Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

If the wind is constant, lean in and pay attention, if it's gusting and blowing you all over the show, DON'T TENSE UP! - stay loose, allow the movement to a degree - death grip will do exactly that. Be aware of the sides of the road as a gust could easily blow you just that little too far out on the shoulder or too close to that truck (pay special attention when passing trucks from any direction as the wind force creating by that bulk of metal passing through creates a suction that can pull you toward the truck.)

I would add - Adjust speed to the conditions! I went up Sir Lowreys Pass this morning on my way to work(In ELgin). Reduced speed to 60km/h as I was hit by the strongest gusts ever experienced - ANd this without the typical warning cloud on the mountain due to S/Easter! I was tossed around (1200GS) like a feather. First time ever the front end felt as light as that of the Dakar! Not very nice! Tried to through out my outer leg - nearly had it blown off and left behind. (Left my with a slight groin injury!) Regards

I went down the pass this morning from Grabouw to Stellenbosch. If you were all over the place on 1200gs imagine me on 650gs and not weighing more than 60kg. It was horrible!! I reduced my speed but that felt even worse, Must I grip more tightly with my legs and loosen my arms because have to go back again after work.

relax on the bike (it's actually as easy as it sounds) - if your body is independent from the bikes weight, you can "bend" around the wind more easily - try and cut through the wind - I've found sometimes you can cut through it but get blasted at lower speeds and others where it's the opposite - it depends on the strength and direction of the wind. Just stay calm and relax - if you feel you can only do the pass at 20km.h - so damn well be it - if you can cut the pass at 80km.h - then that's fine too. We had a friend write off his 650 on a straight road because the wind took his bike and him with it - I was fine, and so was the other rider on another 650 - his problem was partly that he was too rigid - luckily it only cost him the bike and a broken ankle - it could have been FAR worse.

Thanx :-)

Very Important more specifically in constant wind conditions..........Say the wind is coming from the left of the bike. Take your left knee and try and point it at the wind (by moving it away from the bike). (You can not do this with a GSA as the tank is to big) This works wonders in keeping the bike on track and stops most of the buffeting you experience. Geoff.

Relaxing is very important, make sure you are loose on the bike and try to anticipate wind direction and gusts. Riding along the coastal road from Gordon’s bay to Rooi els in today’s wind will be very scary as the wind changes direction around almost every bend. I have found that keeping a constant speed, a speed that induces and maintains momentum and is as fast as the circumstances allow eliminates another variable. Tapping of on the throttle in oncoming wind will greatly reduce your momentum and opening the throttle will have a far lesser effect in accelerating therefore producing a very jerky ride. Keeping a constant flow around corners makes for a safer ride, the less variables the less one has to watch out for. Do it today, maybe there is no tomorrow! Die malletjie

Mand, Was it you that came down the pass at about 07h30, on a 650 which looked like a Dakar? Hope to see you again? I can only imagine your battle with the Dakar's light front end and high position! This morning's wind was making "quick changes" at gailforce intensity . Even the cars were moving around alot! I have never experience a "lifting sensation" as this morning! Worst conditions ever.

Mand, you only got a few months on a bike, so I imagine wind is terrifying. Was for me too, so you going through the same we all went thru. Persevere, you'll find that by taking the above advice it is easier. TECHNIQUE. stay loose on the hand grips. And it takes a long time to lose the nervous feeling. suddenly you'll notice it's gone. Riding in wind is something you need kilometres under the belt for to get rid of that terrifying feeling of impending disaster. But it goes eventually. Don't ever let group pressure make you drive out-of-your-comfort zone. Andyman Yup that's me. Standing up in the traffic on the 1150GSA.

Mand, for me the scariest is coming round the top of Sir Lowry's Pass. Some bends, traffic and long drops and then the wind hammers you from the side. The Dakar tends to move a lot in front too, even white lines create a wobble, so it can be quite nerve wracking - I used to be very tense in those situations. I can assure you though that tense gives way to caution and you become a lot more relaxed. Andy said it all. ''If you can dream it you can do it!''

jip, I think that was me (silver F650GS,black helmet). it was only my 4th time over the pass alone. But this morning it was great!! Thanks for everyones responses and help I sure hope the next time will be alot better :-)

I bought a Yammie BWS schoooter for my son in Hermanus a while back. He had no license at that stage. Guess who had to ferry the mighty 110cc two stroke back to Cape Town with him and his mother following in the car. I took the coastal road and hit a gale force South Easter coming down the hill at Rooi Els. The back up crew behind me later told me that it times it looked if a was running next to the schooter. Scary stuff on that road with high sheer drops into the ocean just meters from you. But I learned quickly - just go with the flow and relax. I had great fun when I turned west after Gordons Bay with the wind in my back, the BWS took of like a 1300!