Most all of these DS bikes that are decently tall, have a high fender clearance on both ends, and have a little headlight fairing can be a challenge in truly windy conditions. It's not just the KLX. All my KLR600/650's did it too, even at their weight. I live in west Texas, and it gets big time windy. Often when you go to Moab at different times, you get a blow that will keep you on your toes. Remember that last day we rode Pritchett Canyon, Scott (IDRIDR), last year? That highway drive from Moab out to the trailhead was brutal...and so were y'all's camping conditions as I recall. These bikes just tend to hunt around a lot in the wind. However, I would say that they tend to come back to their line if you don't get too excited and start yanking on the handlebar. Gentle pressure and body English usually works. You let them move around a bit under you...no death grip.

 

I rode 50km from my Moms to my place in 75km/h wind gusts on an open highway.

I didn't get thrown around much... just riding on a 20 degree angle for most of the time.

At speed it's not as noticeable of course, since little steering corrections take more effect... it's a nuisance when you're at a red light, or going under 60km/h... blows you all over the lane.

 

Not sure a windshield would help as we are talking about crosswinds. The KLX seems worse to me than most other bikes I've owned but it is one of if not the lightest street bikes I've ever owned and it is the tallest bike I've had. I've been blown out of my lane on a really bad day so much so that I try and not ride in those conditions.

 

Thanks for all the advise. I found that undoing the death grip did help a lot. Going into a more aggressive posture and pinning my legs against the bike and attacking the wind instead of the wind attacking me helped. And keeping the RPM's up helped. I tried to relax as much as I could and I kept my speed at what I thought was a comfortable speed and made it home. I just need to get more time on the bike, after 20 years of not being on a bike its like learning all over again.

 

Tuck and roll my friend....tuck and roll. Even on my ST 1300 with a windshield I duck a little when passing a big rig. And that bike weighs 630 lbs. On the KLX it's just something you get used to. As far as just the normal wind, it is a factor on any bike, you'll figure out how fast in what conditions you feel comfortable riding in, and adjust accordingly as things change.

 

You sound exactly like me and a lot of other guys on here a few years ago. I went 25 years between a bike like this, I mean I had off road bikes, quads, even a 3 wheeler but my last dual sport was a 74 Hodaka that I got in 1979 when I was 14 or 15. Its like a time machine for me, you gotta love it man!!!

 

On my grand Canyon trip, my cousin and I were at that angle for nearly 100 miles, it was weird to see. You are going in a straight line at that angle and it was ok, although I wore out the side of my tire and didn't figure out why till I read more stories of the angle riding in wind when I got back. Here is what happened to my tire, I mean it wasn't a new tire anyway, but I'm sure that the angle accelerated the process since the side of the tire is softer. YIKES!



New tire



Note to self, always check tires before riding 3500 miles in 7 days

 

Get as low as you can by leaning forward. The wind acts like a force on a lever, the higher you sit the more leverage the wind has. I first noticed this when I got the KLR and it does the same on the Versys. I just lay forward over the tank and the wind has less leverage.

 

And if you really want to get behind the wind, you can always give this a try, but not recommended...LOL

 

Just a thought, if you lower the KLX 250s, would it help with the wind? Also, would any kind of adjustments to the suspension help too?