Modern Buddy

Commuted to work for the first time on my Buddy today (only done short rides in my neighborhood so far), about 15 miles each way. It was awesome and exhilarating and WINDY!!! I crossed a bridge over the James River, and the wind was blowing so hard against my side that it was difficult to keep control. Wondering if anyone has any tips that would help me if it is as windy tomorrow. Would a windscreen help with wind coming across my side, or is that just for head-on wind?

Thanks!

A windscreen will amplify crosswind. Going across the bridge is going to be the most prone to crosswinds, riding through downtown will be the least prone (the buildings will block the crosswind, except at intersections where you'll get gusts).

I'd advise less stressful riding until you're more comfortable. Morning rush hour in Richmond isn't for the faint of heart.

Other than that, keep a loose grip on the bars and if it starts giving you some scary feedback, back off the throttle (don't brake hard in an unexpected gust, the wind might cause you to loose focus or turn the wheel which will turn into an un-needed panic stop or worse) until the crosswind dies down. Lower your side profile; tuck a little, instead of a backpack, use the pet carrier, don't wear baggy clothing (it'll act like a sail).

Find less congested routes to where you're going until you're more sure of yourself. You might actually find that you like the backways.

Wind was the thing that scared me the most when I was new to riding. (Not counting discussions of politics at family gatherings.) And the prospect of a crosswind was my biggest fear before crossing the Mackinac Bridge. My advice: relax... it's just air. Unless it's blowing incredibly hard, it's not going to knock you over. The worst it's likely to do is nudge you to the side a little bit. If you ride down the center of the lane, you have a couple feet of leeway on either side, which should be plenty.

A windscreen will amplify crosswind.

My windscreen doesn't seem to cause me any difficulty in high winds....

I rode to from Tulsa to Enid OK and back this weekend and it was very windy throughout. As you move farther West, the winds are worse because the land is flat and there are few, if any, wind breaks (such as trees along the side the of road).

Lostmycage's advice is excellent for riding in windy conditions. The most important thing, IMHO, is to learn to release the throttle if you feel yourself drifting. The scoot will immediately decellerate and be far easier to control (I had to do this once on the way back to Tulsa as I was almost blown into the oncoming lane on a two lane road).

If at all possible, take a route that allows you to ride slower than usual. The slower you go, the easier it is to control your scoot. My route to Enid was difficult at the beginning and end because I was on a state highway (412/64) during those times and had to keep my speed up to not cause traffic issues. If you find yourself in that situation, stay in the right lane and just let everyone pass you. (As I was approaching Tulsa I went through about 5 miles of construction which dropped us to a single lane--grooved pavement and high winds do not a good scoot trip make! I actually pulled over to the shoulder--on the other side of the lane "coned off" for construction--and rode a short way on it, allowing traffic that had backed up behind me to pass. Do whatever is safest for all concerned, you and the other riders and drivers).

Great advice up there.

Relax. Breathe. Eyes up.
...and if you get a windscreen, don't go for a sail, IMHO. I love my windscreen for head-on wind, but most gusts aren't head- or tail-winds. Most of 'em are some odd angle.

If counter-steering isn't completely 2nd nature muscle memory yet, go set up some cones in an empty parking lot. Work on getting your ability to weave down. I'd recommend starting with plenty of space between the cones and gradulally move them closer togther and further apart, kinda like in MSF (if you've taken it).

first set: - - - - -
next: - _ - _ - going around the outside of the cones.

(edit: I typed a lot more spaces in between those dashes for cones...fyi.)

Quick response to sudden wind change via countersteering is a great skill to have IMHO.

Great comments above. Thanks.

I'll sometimes speed up when I feel a cross-wind hitting me on bridges just to get passed that zone more quickly and to the other side while I ride in the center of the lane to create a space safety bubble. Normally, under good riding conditions (ie weather and roads) I try to ride as trained in the left tire tread of where a car infront of me drove.

I have not yet installed (waiting to finish painting my scoot first) my small size windscreen so I have no way to relate to the cross-wind impact. I'm curious how the different sizes (and shapes) of the small, medium, and large windscreens interact in a cross-wind.

I also own two of the very heavy Onguard chain-links with locks. Placing only one at a time so far into the bottom of the pet carrier, it seems to help weigh or hold down my scoot a bit more in the winds. Maybe it is just my immagination yet I feel that my scoot is slightly more stable with the additonal weight in that lower-center area.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I'll be doing some serious parking lot time this weekend.

One other thing to note: If there's a steady wind with gusts in the same direction, ride on that side of the lane to account for heavier gusts pushing you sideways, that way if you get pushed aside in a drift, you'll still be in your lane instead of the lane next to you (which would of course be occupied by a much larger vehicle).

I drive my car when we get Santa Ana winds. The winds get in the 85 to 100 mph range, knocking over our heavy teak patio furniture for example. There's got to be a physics professor who could calculate how much wind it would take to knock over a 220 pound scooter with a 150 pound rider going 50-60 mph. I'm not willing to find out through first-hand experience.

15mph can get sketchy. 30mph is scary. More than that and I pull over and get a cup of coffee.

100mph? Walk it to the nearest storm shelter and hope you don't end up with striped leggings curled up under your scoot and red glittery shoes.

rondothemidget wrote:There's got to be a physics professor who could calculate how much wind it would take to knock over a 220 pound scooter with a 150 pound rider going 50-60 mph.

Too many unknown variables (e.g. how much cross-section is facing the wind, the mass of the wheels/gyros). It also depends hugely on how well the rider compensates for it by leaning into the wind. If they don't compensate at all, a gentle breeze could tip it over: it's a bike, after all.

Lostmycage wrote:100mph? Walk it to the nearest storm shelter and hope you don't end up with striped leggings curled up under your scoot and red glittery shoes.

I'd be more concerned about becoming the one with(out) the red glittery shoes.

You will get used to it. After a while you will naturally compensate for it and not think about it.

In the meantime, remember speed limits are exactly that. There's nothing that says you can't slow down. If there's a lot of traffic, just pull off until you get a clear spot.

You'll get the hang of it!!!

Lostmycage wrote:A windscreen will amplify crosswind.

Can't say I find that to be true at all... Neither on my Buddy nor my Vespa GT. In fact I think because of the windshields increasing the aerodynamics, the scoots handle even better in all kinds of weather, including windy!

However I've only used the Genuine short shield and the Slipstreamer 66 on my Buddy, and a mid-size one on the Vespa, and not one of those giant-sized super tall screens! (-Which I don't see as being safe for smaller scoots anyway, y'know...?)

Early on I found that the death grip only made things worse. Its tempting to try and hold the scoot on course thinking you are in control and much safer that way but have found the opposite to be true. Not to mention you'll get tired real quick.
Anymore I just relax and keep a normal grip on the bars. With a stiff cross wind I naturally lean into it and the scoot continues on. Once in a great while I will get blown to the side just a bit, but remaining relaxed helps keep everything on course. The one place I do slow and remain more cautious is the very top of bridges. Strong winds there and I slow down a bit.
Probably the strongest wind I have ever ridden in was gusting to 50mph so take that into consideration. I would rather rather deal with a consistent wind than those sneaky gusts.
I've never found a windshield to be a problem and have them on all of my scoots.

I over simplified that statement. What I should have said is that a windshield will not help when dealing with crosswinds. They can potentially amplify crosswind feedback. It provides more surface area for the wind to affect and that surface is directly tied into the steering on the Buddy.

For headwinds, a windshield will tighten up the aerodynamic profile of the bike and rider and provide a smoother ride. It takes a little adjusting to get the windshield just right.

A poorly adjusted windshield will cause buffeting which will tire the rider out or worse. The link is picture free, but I caution you if you want to see the picture. The point of linking to that isn't about riding gear. (Take that discussion to another thread, or just search the forums, it's already been said). POCPhil firmly believes that the buffeting and "tank slapping" movement of the handlebars is directly responsible for the accident. That's a large windshield that was used in that accident, not the "standard" BUD3 windshield that most 07 and later Buddies have installed.

Lostmycage wrote:The link is picture free, but I caution you if you want to see the picture. POCPhil firmly believes that the buffeting and "tank slapping" movement of the handlebars is directly responsible for the accident. That's a large windshield that was used in that accident, not the "standard" BUD3 windshield that most 07 and later Buddies have installed.

My God, that accident Renae experienced was so terrible to read about. I'm not going to the second link to see the pictures...it might keep me from riding. It takes strength and courage to get through what they experienced.

After I install my new small windscreen, I'm definitely going to have someone review the height/angle that I place it at.

Lostmycage wrote:15mph can get sketchy. 30mph is scary. More than that and I pull over and get a cup of coffee.

100mph? Walk it to the nearest storm shelter and hope you don't end up with striped leggings curled up under your scoot and red glittery shoes.

I'm a "most" weather rider...rain, cold, dark, whatever. But wind? No way, no how. I check the weather before I leave the house. If there is steady wind over 30mph and/or gusts over 35mph, I take the bus.

polianarchy wrote:

Lostmycage wrote:15mph can get sketchy. 30mph is scary. More than that and I pull over and get a cup of coffee.

100mph? Walk it to the nearest storm shelter and hope you don't end up with striped leggings curled up under your scoot and red glittery shoes.

I'm a "most" weather rider...rain, cold, dark, whatever. But wind? No way, no how. I check the weather before I leave the house. If there is steady wind over 30mph and/or gusts over 35mph, I take the bus.

I check the weather the old-fashioned way. If the wind is strong enough that I'm required to devote attention to balance, I start thinking about where the roads are that have the most wind breaks. If the squirrels are missing branches from being blown back...after I stop laughing, I re-evaluate how badly I need to go where I'm going. If my rottie gives me that "you gotta be KIDDING" look when I open the door to let her out...hmm. That's about when I start thinking about staying home.

I used to have a weather rock, but it blew away.

polianarchy wrote:I'm a "most" weather rider...rain, cold, dark, whatever. But wind? No way, no how. I check the weather before I leave the house. If there is steady wind over 30mph and/or gusts over 35mph, I take the bus.

Thankfully days like that are rare around here.

I use those days that I don't ride to wet the engine seals in my truck. Poor thing just sits in the driveway looking lonely. I think it wants to go to the hardware store and get some lumber... wait, no, that's my wife and her list!

rondothemidget wrote:I drive my car when we get Santa Ana winds. The winds get in the 85 to 100 mph range, knocking over our heavy teak patio furniture for example. There's got to be a physics professor who could calculate how much wind it would take to knock over a 220 pound scooter with a 150 pound rider going 50-60 mph. I'm not willing to find out through first-hand experience.

I was in the Fontana/Ontario area years ago when the Santa Ana's were blowing. I don't remember what the peak wind gust speeds were, but I do remember seeing a semi on an interstate, lying on it's side courtesy of those winds. Riding in windy conditions doesn't bother me much ... within reason. The Santa Ana's are not within reason.

Rob