Auckland Harbour Bridge - Be Careful!

[steveb64]

Probably worthy of further discussion though.

Opinion:

On a gusty day on the street/road.

Prefer bodywork or naked bike?



I suspect body type has a bit to do with preferences.

Naked. The full fairing on the Duc acts like a sail. Have been known to use up a lane and a half in some gusts... ...with or without gear on the pack rack.

On the other hand - my old GSX11 got blown across two lanes at the bottom of the Brynderwyns (north side, heading south) - lucky it was into a passing lane, and no traffic coming the other way. Mind you - no fairing, but I did have a large pack on the back...

[Morcs]

The bridge was soooo much fun today!

I went across, arse a foot out to the left, right now out at 90 degrees. Sweet as, feel the drift

[MIXONE]

Yep - it was windy as fuck.... I had to tack to get over.

Heaps of fun a keep your licecnce speeds.
My faired BMW is like a sail>Excellent for tacking and Heavy enough to stay stable.Yeehaa.

[mattian]

It's f*cking windy - I just seriously struggled to keep my bike upright crossing the bridge.

Be careful guys, especially if your bike is un-faired!

hell yeah ! it was so windy yesterday I was buffeting around on the harbour bridge like a drunk driver. I was gripping my handle bars so tightly I couldnt even let go when I got home !!! I got up this morning and it was even more windy than yesterday so.... I thought I better bus into work....hehe. Only because I dont drive a car and ummmm... , I cant swim !!

[Grahameeboy]

It's f*cking windy - I just seriously struggled to keep my bike upright crossing the bridge.

Be careful guys, especially if your bike is un-faired!

I would say that unfaired bikes have a bigger issue with cross winds compared to naked bikes.

[breakaway]

What is the difference between an unfaired bike and a naked bike?

[jrandom]

I was gripping my handle bars so tightly I couldnt even let go when I got home !!!

Wrong approach there.

In strong crosswinds, grip the tank with your knees and lighten right up on the handlebars. Don't grip them hard, just rest your hands on them. Let the front end shimmy around if it wants to, keep the throttle steady, and lean the bike into the wind as required to keep it tracking in a straight line.

[discotex]

the nor-western is not very good either the wind just coming to te atatu is nasty even while splitting, so i have been informed..... bugger going outside today!

Yeah I had the choice of split up the NW and go around Greenhithe way or go into town and up the N via the bridge. Took the N.

On a gusty day on the street/road.

Prefer bodywork or naked bike?

Naked any day. Less area for the wind to grab.

Yep - it was windy as fuck.... I had to tack to get over.

It was more of a reach for me.

It must've been pretty windy - I've only just had power restored to my house, which is another new experience for me - wind causing power cuts.

Welcome to Auckland

Is it true that it's windier in Wellington?

Yesterday and today is NOTHING compared to the big arse storm last year when they closed the bridge for half an hour.

Wellington isn't windier in terms of strength. It just has wind on more days.

So, no one actually got blown?

I guess that means its safe

Well, I'm about to across it now so get ready for another "I Binned!" thread lol

Did ya make it?

Stand proud, Auckland drivers.
This morning's display of driving skills was fucking disgusting.
A bit of rain and winds that the rest of the country would laugh at, and the retards prove that they should have their licences revoked.
Morons. Complete fucking morons.

I think that's more because it's the first serious bad weather in a long time. Once winter settles in everyone gets used to it again.

Was frustrating people driving at 70km/h in all the lanes on the NW today though!

Oh, and beware of standing water on the new bit of motorway up Greenhithe way. It's pretty obvious as it's at the bottom of the hills but you will aquaplane if you hit it fast enough.

[avrflr]

I would have thought that faired was better than naked, based purely on personal experience. After reading this thread, however, I think perhaps you can't make such a sweeping generalisation. I think the mass of the bike and rider also has something to do with it. At 375kg all up weight (faired) I have had no dramas whatsoever in the last couple of days of harbour crossing, even when the cages around me were quaking in terror.

[steveb64]

Wrong approach there.

In strong crosswinds, grip the tank with your knees and lighten right up on the handlebars. Don't grip them hard, just rest your hands on them. Let the front end shimmy around if it wants to, keep the throttle steady, and lean the bike into the wind as required to keep it tracking in a straight line.

Yep! And use countersteering to react to the sudden gusts/calm spots... ...which works MUCH better if your arms are relaxed as Mr jrandom suggests!

[xwhatsit]

Yep, the worst thing about days like this is not the wind and rain itself, but the ridiculous driving by the cagers. I understand the `drive to the conditions' ad campaign -- but this does not mean you must do 35kph in 50kph zones. Incidences of non-indication and last minute lane changes (i.e. 2 metres before coming to stop at a red light -- thus covering both lanes) were way up.

At least we're not as bad as Brisbane drivers. Over there it doesn't rain much, of course, but when it did, many drivers were so shit-scared of the rain they wouldn't drive at all. Those caught out in the middle of a trip would simply park their cars under motorway overpasses until it stopped raining. Very, very strange.

[mattian]

Wrong approach there.

In strong crosswinds, grip the tank with your knees and lighten right up on the handlebars. Don't grip them hard, just rest your hands on them. Let the front end shimmy around if it wants to, keep the throttle steady, and lean the bike into the wind as required to keep it tracking in a straight line.

Good advice. I will be trying this technique in the future and,.... doing a few more bottom clenching excercises to help with gripping the seat......hehe.

[discotex]

One technique I haven't seen mentioned is the old 'knee out on the side the wind is coming from' trick.

I always thought it wouldn't do anything till I rode up to Dargaville with gusty cross winds in Jan. Even with all the other tricks (change down, loosen up, etc) I was getting blown around so I thought I'd give it a shot.

You might look weird but it does lessen the impact of the gusts.

[Iain]

Mate, I went over in 2nd and it was a struggle. Motard + fat c*nt + high wind = trouble

You were probably drunk too eh?

We need to get a coro loop in before the weather turns shite always! or maybe to puhoi or wherever.

Iain

[Ewan Oozarmy]

You were probably drunk too eh?

We need to get a coro loop in before the weather turns shite always! or maybe to puhoi or wherever.

Iain

Cheeky!

Deffo, mate - as long as it aint too windy. Lets discuss Monday.