaha mt07 for the job and whilst I love that type of bike, it really is annoying me how much the wind affects the ride on the motorway/dual carriage ways.

I always said I don't want a typical superbike due to knowing ill be a dick on one (speeding) but I'm assuming I can get a similar powered one to my yamaha?

I love the mt07s agility when filtering and having never ridden a 'faired bike', are the turning circles much bigger than a naked bike?

I hate admitting I'm wrong but it's just annoying me now.

Edited by rich12 on Sunday 15th July 19:44

[Jazoli]

Fit a screen?

My MT09 is a pain in the neck (literally) after an hour at 90mph but as I rarely ride on motorways its not such an issue, faired bikes don't necessarily have a worse turning circle, and yes there is a huge difference with a full fairing, 150mph cruising was effortless on my old ZZR1100 with a DB screen.

[rich12]

I have a screen albeit not a very big one. It's not my body that it really bothers me but I can feel the bike moving around which I don't like.
I weigh 15 stone so it's not something I really thought would happen.

[Jazoli]

I misunderstood your post then, thought you were complaining of the wind blast, A faired bike will move around more in the wind than an unfaired one as there is usually more surface area for the wind to hit, the MT you have is so light it will be affected by crosswinds more than a bigger heavier bike, you'll just have to get used to it, or buy a bigger/heavier bike.

[Ryan-nunm9]

Turning circle will be quite a bit worse than what you have now - not epic but worse. Sports bike will give a narrower profile, better for filtering. I had a ZZR 1400 in and around London pretty much everydau for a year with no issues, just takes a little more planning. I don't think sports bikes are better for commuting though, lower head position etc and generally shorter service intervals (not knowing what the intervals are on your bike).

You've got to give thigs like a bigger screen, hand guards etc a go first if your enjoying your cuirrent bike. Also, do you have a top box fitted? If over loaded they can have a epic effect on the handling etc.

[rich12]

No top box or anything. The windscreen doesn't even come up to the handle bars so not sure it does anything but it feels more like side winds rather than head on.

[Ryan-nunm9]

I don't pretend to know the science but side wind will affect a faired bike just as much....if not more? Fairing panels giving a larger surface area to hit.

I've had sports bike, sports tourers, naked and half faired bikes and side wind has never been a factor other than on gusty days along the motorway and all the bikes behave pretty much the same on those days.

As it's a naked bike you thought about if its the head wind hitting your arms and causing a bit of pull on the bars? My old boss used to hate this on his CB1300.

Like you I ride a naked bike (BMW K1300R). I have a small creen, hand guards and tail pack on most days and I don't really notice any issues with wind. Granted a slightly longer wheel base than the MT...and I'm heavier than 15 stone

[CoolHands]

How far do you commute?

Fairings do work compared with upright bikes IME.

[anonymous-user]

For discussion. lots of people know a lot more than I do on aero, butt he theory I read years ago, was there is a theatrical center of air pressure, a point where on a friction less surface a single point of air would push the bike sideways, and not try to skew it round. If that point is behind the Center of gravity a vehicle is ok in side winds if ahead of center of gravity vehicle is more unstable, (that's why minis where ok while rear engined Imps were awful in a side wind).
So you need to move the Center of gravity forward, (eg from wheel drive), not possible on a bike, or move the center of pressure backward.

I would have thought that if any large fairings around the engine would move the center of pressure forward, which is what you don't want.

Assuming that theory is right, panniers should move the center of pressure backward.

[Ho Lee Kau]

I don't know why people insist naked bikes are more agile and better fitted to city traffic.

On my old CBR600F, which is not even that narrow, I always get stuck behind riders on their nakeds, they can't filter because of the wide handlebars and block the road, while all I need to do to filter, without even touching foot on the ground, between two cars standing less than a meter away from each other is to bend my mirrors in.

With the full fairing and the bubble screen I obviously do not have problem with the wind either.

Edited by Ho Lee Kau on Monday 16th July 05:59

[Ho Lee Kau]

rich12 said:

So I've been commuting on my bike since April and have had a ktm duke and a yamaha mt07 for the job and whilst I love that type of bike, it really is annoying me how much the wind affects the ride on the motorway/dual carriage ways.

I always said I don't want a typical superbike due to knowing ill be a dick on one (speeding) but I'm assuming I can get a similar powered one to my yamaha?

I love the mt07s agility when filtering and having never ridden a 'faired bike', are the turning circles much bigger than a naked bike?

I hate admitting I'm wrong but it's just annoying me now.

Edited by rich12 on Sunday 15th July 19:44

Does it have to be a superbike? Why can't it be 600cc sportsbike? Lighter and more then fast enough when/if you want to be a dick.

[rich12]

Doesn't need to be a superbike, I just couldn't remember the term so said superbike for that style.

[ozzuk]

I had a tracer 700 (so similar to yours) but it had the full winter pack (which included a large screen). I went for it (screen) after learning on a sv650 and couldn't stick the level of disruption from wind. The tracer with the screen was in a different league - I took it on a tour of Wales, lots of high speed (ish) stuff and zero problems with wind - so perhaps try a bigger screen.

I'm a little concerned as my tracer was stolen last month and I've bought a Mt -09 with sports pack, the screen is tiny but as I'm waiting for payout I haven't bought it home and tried it yet.

[Haltamer]

What's your route at the moment? any alternatives, perhaps with some more shelter for the wind? You'll enjoy winter

[Rubin215]

I went to the Doctor and told him I had a problem with wind.

He gave me a kite...

[dern]

Loosen your grip, hold on with your knees/thighs and/or slow down. All my bikes have been more or less the same as side wind are affecting you as well as the bike and your connected to the steering.

[tvrolet]

Berw said:

For discussion. lots of people know a lot more than I do on aero, butt he theory I read years ago, was there is a theatrical center of air pressure, a point where on a friction less surface a single point of air would push the bike sideways, and not try to skew it round. If that point is behind the Center of gravity a vehicle is ok in side winds if ahead of center of gravity vehicle is more unstable, (that's why minis where ok while rear engined Imps were awful in a side wind).
So you need to move the Center of gravity forward, (eg from wheel drive), not possible on a bike, or move the center of pressure backward.

That may make sense based on experience, but the height the weight is carried must make a difference too. Riding in Scotland side-winds are hardly unusual, but my bike (Indian Chief - so long, low, HEAVY, and feet forward) is hardly affected at all - to the extent I've stopped at coffee-stops/sarnie-vans where other bikers are in a huddle moaning about the winds and I confess I didn't really notice much.

Case in point a group of us were riding down from John O'Groats last year - we'd planned to go 'cross country' on decent roads but the weather turned something wicked with torrential rain and gusty gale-force westerleys. We knew the weather south of Inverness would be better so just puckered-up and went down the A9. Apart from the atrocious visibility and riding through standing water I wasn't really affected much and while I could obviously feel the wind slamming in to me and the bike, it wasn't really moving it much off line. Mate with a CB1000 was getting blown about a lot, but was keeping up and managing to keep things roughly in a straight line; ditto Kawasaki GTR but he felt safer easing off. The Road King with us wasn't affected too much by the winds either (just the bends that challenged the HD ). But there was also a BMW 650GS and it was downright scary to watch in the mirrors - getting blown about quite dreadfully and difficult to keep in a single lane apparently so had to slow right down. Being a gent, I decided not to wait in the monsoon but just to hack on quickly South to get to 'the dry' ASAP. And so it was; CB1000 on the same pace but having to work to keep things straight; then the Road King and the GTR, and then the GS waaaay later with an ashen-white rider. But the sun was out in Inverness and it was a stunning ride down through Grantown...but that's another story.

A long way of confirming long and low not really affected much; faired and leaning forward worse but manageable; adventure-style sit-up and weight back - atrocious.

[joema]

I hate the wind on my naked ER6. I rarely go over 70 on the motorway as it's that bad.
Which is ok as it makes up about 3 miles of my journey.

If I do a trip I just have to be patient.

Edit: didn't read whole thread about side winds

Edited by joema on Monday 16th July 11:34

[Bob_Defly]

I think the key here is weight, rather than a fairing. I use both the FZ/MT-09 and the RC51 for commuting. The RC51 is way less effort against the wind because of the fairing, but it is also more stable due to the extra ~100lbs or so.

If you want stability in a cross wind just get a heavier bike. A 600cc supersport will be just as bad as your MT-07.

[rich12]

So all I keep seeing are really nice looking superbikes on my commute which makes me want one even more.

The main ones I keep seeing for sale are the gsxr and r1/r6 but I don't want either of those for some reason.
I'll need to go and have a look at some but as pH is a wealth of knowledge, what bikes would be good for someone who is 6ft 3?

I'm also shocked at the prices. I have seen 15 year old ones for what my 18 month old mt07 is worth.