Got a lesson in the power of the wind.

[Flyinfool]

It was really windy here yesterday.

I was riding home from work directly into a 30-40MPH head wind.

This is the same route that I have driven every workday for the last 10 years so I know it well.

I pulled up to a red light, on level ground, fairly new concrete surface.

I was first in line at the light.

With every wind gust the bike was pushed backwards and my feet on the ground (rubber soled shoes) did not have enough traction to hold the bike against the wind. I had to hold the front brake to keep from backing into the car behind me.

 

This is with the wind blowing on the most aerodynamically clean side of the bike.

 

After reading in several threads recently about parking in gear, and tales of the wind blowing over the bike, I am reformulating my beliefs as to how to safely park this thing.

 

I can believe that with the bike parked with a strong tail wind that the faring and windscreen are acting like a parachute that the wind could move the bike forward enough to fold up the side stand. Parking in gear will/should help to prevent this from happening.

 

I know that I once parked a manual transmission cage pointed up a hill and left it in first gear, and it was able to turn the engine over backwards while it chugged slowly down the hill. I do not know how much force it would take to move a bike while parked in gear but I am certain that it would be a lot more than in neutral.

[ahoutzer]

Do you live in a flat, level place? It seems like you are not used to holding the brake when stopped at a red light. Where I live, nothing is flat or level, so we always have to hold the brake at any stop to avoid rolling downhill.

[Yammer Dan]

Made the mistake of parking mine with a full cover on it. Wind caught it like a sail. Picked it up and threw it about 8 ft. Damage not pretty when it landed on my other bikes.

[mini-muffin]

We had a man killed on his bike last week when a storm came through with some nasty wind. He was crossing the James River Bridge in VA and it blew him off. Not sure what bike he was on but that had to be terrible to watch. So be careful out there folks.

 

Margaret

[Guest seuadr]

i caught a gust of wind the other day on the superslab so strong it nearly blew me into a semi. only thing that saved me was that he got blown so hard he was not where he should have been when i got there.

 

it's scary, and i try not to ride in heavy winds anymore.

[Condor]

Ask GeorgeS about the time we were riding thru Wyoming with thunder storms and rains all around us, with 65 mph cross winds on a two lane highway, and 18 wheelers coming from the opposite direction. Exciting....

[LilBeaver]

Being that I live in an extremely flat part of Texas, we get a crap ton of wind here - so I deal with this junk pretty much every day. It is not unusual to have 20-30 mph winds, then gusts on top of that.

 

I am fortunate enough to have a place that I can park it where I can keep the rear wheel up against a curb and have the freedom to point the bike in just about any direction I want.

 

I usually try to point the bike as close to being into the wind as possible with it angled enough that the wind pushes on the right front of the bike - as to push the bike backwards (into the curb) and try to rotate it 'into' the side the side stand is on. I have not had a problem with the bike blowing over in the parking lot. I HAVE had to go change the orientation multiple times throughout the day due to the shifting winds however.

 

I do draw the line at 50+ mph gusts though... Anything there and above, I don't ride the bike...

 

To address your question, I would presume that leaving it in gear would be better than nothing at all to keep it from rolling on its own.

[jlh3rd]

and for those interested...the estimate to fix my 07 that was blown over.....$4500.00.........wind can be expensive

[Flyinfool]

and for those interested...the estimate to fix my 07 that was blown over.....$4500.00.........wind can be expensive

 

OUCH!!

 

That's more than I paid for mine.....

[Cougar]

This is why my insurance company rate was lowered, do to the fact that

my bike will not blow, fall over anymore. there stating to see the light.

as jlh3rd said, it does not take much at all. and this is one of there largest

pay-outs as well talking to my agent.