OK, so it was windy. It was a warmish day so I really wanted to get out for a ride. I rode about an hour on back roads outside of Blacksburg. I was getting blown around pretty bad, but I was handling it just fine ...no freak outs ...no problems.
Then I went though a area that was nothing but meadows ...no trees, houses, elephants, etc. Nothing to block the wind. I was going about 55 on a winding two lane road. I felt the wind coming hard from my right. I leaned hard into the wind. Figured I'd be fine. But the wind kept coming. It was incredible.
I was leaning as hard as I could into the wind, steering as best I could to the right to stay in my lane. Then I began to move sideways. It honestly felt like I was floating to the left. I was leaning so hard I thought my tires might come out from under me and was still sliding to the left ...straight into the oncoming lane ...into the middle of it. I thought for a moment I would get blown off the left hand side of the road. If a car would have been coming I would have had to bail into the ditch on the left side because I couldn't get back to my lane.
It probably only lasted two or three seconds, but man what a scary two or three seconds! I went on the KLR forum and posted my experience. Quite a few people posted that it had happened to them as well. Apparently it's not that uncommon with motorcycles and the KLR being pretty tall catches the wind like a sail.
It was a great leaning experience. Now I know that it can happen and can be a little more careful in the wind next time. It was also good to hear that I am not alone in the experience.
Every ride is an adventure! That's the way I like it...
