Torrey . . . almost

[ruok]

Hit this wild turkey Friday afternoon on Utah 95 about 75 miles south of Hanksville, on my way to Torrey. It impacted the left-side fairing, knocked off the left mirror, cracked the headlight unit, and caused my hi/lo beams to become intermittent. Since I was 650 miles from home and didn't want to chance any night-time driving, I headed back Saturday morning to give myself plenty of time to get back by Sunday. Fortunately, I got back Saturday with about an hour of daylight to spare. Unfortunately, I missed out on most of the Friday festivities and all of Saturday's Hopefully I can make up for it at the fall Torrey

 

FWIW, the Xpel laminate I recently had installed on my headlight held all the glass fragments together on impact. Without it I'm sure all the glass would have shattered.

 

 

AZ/UT Highway #163

[Ron_B]

A new "Bird man of Torrey?"

 

Ken, I enjoyed talking to you on Friday evening. I hope your next Torrey trip lasts a little longer!

[rdfrantz]

Ken, I feel grateful that I too got the chance to share some of your meager time in Torrey. I sorrow that you didn't get to experience its fullness this time, but hope you'll feel how sweet your next Torrey visit will taste.

 

There's been recent talk around here of deer, and you bring forth that though likelihoods are small, it still remains there are acute dangers out there to levels we don't expect, even life-threatening, in forms we don't imagine, and in places we are not anticipating. I'm very glad you weren't hurt and that the physical damage can be repaired.

 

I hope we hook up again soon.

[flat_twin]

"When you're ridin down the highway at night, and you start to feel that wild turkey bite...."

 

Glad you're ok with only damage to the bike. I had a near encounter with a turkey in West Virginia. It just missed me while gliding from a high bank on one side of the road to the other side of the highway. Wife was 100 feet behind me and said it was very close. I gave it the gas and arched my back as the bird went just behind me.

[GelStra]

I've been hit by Wild Turkey before, but I was much younger and it hit the next morning! Glad you were OK. I can imagine that was a rather startling impact.

Uh, what's for dinner?

BTW, we have LOTS of turkeys here in LA! Funny, they're usually driving Bimmer's and "the script is about to be picked up by a major studio.

[AdventurePoser]

Birdstrike notwithstanding, your pix are awesome!

 

See you on the road one day...

 

Steve

[BamaRider]

So all that debris in the first pic is feathers??

[ruok]

>>>> Ken, I enjoyed talking to you on Friday evening. Ron_B <<<<

 

Ditto, Ron! Amazing journey you've been on these last few years.

 

 

>>>> . . . acute dangers out there to levels we don't expect, even life-threatening, in forms we don't imagine, and in places we are not anticipating. rdfrantz <<<<

 

I agree there's usually no rhyme or reason sometimes. In this case I shook my head and thanked my lucky stars it wasn't worse.

 

 

>>>> It just missed me while gliding from a high bank on one side of the road to the other side of the highway. Mark <<<<

 

Gliding! Now that's exactly what this turkey was doing when I hit him (her?)--kinda in between walking and flying if you know what I mean

 

 

>>>> I can imagine that was a rather startling impact. GelStra <<<<

 

Oh yeah it was! I didn't have time to do a thing except mentally process the image of it coming up on the left. The bike shuddered very hard, but stayed its course. I was amazed there wasn't more damage to the exterior left-side tupperware. However, it was obviously a pretty severe impact nonetheless 'cause just about every piece of hardware behind the tupperware has its outline permanently "etched" into the back/interior side of the tupperware.

 

 

>>>> Birdstrike notwithstanding, your pix are awesome! Steves1150 <<<<

 

Thanks!

 

 

>>>> So all that debris in the first pic is feathers?? BamaRider <<<<

 

Yes, it is. Actually, after I ascertained I was ok and the bike was driveable I drove back to the scene of the crime with the intention of taking a picture of this cool, thick blanket of feathers in the road. Just before I reached for my camera this large 18-wheeler drove by blowing most of the feathers off the road. What you see in the picture is what's left

[BFish]

glad you survived. did you freeze wrap it for thanksgiving? dodge one a week it seems down here. all over the place.

[Bob Palin]

glad you survived. did you freeze wrap it for thanksgiving? dodge one a week it seems down here. all over the place.

Hmm, yes, I have a freezer...

 

I'm actually very surprised you found a turkey down there, it seems too dry for them, not that I'm any sort of expert. I've seen quite a lot of turkeys on UT12 around Boulder.

[ghaverkamp]

"When you're ridin down the highway at night, and you start to feel that wild turkey bite...."

 

As a result, he went home early. Without a headlight he might have been taken to the jailhouse to find he'd been arrested for driving while blind.

 

All these critters around Torrey add to the exitement, I guess. When it was clear to me this year I wouldn't be able to get out at a reasonable time because of other things going on, I decided to bag it, rather than make another midnight trip through the gauntlet of deer and elk.

[BFish]

 

I'm actually very surprised you found a turkey down there, it seems too dry for them, not that I'm any sort of expert. I've seen quite a lot of turkeys on UT12 around Boulder.

 

if you mean turkeys in florida...they could become our state bird they're so prevalent. two hunting seasons. vultures may out number them tho.

[GelStra]

So all that debris in the first pic is feathers??

OMG, I didn't even notice the feathers! And that's AFTER a truck blew away a lot of them. Man, I hope you were wearing a full face or you'd be pickin' them things outta your fillings for days!

The bike shuddered very hard, but stayed its course.

Note to self: If planning on hitting large, (tasty) very stupid, unaerodynamic birds, get an RT.

Uh, anyone crash test a GS?

[Bob Palin]

if you mean turkeys in florida...they could become our state bird they're so prevalent. two hunting seasons. vultures may out number them tho.

No, I meant on UT95, it's desert with a pinyon/juniper mix and some cedars at the southern end. There is some cover but not much water for them.

[Scarecrow]

I'm actually very surprised you found a turkey down there, ...

looks like a Turkey Buzzard.

[keithb]

There is a bright side to this situation. You had dinner waiting for you (hee, hee)!!