Quote:
Originally Posted by cvetter
Airplanes act very differently than our land based motorcycles. Airplanes "crab" into the wind. In other words, the airplane thinks it is always going straight into the wind. A flag on the nose would always point directly towards the tail. Except rare times, like when landing and taking off, airplanes do not feel side winds.
Motorcycles are not that way. We are attached to the ground with a the front and rear tire which means we cannot "crab". Winds can blow us sideways quite quickly. Where I live in Central California, there are frequent cases where motorcycles and cars go off the road on Highway 1 (Big Sur coastline) killing the people. Winds can blow trucks over. Winds delay space launches.
We need to take winds seriously.
Sometimes it is prudent to stop riding until the winds subside. I have.
Craig Vetter
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The IHPV speed trials at Battle Mountain,Nevada,even though closely monitored for crosswinds,sometimes produce contestants in the bushes,as a stray gust catches the racer unaware,and confined within the shell cannot use any body English to compensate for the air blast.
The Vetter 'open' body design may be a necessary concession to drag considering the paramount rider safety which would (should) supercede drag reduction.
I'm 100% in Mr.Vetter's camp on safety.