Is it too windy to ride a motorcycle?
Check motorcycle wind, gusts and crosswinds in km/h. Use an adjustable planning table, see its limits and check official warnings before riding.
Explore your crosswind
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Your next great ride starts with the right forecast.
Weather guidance, not a guarantee of safe riding. Check official warnings, road conditions and the full outward and return journey.
A GO cannot assess your bike, equipment, ability or every hazard.
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Steady wind, gusts and crosswind are different
The steady-wind input describes the meteorological mean. A gust is a short peak; it may arrive from a different direction. The Beaufort scale describes sustained wind and cannot certify a gust limit for a particular motorcycle. Exposure, bike geometry, luggage, rider ability and road conditions all matter.
The crosswind component is |W × sin(wind-from bearing − travel bearing)|. A 25 km/h wind directly across your heading has a 25 km/h lateral component. A headwind or tailwind has a zero lateral component in this simple geometry, but that does not establish a safe ride. The gust calculation assumes the same direction as the mean wind; real gust direction can change.
Transparent planning bands
The existing gust penalties begin at 38, 50 and 65 km/h. The default caution cap starts at 60 km/h and the stop cap at 75 km/h. Change the two personal limits in the calculator; those labels remain personal planning guidance. Sheltered-road selection adds a reminder, never subtracts forecast wind. Check the full journey and official warnings.
| Gusts (km/h) | Product rule |
|---|---|
| 38 / 50 / 65 | Increasing score penalties |
| 60 | At most MAYBE |
| 75 | NO-GO cap |
Read gusts before choosing a departure time
The live result above combines the current forecast inputs. Wind is one input, so a calm-looking average cannot cancel heavy rain or a storm code. Select your actual starting point, inspect the stated reason and compare the hours covering both legs of the ride. A city forecast does not measure crosswind at every bend or bridge.
The motorcycle scorer uses peak gusts. At 38 km/h it subtracts 15 points; at 50 km/h it subtracts 30, and at 65 km/h it subtracts 55. Separate caps limit the result to MAYBE from 60 km/h gusts and NO-GO from 75 km/h. These are application settings, not certified limits for a particular motorcycle or rider.
Why the same forecast can feel different on the road
Shelter can disappear at an exposed bridge, a gap in a hedge or the end of a built-up area. The point forecast does not calculate the direction of wind relative to the road, the effect of passing vehicles, or the handling of a laden bike. Treat a route with changing exposure as several decisions, not one colour on a city page.
Look at steady wind as context as well as gusts, even though this scorer penalises gusts. Compare the starting point, intermediate exposed sections and destination at their expected arrival times. If the return runs into a later weather change, a favourable departure verdict does not cover it. Use local warnings and actual observations alongside the hourly forecast.
Worked examples from the existing scorer
Changing only gusts to 60 km/h in the dry reference hour gives an effective score of 64/100, MAYBE, because the cap applies. A 50 km/h gust input alone gives 70/100. Add 0.3 mm/h rain and that same reference hour falls to 25/100, NO-GO. Conditions combine; the wind number is not a standalone permission to ride.
The reference hour has air and feels-like temperature 18°C, visibility 10 km, steady wind 10 km/h, no precipitation and zero rain probability. These examples explain the software and are not today's forecast. The live tool retrieves forecast data separately. A score of 70–100 is GO, 45–69 MAYBE and 0–44 NO-GO after caps.
Equipment and an alternative plan
Check that luggage is secure and that your equipment fits properly before assessing the journey. Weather protection can improve comfort, but it does not remove wind exposure, improve road grip automatically or change the forecast score. Follow the motorcycle and equipment manufacturers' instructions rather than using the site's thresholds as a handling test.
If the reason is gusts, compare a later period and the whole route rather than assuming another road will be sheltered. If rain, ice or a storm is also present, shelter alone does not address the problem. Shortening or postponing the ride may be a more useful response than adding equipment. GoNoGo cannot inspect the road or make that decision for you.
Frequently asked questions
What wind speed is too strong for a motorcycle?
There is no universal limit in this tool. Its gust caps are MAYBE from 60 km/h and NO-GO from 75 km/h, with penalties starting earlier. Your motorcycle, luggage, experience and route exposure can require a different decision. Check official warnings and actual conditions; a GO is forecast guidance, not clearance.
Does a wind-only GO cover the return ride?
No. The displayed verdict describes the current forecast point and hour. Use the hourly view and route planner for departure, exposed sections and the return. Gusts or rain may increase later. The daily summary uses the worst complete daytime hour and does not certify suitable weather throughout your journey or at every location.
Can protective clothing make a windy ride suitable?
Clothing can improve comfort but cannot remove crosswind or determine how the bike will handle. Secure luggage, check fit and follow equipment instructions. The scorer does not change when you buy gear. If the forecast reason is strong gusts or combined rain and wind, reassess the route, timing and whether to ride.
Forecast source: Open-Meteo. See the full scoring methodology and send a correction.
More motorcycle weather
Sources and limits
- WMO: meteorological wind measurement
- Met Office: Beaufort descriptions
- Honda: motorcycle wind considerations
- ADAC: Motorradfahren bei Wind und Wetter
- NWS: lightning precautions
Source review: 10 October 2026. Forecasts: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0. Planning thresholds are GoNoGo preferences.