Twisty Roads and Wildlife

[duhg]

Wild wildlife!

It was a mixed weekend for me and wild animals. Previously I had never struck any animal larger than a song bird while riding.  A couple of near misses with turkey vultures and one with a deer were years prior.  The odds caught up to me big time.

 

Early Friday in southern WV one of the many squirrels we saw dodged the wrong way and went under my bike only to be struck by my left foot peg and boot heel. Not long after that a small black snake slithered very quickly into my path. I was unable to avoid running over it. I’m not overly fond of squirrels in the road, but I am a fan of snakes and their effect on rodent populations, an inadvertent benefit to humans. I felt bad about the snake all afternoon until I saw the bear.

 

On VA 311 west of New Castle I topped a small hill within 20 yards of a bear that seemed to have just crossed the road. It was small, about the size of a large dog. I saw the bear look at me, stand halfway and dash into the woods. I was very happy with the sighting, however my buddy Jim behind me saw nothing but the plywood silhouette of a bear in a driveway across the road. I'm not sure he believed me. 😉  The bear sighting was the most memorable moment of my weekend until I hit a deer.

 

Hoofrats!

In the twilight of Sunday evening near Lore City, OH, when I still had my sunglasses on and was thinking I should stop and take them off, a smallish doe jumped from the dim verge into the road in front of me. I had time to brace for impact and picture myself flying over the handlebars before the solid BANG of the collision whacked the bars into my hands. The front wheel did not deflect from its course.  The forks did not dive.  I had the cruise control engaged and the bike did not slow perceptibly.

 

Over the Blue Tooth communicator Jim asked, “You all right?”  I said I was and he told me that the deer was spinning in the road as he passed. We both figured the bike had struck the deer’s hind legs – almost a near miss. Under the lights of a gas station a cracked front fender with fur sticking to it was the only damage we found.  In my garage I also identified a lost plastic rivet that connects the side panel of the fairing to the radiator.  I washed, inspected and rode the bike on Monday and found everything else to be normal. I know I got off lucky.

 

 

 

 

[nhchris]

Wow, lucky you!!  We don't often hear of a deer strike where the rider powers through like an 18-wheeler.  Another benefit of cruise control?

I also worry about meat strikes here in Northern New England.  Our critter of threat is the moose:

Best option there is to try to ride under them:)!

Glad you and the bike survived in good form.

Edited October 2, 2019 by nhchris

[betoney]

@duhg - I HATE reading stories of deer strikes. I am forever wary after hitting one 3 years ago and totaling my bike.  I was fortunate to be able to walk away.  Glad you are ok. 

[koth442]

Very lucky, happy the damage was so minimal.

[texscottyd]

@duhg - As an unhappy member of the deer strike club, I’m REALLY thankful to hear you escaped the close encounter relatively unscathed.   Mine was 20+ years ago, but it still stands as one of the scariest things to ever happen to me on a motorcycle...   

Glad you’re ok!   Avoid large animals in the future, if at all possible.   

[jonmue]

As I noted elsewhere, I'm luckily alive and walking after hitting a deer here in Maine 3 weeks ago.  I had no chance, it came out of the woods diagonally and hit my front end.  I never even had a chance with the ABS.  I have deer fur wedged between my front rim and tire as well as in the brake rotors.  Bodywork cooked on 1 side as well as forks.  I won't list my bodily damage but my gear saved me.  The ambulance guys said I was the 2nd guy that day!  At least squirrels kind of look around before they dash across the road.  Of course, some friends asked how bambi was... sigh. PS it was at 11 AM, not dusk as we're always told.  Please be careful, folks...

[koth442]

1 hour ago, jonmue said:

As I noted elsewhere, I'm luckily alive and walking after hitting a deer here in Maine 3 weeks ago.  I had no chance, it came out of the woods diagonally and hit my front end.  I never even had a chance with the ABS.  I have deer fur wedged between my front rim and tire as well as in the brake rotors.  Bodywork cooked on 1 side as well as forks.  I won't list my bodily damage but my gear saved me.  The ambulance guys said I was the 2nd guy that day!  At least squirrels kind of look around before they dash across the road.  Of course, some friends asked how bambi was... sigh. PS it was at 11 AM, not dusk as we're always told.  Please be careful, folks...

Duuuuude. That's rough. Hope everything gets sorted soon.

[duhg]

I haven't told any non-motorcycle friends yet (except my wife).  No one has inquired as to the well-being of the deer.  They know the score when it comes to hoofrats.

A few days ago a friend was riding in VA at around 10am when a deer struck the side of his R1200GS resulting in $4k damage and a sore leg for the rider.  He did not otherwise crash. 

Keep the shiny side up, friends!

[sirepair]

Sounds too familiar to me...