Quote:
Originally Posted by sendler
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If your upper body is sitting high and free from the bike as most people do, it will spoil the effect that the steering geometry has to roll the motorcycle into the side wind. Cross winds pushing on the side area of the bike/ rider/ luggage that is above the center of gravity of the roll axis will cause the bike to lean over and actually turn off line the wrong way. Worse yet, blowing the rider's head and torso to one side of an upright, yet comfy riding position of a standard bike, pushes the rider out of position from over the balance line which has made the system lean and turn the wrong way. The next thing that probably happens is that the rider will try push their upper body back over the bike against the wind with their far side arm which applies a counter steering manuver to the handle bars. The wrong way. Which makes the bike lean the wrong way even further. All of this happens in a domino effect very quickly, blowing you off line. If you sit up.
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If we are DAMMED to glue our torsos to the gas tank to ride in cross winds, then I'll have no part in it. My back and neck wouldn't tolerate it for more than few minutes. Besides, as an adult, I wouldn't want to be mistaken for some wannabe boy racer poser idiot.
I want a feet forward (to use Creasey's term) position for comfort with a real seat. I don't have an iron butt. I suppose having the body more connected to the bike could be done with side bolsters like car racing seats or a "grippy" fabric seat back. The 1982 VW Jetta diesel I once owned had a grippy "mouse fur" (to use some reviewer's term) upholstery fabric that I liked.
Furthermore, personally I'm interested in a fully enclosed body for FE and ultimately to have air conditioning in the southwestern US heat. When you're brain addled from the heat, FE is a secondary consideration. With a full body, I also want crash protection which is possible with suitable structure and Kevlar. In other words, I want to be a "cager" and not road meat for the buzzards. Cager is not a pejorative term for me.
Those interested in "motorcycle dynamics" should start another thread, otherwise just post a permalink. That's the link beside your message number.
Back to our regular scheduled programming of "Cross wind solutions to motorcycle Streamliners" as this thread title reads ...