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an evening ride soils the riding suit


Blue Beemer Dude

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Blue Beemer Dude

Yesterday I was at home after work and the gym, and I was a little hyper. The day had cooled down to just below 80, so even though it was getting dark, I decided to go for a ride. I went on one of my usual rides, out on nice country roads in a scenic loop, thinking and deliberating on an upcoming car purchase (more toys - good thing!) without really considering WHEN I was riding. Yep, it was dusk. I was on a nicely paved two lane road, and as I straightened up after a turn, I saw before me Bambi. eek.gif The stupid little bitch was just standing there in the middle of the road, a 700 lb. motorcycle with 300,000,000,000 candlepower of driving lights burning out her retinas zooming straight at her at 60 MPH. There was no way I was going to stop in time, and since she was actually walking slowly, I couldn't decide if I should swerve or not. So I didn't. I just got the death grip on the bars and for some strange reason, lifted my legs. I knew I was about to crash, but I guess subconsciously I figured I could save my legs from rubbing up against the soft furry animal right after I splattered her internal organs all over my Cee Bailey windshield. What's the old expression? God watches over children and morons? We know I'm not a child, so I must be the other. My clever leg raising maneuver worked, except that I could hear something WHACK my left saddlebag. I didn't slow or go back to see if she was still standing, not in my frame of mind.

 

There was nothing that I could of changed to avoid the situation, except to simply not ride at that time of day. I am always very conscious of that, and typically I never ride at dusk if I can help it. In hindsight, I would have been better off to swerve slightly to the right, but we all know how unpredictable these pea-brained animals can be, so I figured I'd be better off keeping the bike as upright as possible at the time of impact.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Oh, BTW, I decided to buy the car. I'll have to remember to post a picture of it next week in the non-motorcycle forum.

 

Michael

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Paul Mihalka

Good on you that it wasn't any worse. Deer standing on the road are not quite as bad as the ones jumping in front of you out of nowhere DAMHIK. You did right not trying to swerve. They are completely unpredictable and extremly fast moving while doing stupid things. What I would do is to brake as hard as possible. Even if I don't avoid the collision it reduces the force of impact.

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Many people have claimed to see a bright white light while having a near death experience. Why would you expect Bambi to be any different???

300,000,000,000 candlepower should be just about right!

 

Glad you're OK and feeling good enough to be p!ssed thumbsup.gif

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I just got the death grip on the bars and for some strange reason, lifted my legs.
I don't quite understand this. Did you lift your legs off the pegs, or do you mean you stood up on the pegs? In that situation, I don't know if I'd ever lift my legs off of the pegs, but I would definitely hit the brakes as hard as possible (as Paul recommended) and then stand on the pegs to have more control.

 

Glad to hear there was nothing more than soiling your riding suit. Better than most encounters with Bambi on a motorcycle.

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I never like hearing about this. Glad you are ok.

 

I was riding the Blue Ridge Parkway this week and saw two on the road in broad daylight. When I was growing up you never saw them during the day. It's sort of depressing to think that you can train hard to ride smart and still have zero control over one of these hooved rats killing you.

 

Why something isn't been done about this gross over population is beyond me. The ranchers hate them, the farmers hate them, homeowners hate them, I hate them.

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Why something isn't been done about this gross over population is beyond me.

 

Just to be obnoxious...

I don't like deer any more than anyone else, at least not on roads in front of me. But the deer could well be asking why someone doesn't do something about all these roads and vehicles that are overwhelming the woods. Who has the bigger overpopulation problem, deer or people?

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Who has the bigger overpopulation problem, deer or people?

 

That's easy; Deer.

 

Michael, you were right to stay upright and brake hard. If you had swerved, there's a 50% chance you'd swerved the wrong way. Then you'd have T-boned the little darling while leaned over and going fast.

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Nice job and glad you and your bike are in one piece!

However, I would recommend you just keep your normal riding position and keep all your limbs INSIDE the frame of the bike. Having almost swarms of deer all over the Hill Country here in Texas (and buzzards!!)upon the recommendation of some local riders, I just developed the habit of simply keeping the bike straight up, mashing on the brakes and useing the horn button at the same time.

Buzzards are a pain...they sit in flocks around roadkill and gorge themselves and if you aren't careful, you get too close to them and then they will regurgitate their meal all over you eek.gif to gain altitude. That's another reason to develop your horn useage......the 03 and later horns are, indeed, wonderful instruments grin.gifgrin.gifthumbsup.gif

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Who has the bigger overpopulation problem, deer or people?

 

Around here, it's definitely deer ... they no longer have any natural predators, and their numbers have increased to the point that they do significant ecological damage, plus of course being a major road hazard. They could be reduced by expanding the hunting season, but ironically it's the hunters who don't want to do that; they like to be able to shoot one from the back porch without, God forbid, having to actually go and "hunt" for them. Or something like that.

 

Lee in Ky

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Who has the bigger overpopulation problem, deer or people?

 

they no longer have any natural predators, and their numbers have increased to the point that they do significant ecological damage, plus of course being a major road hazard.

 

People have no natural predators, and their numbers have increased to the point that they do much more significant ecological damage than deer, and are cars or deer the biggest road hazard to motorcycles?

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Paul Mihalka
and are cars or deer the biggest road hazard to motorcycles?
Definitely, absolutely, DEER. Cars don't jump out of a creek or the woods. You know where cars are able to come from, and it is limited and predictable what they are able to do. Deer can come from anywhere, any time, and are completely unpredictable how they will move. Do I sound like I have deer on my mind when I ride? tongue.gif
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Kevin McKenna

Glad your ok. Being from PA this is also my biggest concern while riding. I think we should all become hunters in the off riding season...What kind of damage to the RT?

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Blue Beemer Dude
...What kind of damage to the RT?

 

(I'm too lazy to go re-read my original post, so forgive me if I repeat myself)

 

I think I whacked Bambi's head with the left saddlebag, but it appears to have survived unscathed. I know I heard the "thunk" and that's the most likely place to have absorbed the impact.

 

So, RT is OK. I'm OK. Bambi needs some Excedrine.

 

<fade in>

 

<forest sounds>

 

Delicately making her way through the thicket, mom confronts Bambi.

 

"Where have you been?"

 

"Out."

 

"Out! Out? Who the hell told you you could go out?"

 

"I just wanted to hang with some of the young bucks."

 

"I told, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, do NOT go out at dusk. The boys get randy then."

 

"Randy?"

 

"Randy. Rutting. They'll jump on you without warning."

 

"Ewwwwww."

 

"Exactly. What happened to your head?"

 

"I've got a headache."

 

"No kidding. What happened?"

 

"Stupid fookin' motorcycle."

 

"And where were you?"

 

"Uh, I was in the middle of the road."

 

"Why?"

 

"Well, uh, well, you see, I started to cross, and I looked both ways first, but I forgot why I was crossing."

 

"Was there a chicken on the other side?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Old joke, never mind. Did you not see the motorcycle?"

 

"No, it was after a blind curve."

 

"Well, surely you HEARD the motorcycle coming?"

 

"No, it was one of those stupid BMW motorcycles. Stupid fookin' thing sounds like a sewing machine."

 

"What's a sewing machine?"

 

"Oh Mom, geez, you don't know anything, do you?"

 

"Shut up. You know, loud pipes save lives. I wish those stupid motorcyclists would learn that."

 

"Where's did you put the Excedrine?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael

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Who has the bigger overpopulation problem, deer or people?

 

they no longer have any natural predators, and their numbers have increased to the point that they do significant ecological damage, plus of course being a major road hazard.

 

People have no natural predators, and their numbers have increased to the point that they do much more significant ecological damage than deer, and are cars or deer the biggest road hazard to motorcycles?

 

Yep, deer (and coyotes) successfully filling the ecological voids we have created for them. Don't blame the deer!

 

Out here (Washington) we get to dodge elk on occasion.

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Just got back from a multi-day ride up in B.C. mountains and had analogous experience. Out in the middle of nowhere in early morning, which is just as bad as dusk for deer run-ins, and was routinely scanning for them as I rode. Due to angle of light, background or whatever, simply did not pick up on a big male, antlers, the works, standing right on the side of the road until I was not more than 15 yards from him. No time to do much more than scrub a bit of momentum off before I was on him. Luckily he broke and streaked off in the right direction -- thw woods behind him away from the road.

 

About an hour later, still way out in the hinterlands, no farms, ranches or other visible habitations, came around a blind curve and running down the road in same direction as me, and covering both lanes, are five large horses. No humans, just horses. They react negatively to my sudden arrival and start wheeling around, crisscrossing and otherwise losing their cool. I managed to avoid piling into them only to suddenly realize these mammoths could squash me in their flailing about all around me. I managed to pull over and wait until they got it together and eventually passed through them, very slowly. Have no idea where they came from but was glad to see them in my mirrors, still trotting down the road.

 

Thought I had paid my dues for the day and could look forward to a lower statistical probability of anymore close encounters when not long after, on another sharp curve, a pickup comes shooting across my lane, back end sliding out in my direction. He overcorrects and slides the other way across my path and onto the narrow shoulder to my right where he slams against a pile of dirt along the side of the road. If I had been one second or so faster he would have taken me out. I kept going -- did not want to deal with a probably drunk local out in the middle of nowhere who might decide I was the cause of his problems. Glancing in my mirror, I saw him pull back onto the road and move off in the opposite direction. Mile or two later I saw an empty liquor bottle in the roadway. I'm guessing it was likely his. That episode shook me enough that I pulled over a mile or two later to let the adrenaline tsunami subside and my heart rate drop to normal human levels.

 

This was all before lunch. So much for the serenity of riding in some of the most beautiful countryside anywhere... Rest of the day was thankfully uneventful. I didn't even get aggravated by the long wait at the border crossing back into the U.S. that night. Felt safer standing still for a bit...

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Deer are just one of the enemies. Several years back, going through the mountains along the Idaho-Nevada border, I came on a whole herd of wild mustangs standing in the middle of the road. Frequently, headed through the Ochoco mountians, not too far East of Prineville, we encounter a spot where cattle gather (by and on the highway). Apparently one or more ranchers bring feed to that location. The cattle must have been told that it's open range, as they feel it's ok to wait around in the middle of the road.

 

I have three pretty regular riding companions...all three have struck animals (two deer and a large farm dog) at one time or another in their long riding careers. In each case the damage to the bike was substantial, and for one it meant a serious hospital vacation.

 

[bTW, long ago when I was a nipper, Bambi was a guy.]

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  • 2 weeks later...
Blue Beemer Dude

[bTW, long ago when I was a nipper, Bambi was a guy.]

 

Yeah, well Chris this is the 21st century now, and Bambi is no longer confined by gender stereotypes. smirk.gif No, seriously, for the benefit of the story, Bambi had to be a girl otherwise I couldn't call him a bitch, now could I? And that was how I felt at the time.

 

Speaking of which, ya know, it's been over two weeks and I still haven't ridden the motorcycle. I'm having lots of fun with the new car though...

 

Michael

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I rode from The foothills of CA to thompson falls Montana last week. There was a BIG elk standing on the side of the road near Mc call Id. In washinton near the town of Packwood, I almost scattered a dozen (bakers dozen?) deer crossing the road. I covered 2600 miles in 4 days. I hate the r1200st seat. What the fukk BMW was thinking when they designed that piece of crap. And they don't even sell a bmw "comfort" seat to replace it. I am not a fan of deer cause they stand in the road, my driveway and eat my roses at night making the dogs bark.

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