I don't care what you ride, a big heavy cruiser like the Suzuki Boulevard C109R, or a light-weight sportbike like the Ninja 250R, one of the most difficult times to ride is when you have a cross wind screaming like a banshee across the road. If it's a steady wind you can at least settle into it, strike an appropriate lean angle, and cruise. Until, of course, you come to a hill or building or whatever that momentarily blocks that wind and then you've got to quickly compensate for that and the get back into your lean as soon as you've gone past the obstruction.

It's much worse when the wind is gusty. You're cruising along and Wham! You're being pushed sideways almost off the road, or sometimes worse, out of your lane into the oncoming lane of traffic. Yikes! At times like that you hug the upwind side of your lane so it has to push you all the way across your lane before it puts you in danger.
Of course, while all this is going on, most riders have their hands clamped onto their grips in a death grip. It would take three guys to pry your fingers loose. After all, you've got adrenaline going for you. This is stressful and exhausting and no fun at all. And hey, riding motorcycles is supposed to be fun.

Well take heart, because I'm about to reveal a secret to how you can make this very unpleasant situation a lot better. Let go with one hand. Oh sure, you're saying. I'm struggling with all my might to keep the bike going where I want it to go, using two hands, and you're telling me to use one? Are you crazy?

That's OK, I understand. That's what I would have said, too, until I discovered this little trick completely by accident. Here's the deal. I was headed due east one day and the wind from the south was torrential. Fight it as I did, it still was pushing me toward, and sometimes over the center line, and I was extremely glad there was almost no other traffic on this road.

I had been through this kind of thing before. Once I rode an entire day across northern New Mexico with wind screaming down out of the north. On that day I just took to resting my weight on the wind. That worked surprisingly well, and was much more relaxing than fighting the wind, except that every time we came to a hill or a truck passed going the other direction I had to jerk myself back upright in a hurry. And there were other times.

On this occasion, however, I was just fighting my way along and then I needed to do something. I don't remember what. Maybe I needed to scratch my nose, Maybe I wanted to adjust my helmet. It could have been almost anything. The point is, to do whatever it was, I had to let go with one hand. And lo and behold, when I did, it was suddenly a whole lot easier to control the bike. What in the world?

So I played with it. I tried riding for awhile with one hand and then I would ride with two. Every time I switched to two hands I was quickly back to fighting the wind. Every time I let go with one it all got so much easier.

Here's what I figured out. You may not intend it, but when you've got two hand on the grips in high winds, part of what you're doing is fighting yourself. You're putting opposing forces on the handlebar that you're not even aware of. Let go with one hand and now you're just steering the bike. And unlike when your other hand is opposing you, the bike goes very easily right where you want it to go.
This is for real. Try it. My gift to you. You're welcome.