Motorcycle Views

Wild Motorcycle Tales

Here's a great story from Jim Adcock. Got your own story? Send it to me.

The Winds of Wyoming

I was on the return leg of a two-week motorcycle trip to Northeastern Kansas to visit my brother and attend a motorcycle campout, his first, and our first together.

I had left Cheyenne, WY and was heading westward in the direction of Laramie, WY when I noticed I was heading into a headwind that was growing stronger by the minute. I also noticed my fuel gauge was showing only a quarter of a tank left and I started searching for a gas stop.

Along I-80 out in the middle of nowhere is a little mini-mart with a gas pump. I exit the highway and head in to fill up my Kawasaki KZ1100. I park the bike on its sidestand and notice the wind causing my loaded bike to shake in the wind. I begin fueling and see the gas being siphoned out of the gas tank as I'm trying to fill it. I finally get the tank filled and after replacing the fuel nozzle on the gas pump I enter the mini-mart to pay for my fuel.

The store operator is on the telephone to the Wyoming Highway Patrol reporting winds of 60-80 MPH with gusts to 100 MPH. I see the wind gauge on the shelf by the telephone with its needle dancing between 60 MPH and 100 MPH. The store operator hangs up the phone and turns and looks at me in my riding gear and carrying my helmet and asks if I'm riding a motorcycle in this wind. I reply that yes I am. At that moment I'm wishing I wasn't though. The store operator wishes me well and follows with the admonition to "be careful." I assure him I will try to be careful.

I remount the bike and slowly turn it into the wind to retrace my route back onto I-80 Westbound. As I make a right turn off of the access road to go through the underpass to get on the north side of I-80 a gust of wind hits me and almost knocks me over. Thankfully I stay upright and continue on to I-80 towards Laramie. With the right grip turned all the way open I could only maintain 50 MPH, but was still able to motor on.

I didn't mention that this was the middle of June and the wind was very cold. I had my handle grip warmers on high temp and still my hands were chilled, mostly from removing the gloves to handle the fuel nozzle. I continued on over a 8,600 ft pass of no-name and finally started descending to a lower elevation as I entered the outskirts of Laramie.

I located a truck stop/restaurant and entered for some warmth and food. The waitress took one look and me and just set the coffee pot down on my table and left me for twenty minutes to warm up.

I did warm up and after donning a sweatshirt and getting my fill of food headed back out to I-80. I did encounter a heavy snowstorm, but drove through it and by late afternoon the air was so warm after passing Evanston, WY I was shedding clothing as I headed for Idaho.

I hope I never encounter wind like that again. But be warned...that's what you can expect crossing Wyoming. -- Jim Adcock

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