Wild Hogs Part Deux?

A

Pat

Horrible!

I am impressed that the front rider was able to maintain control. After being struck in the helmet by a turkey vulture (or buzzard as we call them on OH) at 65, I can attest my bell was rung, but I did not drop the bike....somehow. We all talk about deer, bear, fox and other animal strikes, you do not hear much about birds. Maybe Alfred Hitchcock was onto something

Ken wiped out a turkey vulture at Cedar Key a few years ago, riding the 1200 GS.

He had damage to front of bike/screen.

Tape.

Ride.

He rode back to Atlanta that way.

Ironically it was the same group that almost got us earlier.

Hit by a turkey on my RT a few years ago. It was running/flying across the road, hit side of bike. Kept going, collected a few feathers and some scratches.

Racing at Autobahn, rider in front was hit in the chest by a bird. I had just moved over to set up a pass, saw an explosion of feathers, he backed off making the pass much easier. He stayed up, chest a little sore.

Back in '02, Drew (part of the Chi-Town crew) hit a Canada goose on the way to South Haven, Michigan:

That's Shawn sitting on Drew's bike; Drew is standing off to the left. The bird shattered the bike's windscreen (notice it's not there anymore) and then bounced up and hit Drew in the shoulder and helmet. Drew's shoulder was mighty sore for the weekend, and his helmet visor was damaged (fixed for short-term with duct tape).

I got hit in the chest with a little songbird at highway speed once; it was like someone did an open-palm roundhouse slap right to my sternum. A big bird hit directly to the upper body at speed would be devastating.

Whip has a pretty good vulture story.

I had a small flock of something grouse size erupt out of a ditch later than I should have been riding one night in eastern Oregon. The bike and I hit several of them - no real harm other than scaring the bejeesus out of me forunately. About a week before, on the same trip, I was t-boned by a young screech owl. Only psychological harm for me as he hit me square in the boot - it was worse for him.

I hit a pheasant on my old Honda 1100 Aero. It hit right at my lightbar. Spun the pod 90 degrees and popped the light ring and bulb out. I was able to pop it all back in and nothing broke. It didn't even cause me to wobble, even though I was going 60 mph. Just a thud and blood.

This summer though, I was driving my parents in their car on the Interstate. Doing 73 mph. Hit a duck right on the passenger side of the window. It damn near went through. Happened so fast I didn't even have time to lift my foot up to the brake. It hit just low enough that it didn't dent the roof or A pillar. But it was real close to going all the way through the layers of glass. I'd say another +10 mph or another 1lb of duck, it would have come through and into my lap.

Mmmmm....Magre du Canard!

Years ago, a friend on an ST1100 got hit in the head at dusk and returned the next morning to find a dead owlet a the point of impact. Maintained control and now has a nice story about it. I am constantly seeing birds just miss riders in front on me of trips. I thought I hit a small bird years ago on my RT, but couldn't find anything when we stopped. At a service visit a few thousand miles later, the tech brought me the dead carcass from deep inside the fairing. Better than hitting a deer or a moose I guess.

Randy

Knappy scored a really unusual bird kill back in 2005 in which the bird...um..."stuck" the landing:

caution, gruesome pic of dead bird

I've hit a few smaller birds with my kneecap, and had to duck to miss a low flying hawk.

I had a dandy a few years ago. On the freeway in eastern Washington, running about 75 on my RT. Went under an overpass and happened to glance up and see Two kids up there when one of them dropped something at me hitting me square in the face. Fortunately I had my helmet closed up when it hit me. It almost knocked me off the bike and after wobbling all over the freeway and not hitting anybody I was able to get stopped. It was a bag full of cow crap. My neck was sore for a month. Called the cops but the kids were gone by the time the police got there. o

I am impressed that the front rider was able to maintain control.

That was exactly what I was thinking !! WOW !!

yikes!!! clean drawers required, I'm always nervous when I ride under a pedestrian crossing for that reason. 3 years ago I was on the interstate between Vail and Eagle and a huge Golden Eagle in the median took off carrying something. The bird struggled to get airborne as I tried to slow down without getting run over by other traffic. We both made it but I got a real good look at some large furry creature in the bird's talons as it passed overhead.