Riding in winds: Yes or No?

[Sparxkeeper]

Hi.
I have had my lovely little Cobra 50cc for over a week now and have gained loads of confidence in riding now (first ever vehicle).
The thing is, I live in the South-West of England and we have been predicted high winds of 60-70mph tonight and it looks like these winds will be mostly above 20mph over the course of the coming week so I am a bit unsure as to whether it will be safe to ride.
I know my own confidence is the biggest factor here but with a little bike like mine, what sort of wind speeds would you think it best to avoid?

[Stig / Major Tom]

Riders will have their own opinions - but I turned around and went home a week ago in 30>40 MPH winds on my 264lb Kymco LIKE200i (163cc engine)
Surely some have ridden 50cc scoots in some big winds - but macho riding behavior is a thing of the past, I hope.
If the wind speed is making you uneasy....wait for a better day.
Stig

[Sparxkeeper]

Thank you.
I know high winds are a bad idea but as I am still new to this, I am unsure as to how high is too high, especially for a little scooter like mine.

[CROSSBOLT]

Like riding two wheels in snow: is the reason for the ride worth the risk? Sneak up on riding the 50 in the wind from the bottom wind speed not the top.

[john grinsel]

One secret to riding high wind conditions is: slow down

[scooterfan]

Riders will have their own opinions - but I turned around and went home a week ago in 30>40 MPH winds on my 264lb Kymco LIKE200i (163cc engine)

Stig

Thanks for mentioning engine capasity. I actually thought the 200i model’s engins would be close to 200cc.
I wonder for what reason they call this model a “200” i ?  Marketting stunt ?

[Sparxkeeper]

One secret to riding high wind conditions is: slow down

I have heard that keeping the arms loose helps too, is that right?

[Stig / Major Tom]

I have heard that keeping the arms loose helps too, is that right?

I keep centered in the road and flow as a whole with my body & scoot. I'm not aware that I ever have a death grip on the bars - especially on rough roads…..and slow down.
Stig

[AlexisStarlyn]

If I get pushed nearly out the lane, I’m off the road immediately. But on the Xciting this is less common! Yay


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[Tromper]

I've ridden 20something mph on the HD, & my former S200 as well as 50mpgish gusts with steady 30ish on the 650.
It can be done, & really the 20something wasn't heinous. 

Slowing down helps a lot, and leaning into it of course, but you do have to be on point and need to keep away from other vehicles as much as you can so you have the room to maneuver, sometimes not intentionally.  The gusting was really the hardest part in my experience, that & the rain and potential for hydroplaning that tends to come along with those.

[Sparxkeeper]

 Thanks for all the tips.
I rode a fair bit over this past week and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. My bike is a heavy little thing and I have noticed the wind seems to be catching ME more than the bike and sometimes feels like it's battering my helmet.

My confidence is slowly growing but I did have a scary moment on Friday where the winds picked up while I was out. It had been raining a lot so was really wet with a lot of standing water around and there were a few moments where it felt a bit slippy. So I got home as quickly and carefully as I could and didn't use my bike again that day.

I generally do stay up about the 30mph mark but in these winds, I keep it down to around 20ish and it has been doing me well so far. Most other drivers have been keeping back in these conditions so I have felt  a bit safer.