In 50 years of riding, I have certainly gotten off the bike a few times before I was ready, but I can only recall actually hitting something in the road, twice, unless you count a pothole that dumped me. The first on my Yamaha XS11, was an armadillo that was crossing the road. Tried to avoid him, but caught him with my left boot toe. I remember seeing him rolling alongside the bike at about 75 MPH for several seconds. Must have been one dizzy armadillo when he finally stopped rolling. I was limping for about a week. Second was what appeared be a cinder block that suddenly appeared between the rear wheels of the truck in front of me. I must have been following him too closely, because I had no time to react whatsoever. Hit that sucker dead on, bike bounced up what seemed like 3ft in the air but came down more or less straight, due more to luck than any skill on my part. Bike was a Honda 500 Four, with wire spoke wheels and tube type tires. The front wheel was bent, but the tire did not blow and I was able to ride home and change my underwear with no problems...
What have you hit with your bike..??
- Thread starter ToddC
- Start date
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ToddC
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Ah yes the ol' underwear replacement program.........
Mama was right.....best to have clean underwear.....never know when you are going to be in an accident. ;-)
ToddC
Mama was right.....best to have clean underwear.....never know when you are going to be in an accident. ;-)
ToddC
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ToddC
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OK folks.....any new stories from this weekend ??????????
T
T
lessee...
on my '78 CB400A, I Hit a Chevy S-10 square in the bed as he turned across my lane of traffic in front of me
on my '85 VT700C, I hit a 1973 Cadillac and a 1993 Lincoln Town car, both parked, when I lost control of the back end in a dumped clutch on wet road scenario...
on my '02 883 Sportster, I killed a skunk... bike still smelled a year later when I sold it if you "hydrated" the underside of the frame
And on my ST1100... my wifes brand new at the time chevy equinox. the details are in the tip over tails section...lol
on my '78 CB400A, I Hit a Chevy S-10 square in the bed as he turned across my lane of traffic in front of me
on my '85 VT700C, I hit a 1973 Cadillac and a 1993 Lincoln Town car, both parked, when I lost control of the back end in a dumped clutch on wet road scenario...
on my '02 883 Sportster, I killed a skunk... bike still smelled a year later when I sold it if you "hydrated" the underside of the frame
And on my ST1100... my wifes brand new at the time chevy equinox. the details are in the tip over tails section...lol
Add one more, I hit a vulture this weekend on highway 78 in AZ. 2 vultures on the side of the road eating a carcass. First one takes off immediately at my approach. Second one waits until I am right on top of him before setting off. He got one flap into his take-off and BLAM!
Hit just below the headlight on the left side. Knocked the mirror cover loose with no other damage. I lost the fuel pump a few miles later but that's another thread.
Hit just below the headlight on the left side. Knocked the mirror cover loose with no other damage. I lost the fuel pump a few miles later but that's another thread.
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ToddC
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But how did the vulture do ???? Those things are tough !
T
T
Didn't stop to find out. No shoulder 2 lane road had to wait for next pullout. Judging that he didn't break any plastic it was definitely a glancing blow. I'm sure he's fine.
Naples Italy, 1996, Fiat of some model, white in color, making their own lane and turning left in front of me, we both turned away from each other so I didn't hit it broadside but still went over the handlebars and did the superman over the hood of the car. I walked away. The 79 GL1000 only had the triple tree tweaked and after I got it back from impound it was an easy fix.
Same year in my neighborhood a pack of stray dogs would chase me every morning, as I glanced back to the right at the pack and looked forward in time to see a single ~80lbs dog coming from the left... I hit him broadside at about 30 mph. Didn't go down and dog ran off with his tail between his legs and crying about something. For the next year or so that same pack of dogs chased me every morning with the exception of that one dog that sat at the side of the road and watched to see how the rest would make out.
A year later I was side swiped at a toll booth. I was sitting still. Missed my leg and the bumper ripped off the lower fairing part right in front of the foot peg. As traffic was stopped I kicked out his tail light when he inched forward a little more. He never even looked at me.
Toss in a number of bugs of various sizes.
Same year in my neighborhood a pack of stray dogs would chase me every morning, as I glanced back to the right at the pack and looked forward in time to see a single ~80lbs dog coming from the left... I hit him broadside at about 30 mph. Didn't go down and dog ran off with his tail between his legs and crying about something. For the next year or so that same pack of dogs chased me every morning with the exception of that one dog that sat at the side of the road and watched to see how the rest would make out.
A year later I was side swiped at a toll booth. I was sitting still. Missed my leg and the bumper ripped off the lower fairing part right in front of the foot peg. As traffic was stopped I kicked out his tail light when he inched forward a little more. He never even looked at me.
Toss in a number of bugs of various sizes.
A deer at 75mph on the interstate in northern Virginia at 5:45 in the morning. Killed the deer and the ST1300 on impact, put a nasty bruise on my ankle and knee and significantly increased my heart-rate, but otherwise walked away unscathed. Somehow did not go down and managed to get the bike over to the emergency lane upright. God was with me that morning.
Over the years I have run over or hit various dogs, cats, birds rabbits etc. but the scariest one was when a guy in a pickup truck on I30 between New Boston and Texarkana lost half of his load of 2x4 lumber about 50 yards in front of me. At 70 mph all I had time to do was try to pick a path that didn't have me hitting an edge and hang on. My ST took it in stride even though it was really bumpy.
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ToddC
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Wow, 2x4s are not what I want to see in front of me at 70mph.
There has to be some good stories from all the riders going to the many "STOC"s around the country.
Anyone ????????
t
There has to be some good stories from all the riders going to the many "STOC"s around the country.
Anyone ????????
t
I was doing 75 on I 80 near Lexington and a deer ran out in front of the car in front of me. The deer launched off the windshield about 15 feet in the air. Had I not seen the deer jump the fence, at that point I was in full brake mode, I might have caught the deer before landing. Here is a video of a Neanderthal hitting a rider and his girl friend, what amazing restraint he shows.[video=youtube;_ZueHaDP4hU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZueHaDP4hU[/video]
On the way back from NatSTOC I ran into two flocks of birds on HWY 85. They were a few hundred feet apart. I just ducked and listened to the thuds hit the bike, Kind of weird have never had that happen.
I would have gone over the deep edge if it were me. I guess the video says almost everything, accept what happened. For as much restraint as the rider had he probably didn't do anything. Maybe lane splitting.
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ToddC
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I've never hit nuts before.....
I've hurt my nuts.....on a bike even.......but never hit any.. ;-)
T
I've hit a few intentionally. Years ago when I played hockey..
Fatjock
STOC #8872
I hit a wall once, on my first ST.......Long story, but was at a roundabout where the A57 intersects the A1 just outside Newark (Nottinghamshire, not New Jersey).
Unknown to me, this junction was notorious with locals for being "slippery when wet", so as I approached, and began braking, the back end stepped out. I released the brakes, got control, and started again (plenty of time)............by the time this had recurred another three times with only about a 33% drop in speed, I knew I didn't have enough time to stop. I didn't fancy taking my chances with essentially going across traffic flow on one of the busiest non-motorway roads in the country, without waiting for a break in the flow, so I opted to try and stop on the median.
Of course I should have realized that if the road was wet, the grass certainly wasn't going to offer more friction, but hindsight is always 20/20..........
....and so I was still doing a fair rate of knots when the decorative wall around the flower garden there came to the aid of my front wheel in coming to a complete stop. Unfortunately, It didn't do the same for me, and I used my left leg to remove the fairing. Certainly faster than using tools, but more painful, and and much more expensive to get it back on again.
Unknown to me, this junction was notorious with locals for being "slippery when wet", so as I approached, and began braking, the back end stepped out. I released the brakes, got control, and started again (plenty of time)............by the time this had recurred another three times with only about a 33% drop in speed, I knew I didn't have enough time to stop. I didn't fancy taking my chances with essentially going across traffic flow on one of the busiest non-motorway roads in the country, without waiting for a break in the flow, so I opted to try and stop on the median.
Of course I should have realized that if the road was wet, the grass certainly wasn't going to offer more friction, but hindsight is always 20/20..........
....and so I was still doing a fair rate of knots when the decorative wall around the flower garden there came to the aid of my front wheel in coming to a complete stop. Unfortunately, It didn't do the same for me, and I used my left leg to remove the fairing. Certainly faster than using tools, but more painful, and and much more expensive to get it back on again.
STripper
Brian
This is one of the most entertaining passages that I have read during the past several months. With different circumstances, I have experienced the same pain.
Fatjock
STOC #8872
I was very fortunate, and having the right gear on helped considerably. Nothing broken, and nothing serious other than my left leg, in which I turned almost every muscle to pulp.
Was on crutches for a week or two, and about six months before I got full movement without pain. Biggest pain was losing the ST.....But I was very lucky, and hope you were equally so.
Was on crutches for a week or two, and about six months before I got full movement without pain. Biggest pain was losing the ST.....But I was very lucky, and hope you were equally so.
