Winds out this way were clocked by the weather channel at 87mph gusts on Sunday - it was pretty constant and a lower speed.. but that wasn't reported. Our house was shaking...

Fortunately I wasn't riding.

Out here you get used to the wind. I've never been blown out of my lane, but I have moved more than a foot when I was caught by a gust unexpectedly.

 

Blown not quite in the next lane at the Altamont pass here in NoCal. I slowed down a lot. Always windy there in the afternoon.

That's why all the wind farms are there!!!!

I was on the San Mateo bridge highrise section where the wind also blows pretty good. I didn't have a problem until the I had to stop in stop and go traffic. Then my detachable windshield came off!!!!!! One of the hooks got caught on the clutch cable, or it might have gone into the water!

 

Rode west along the north side of the Columbia river (hwy 14) east of the Dalles in the stiffest wind I've ever experianced. My bike was leaned as if I was making a hard turn, only I was going straight.

 

I have had a strong crosswind blow the Ultra about 4 feet and that was a big pucker factor. Especially when you are doing 75 in the rain on Interstate 95.

 

oh yea, going to denver accross nebraska, came along side a 18 wheeler at about 80, as soon as I met his front bumper the wind hit me. I swear to god my bike did a 45 degree angle toward the wind to stay on the road. Didn't really loose feet on the road, but opened my eyes!!!

 

Coming back from Cali we were in gust of 70 mph winds going across the mountains.after we were across the mountains we had to put up with a dust storm. But the 70 mph winds blew me from one lane to the other a couple of times.

 

just turn on the turn signal

 

Have gotten knocked around by the wind a few times but never blown into the other lane or off the road.
I have found that there is a noticeable difference in handlling between a bike with a fixed fairing and one with a fork mounted one. I don't feel the deflection as much on my Goldwing (fixed, or frame mounted fairing) as much as I do when riding my Ultra (fork mounted fairing), probably because the wind catching the fork mounted fairing, especially from the side, makes the windshield act like a wing, and can turn the handle bars unexpectedly. Just a subtle nudge can turn into a sudden turn that I'm not expecting and that I have to compensate for quickly. On the Goldwing I still get nudged, but not as drastically.
Not saying that it is a scientific explanation, but just an observation.
p.s.- The strongest winds I have ever had to negotiate were probably in Oklahoma on I40. Every time our group passed a truck, we had to dive back into the wind as we cleared the cab.

 

Tinker1 is right. Here along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains we can get gusts up to the 80s, 90s and even over 100 mph.

Just a week ago, there were a couple of semi trailers that were blown over on I-70.

One other thing that can happen in the mountains is that the shape of the canyons can cause the winds to be funneled which causes the wind speed to increase.

So, to answer the question, if you get hit by a 90 mph gust you WILL change lanes.

 

Like I said in a previous thread. It ain't the constant wind, it's when it stops suddenly. Try hwy 1 in Cali when it's howling. Holy ****! Lean into it standing that pig on it's ear and then you gotta roll it the other way on a skinny *** two land un-divided road.... That will get your full attention.