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Wind Blasts

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I recently embarked on two trips to LA via my DR650 and I noticed I was getting pushed around by windblasts at a much higher frequency than customary.

I assume it is directly correlated with traffic volume but is riding in the fast lane (or carpool lane) worse than riding in the middle traffic lanes? I don't have much experience riding in the congested interstate nor do I have the propensity to ride the 5 lane turbulance highway often, so I'm asking those with more experience... What Gives?

I feel like a human pinball game bouncing about!

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Relax your grip..

wind blast on your body gets translated to your arms, hands, and ultimately handle bars resulting in unwanted steering inputs...

Just a suggestion... don't try to squeeze the black out of the handle bars... :-)

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Heavier bike, rocks in your pocket, something. The small bikes on slab do not handle turbulence well. Santa Anna winds in the East county are loads of fun too. 50mph cross gust cause sudden lane changes. I prefer to ride without any vehicles near me. Then you only have strong winds to deal with

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I assume it is directly correlated with traffic volume but is riding in the fast lane (or carpool lane) worse than riding in the middle traffic lanes?

Making an assumption here, but you're moving at a faster clip in the carpool lane than in the "middle traffic lanes"? That will do it, especially with such a light bike. Still, the carpool lane should be safer even with getting moved around like a human pinball.

Also, good advice about relaxing your grip. The handlebars are there for you to talk to the bike, and for the bike to talk to you. If you're squeezing the life out of the grips and doing pushups on the bars, no one is talking to each other.

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X2 I have a Big BMW pig, and I still get tossed around, When going up the grade on the 8 I was leaning sideways while going straight (it really did seam that way) I just had to slow down and the white knuckles started to go away.

I assume it is directly correlated with traffic volume but is riding in the fast lane (or carpool lane) worse than riding in the middle traffic lanes?

Making an assumption here, but you're moving at a faster clip in the carpool lane than in the "middle traffic lanes"? That will do it, especially with such a light bike. Still, the carpool lane should be safer even with getting moved around like a human pinball.

Also, good advice about relaxing your grip. The handlebars are there for you to talk to the bike, and for the bike to talk to you. If you're squeezing the life out of the grips and doing pushups on the bars, no one is talking to each other.

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I notice that some vehicles are much smoother to ride behind so pick your leader, pick ups with lumber racks are the worst.

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All those cars are pushing a big wave of air. You being in the carpool lane are getting the wake .

On a side note -going down the freeway did you ever notice birds just gliding along the side of you. Ha they are going 70 MPH also .

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Just to give my slab observations (Others observations may vary), even on the gusty days, on a 250 I found that when in the congestion of the 5 lanes and you're skipping from pocket to pocket in turbulence it's the turbulence hitting the body tugging the arms that pushes the bike around. When I'm on the expressway and feel a little of the turbulence off a passing vehicle (Ambulances and work trucks) that if I grip with the knees and relax the arms a good portion of it goes away. Then again that could be because I almost outweigh the bike, but adding the relax slack into the steering absorbs the motion for the most part for me.

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