The long and Windy road...da da

**skelstar** · 11th October 2005, 07:29

I went for a ride last weekend over the Rimutakas. I was on the way down the 'rapa side and I was leaning hardish into a corner and a strong gust of wind pushed me further down into the lean (I think). Im still a noob so I managed to stand the bike up, grab a handful of brakes (like a noob) and run the bike off the road. I think my front wheel managed to washout before I hit the barrier.

The damage (to my bike) was a broken mirror, scratched brake lever and muffler (upgrade time?). AMAZING. No bodywork was damaged. I bruised my leg a bit (but hardly) and sprained my thumb. My gear was OK too. I think I got off pretty lightly.

I am thinking that the action I took was perhaps not the right one. What should I have done? Accelerated harder into the corner to compensate for the extra lean?

Apologies and thanks to my comrades to whom I had put at a 'disadvantage'.

**DemonWolf** · 11th October 2005, 07:33

Glad ya didn't hurt yourself or the bike too much on your bin.. hope the repairs go well...

As for the advice.. there are more experienced ones here, and I'm sure they will express their opinions for everyone to learn from =)

**vifferman** · 11th October 2005, 07:37

Originally Posted by skelstar

What should I have done? Accelerated harder into the corner to compensate for the extra lean?

Depending on the exact circumstances, accelerating may have (possibly) leaned the bike more, or (less likely) settled the bike. With more experience, you would've been looking through the corner to the vanishing point, the wind would have been a slight distraction, and because you were looking where you wanted to go, you would have automatically compensated for the wind gust without really thinking about it, and no problems. Instead, you over-reacted to the wind changing the bike's balance.

**skelstar** · 11th October 2005, 07:42

Originally Posted by vifferman

Depending on the exact circumstances, accelerating may have (possibly) leaned the bike more, or (less likely) settled the bike. With more experience, you would've been looking through the corner to the vanishing point, the wind would have been a slight distraction, and because you were looking where you wanted to go, you would have automatically compensated for the wind gust without really thinking about it, and no problems. Instead, you over-reacted to the wind changing the bike's balance.

Actually thats true. I would say that the first reaction was to grab the brakes, second to look at where I could crash. Classic noob-mistake I think.

**Jonty** · 11th October 2005, 07:48

From personal experience

the gust of wind was enough to nearly lift my bike off the ground. To be honest I think it was a freak gust and in all reality if you had lent further then as soon as the wind dropped off you would have fallen the other way. Either way I was on a doomed course to park my front wheel in the tail pipe of a hyosung

**skelstar** · 11th October 2005, 07:52

Originally Posted by Jonty

From personal experience

the gust of wind was enough to nearly lift my bike off the ground. To be honest I think it was a freak gust and in all reality if you had lent further then as soon as the wind dropped off you would have fallen the other way. Either way I was on a doomed course to park my front wheel in the tail pipe of a hyosung

To be honest mate, that was by far the worst part of the experience.

**Jonty** · 11th October 2005, 07:57

Originally Posted by skelstar

To be honest mate, that was by far the worst part of the experience.

The main thing is no-one got seriously hurt and all bikes will heal fairly soon. Definately a learning experience for all

.

**MSTRS:Me** · 11th October 2005, 08:06

The 'takas have an evil history of that sort of wind gust. You probably were lucky it wasn't worse. Not sure you could have done anything to save the situation. The reason I say that is I got caught in similar circs a number of years ago nearing the top on the Wairarapa side. The wind was screaming in from my right so I was leaning into it as you do, came around one of the bluffs on a left hander & the wind bounced back off the bank from my left. Now althought I was urning to the left, I was effectively leaning right to compensate the wind. !!!!!!!! My right foot was belting the fence battens on the other side of the road before I could bring the bike back under control. No-one coming the other way - lucky lad was I. Didn't drop it, but that was more luck than anything. I was on a Suzuki T500 - very long and very heavy bike so that probably helped. Just so's you know - Back when the Fell engines hauled trains over the hill, before the tunnel was built, one of those trains was blown off the tracks. What chance has a m/c got in those sort of winds?

**Str8 Jacket** · 11th October 2005, 08:10

Originally Posted by skelstar

Actually thats true. I would say that the first reaction was to grab the brakes, second to look at where I could crash. Classic noob-mistake I think.

Dude, really glad that you both are ok and relatively unharmed. Looking back on both my accidents I can sooo relate to this. It just seems inevetable that you are going to crash and its almost like you are bracing yourself for what you are about to face! Ive been spending the last couple of weeks riding around town, as all wellingtonians know the weather has been crapola and the wind extreme. Im slowly learning to relax and just keep looking at where I want to go, rather than where my bike seems to want to go, believe me its not an easy thing to do. Its also very hard to look back on an accident and think about what happened and how etc, it just happens so damn quickly!
Glad to see you out and about the next day though, that can take some guts after an accident.
Once I got my bike "un-duct taped" and looking a bit prettier maybe we can do some rides on roads that AREN'T in the Wairarapa . . .

**skelstar** · 11th October 2005, 08:17

Originally Posted by MSTRS

...My right foot was belting the fence battens on the other side of the road before I could bring the bike back under control. No-one coming the other way - lucky lad was I....

Mate, thats impressive! I would be going out to buy a lotto ticket after that. Well I'd be looking for a clean pair of pants first maybe...

**skelstar** · 11th October 2005, 08:19

Originally Posted by Jonty

The main thing is no-one got seriously hurt and all bikes will heal fairly soon. Definately a learning experience for all

.

Indeed. Roll on Decembre 23.

**Hitcher** · 11th October 2005, 08:22

Ahh. The joys of a road that is both windy and windy. And the joys of spoken versus written English...

**Beemer** · 11th October 2005, 08:22

I had a couple of small scares while riding on Sunday - went into corners a bit fast and did the old grab the brakes without thinking trick. Shows how much I lost with not riding much for the past year. Wind gusts can be nasty because you suddenly find yourself much further over on the road than you wanted to be!

Sounds like you were lucky not to do more damage to yourself or the bike. A bit more experience will make your reactions more likely to avoid danger, but don't beat yourself up too much. I find that I can't relax too much on roads like the Rimutakas that I don't travel over regularly as I know how easily it can turn pear-shaped. The more riding you do on those roads, the more you enjoy them, so keep it up!

**skelstar** · 11th October 2005, 08:29

Originally Posted by Beemer

Sounds like you were lucky not to do more damage to yourself or the bike.

I think I was. I can imagine that it would be too easy to hurt one-self badly on those barriers.
Im a bit annoyed cause I felt I was 'in my zone' that day. I was following VTWIN and Jonty up the hill, and while they were going slow/medium, I was kinda keeping up. Was going real well down the hill (for a noob) too. Imagine I would have had a good trip up the backside of the hill too

. Oh well, Ill be there again in another couple of weeks. Its a confidence thing eh?