I've been making an effort to be at the gym more regularly ... which means about twice a week over the last few months. Mornings like this are good motivation... leaving the gym around 6:30:
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Early morning at the gym
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I haven’t come up on deer on the Vx. Not sure how that would play out.
There’s a curve leading up to an on-ramp in town here where geese like to hang out. They literally walk right out in front of traffic all the time, yielding for no one.
Well here I come reving out that 300cc on the curve and they already out in the road. I’m about to grab a handful of brake when I see them in utter panic trying to get off the road expeditiously. Apparently 10k rpm scared the crap out of them. So I got back on the throttle and powered thru lmao
There’s a curve leading up to an on-ramp in town here where geese like to hang out. They literally walk right out in front of traffic all the time, yielding for no one.
Well here I come reving out that 300cc on the curve and they already out in the road. I’m about to grab a handful of brake when I see them in utter panic trying to get off the road expeditiously. Apparently 10k rpm scared the crap out of them. So I got back on the throttle and powered thru lmao
Within the past month, I have had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid:
Conversely, though, I have found that with a quick shift into 2nd at around 12k revs ... even the wee versys will ease the front tire off the ground just a tad. (No wildlife were harmed in that event). 👍😉
- deer
- dogs
- ducks
- chickens
- large buzzard in flight
Conversely, though, I have found that with a quick shift into 2nd at around 12k revs ... even the wee versys will ease the front tire off the ground just a tad. (No wildlife were harmed in that event). 👍😉
Oh yeah! The front wheel can defy gravity with an inspired launch into 2nd👍
Large buzzard in flight? That can be a hazard. I haven’t had to dodge buzzard yet. On one spirited ride to Chicago on my previous liter bike, K100RS, a pigeon suddenly darted out in front of me on a small freeway bridge. Flew up from underneath to cross right in front of me. There was no maneuvering to be done, besides a quick tuck behind the tiny windscreen, similar in size to the Vx. I was just trying not to take it in the face. Looking in my mirrors, there was a cloud of plumage floating away. Yeah, I poofed him. Upon arrival in Chicago, I found a few feathers lodged in the cracks where the headlight met the fairing and plucked them out.
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My old ride
Large buzzard in flight? That can be a hazard. I haven’t had to dodge buzzard yet. On one spirited ride to Chicago on my previous liter bike, K100RS, a pigeon suddenly darted out in front of me on a small freeway bridge. Flew up from underneath to cross right in front of me. There was no maneuvering to be done, besides a quick tuck behind the tiny windscreen, similar in size to the Vx. I was just trying not to take it in the face. Looking in my mirrors, there was a cloud of plumage floating away. Yeah, I poofed him. Upon arrival in Chicago, I found a few feathers lodged in the cracks where the headlight met the fairing and plucked them out.
My old ride
My biggest hazard around here are the reckless ghetto cruisers. Getting off the from afternoon shift, they take to the freeway, weaving thru traffic well into triple digit speeds. They may or may not be using headlights. It’s a Detroit city thing. Nightly, I deal with idiots with no lights on, driving it like they stole it. I really need to find work in the civilized world before one of these jackasses takes me out. I spend more time examining my mirrors trying to spot them than I’d like.
I tell people, who usually don't understand, unless they take up riding themselves....that I ride my bike with the attitude that "everyone out there is trying to kill me". Defensive driving to its fullest. It's something you have to work at constantly, anticipate everything. It's crazy it's so much fun.
Non riders don't understand, we riders do.
Non riders don't understand, we riders do.
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Some time ago I had a VERY close "near-miss" on a Turkey Vulture (BIG bird probably around 25 to 35 pounds) near the Ray Mine in AZ. It was on the left side of the road and took flight out into the place I was planning on being in about another .001 seconds, but I was lucky. Along this road about a half mile from this pic.
DSC03971 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr
DSC03971 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr
The most important thing when riding is sight distance, more importanter is being seen; and yes, they are all trying to kill you. 😊
A friend of mine has turkey buzzards hanging in his yard. I would not want to hit one of those. Liable to knock you off the bike
Now I know there are all sorts of circumstances to adjust to in any given moment of potential collision with a big bird, or even a larger animal like a deer, but this was advice given to me. IF collision is INEVITABLE, square up, learn forward, grip the bars and go in straight and hard, like a pulling guard seeking out the defensive end. In other words, don't try to keep veering off for your offline and lean will undoubtedly push you like a pinball into any other immovable object on sidelines. Keep the physics on your side at least and go in straight and locked in.
Hard to do for avoidance would be the initial reflex and should be if able to avoid the object.
Hence why I hate deer, so jumpy and unpredictable. But I guess that was the original point. You don't know what way they will go, so with that fact, set yourself and your bike up for the best chance of survival. Again, so many unknowns with .02 seconds to react.
Unless you see it well before down line which is always the goal, then we have a better chance to adjust. Many times they jump out from nowhere though.
Sounds like good advice. Same applies when using 4 wheels.
For example: my ex swerved and missed the deer. But took her car off-road at 50 mph and totaled it. Risked injuring herself with that maneuver.
I stayed in my lane and just braked as much as possible. Broad sided the deer with my old Ranger, maybe 25 mph at contact. It slid down the road ahead in spectacular fashion, legs in the air and kickin. It found its legs once out of the skid and hopped away. It was a solid even hit distributed across the whole front end. Zero damage! And probably the least damage to the deer too.
I’ve avoided deer on 2 wheels thus far but would apply the same principles as Jazzy recommends.
For example: my ex swerved and missed the deer. But took her car off-road at 50 mph and totaled it. Risked injuring herself with that maneuver.
I stayed in my lane and just braked as much as possible. Broad sided the deer with my old Ranger, maybe 25 mph at contact. It slid down the road ahead in spectacular fashion, legs in the air and kickin. It found its legs once out of the skid and hopped away. It was a solid even hit distributed across the whole front end. Zero damage! And probably the least damage to the deer too.
I’ve avoided deer on 2 wheels thus far but would apply the same principles as Jazzy recommends.
Right -- if collision is unavoidable, hit it square and straight.
Love the pulling guard reference ! I did that back in high school ... but that was a long time ago ...
I was lined up against one usually large nose guard one game. Coach, teammates, and I were pretty nervous during pregame warmup. I knew when I was going to snap the ball and easily beat him off the line, throwing everything I had at him at about his thighs. Then his legs extended 😂. Coach watched the mismatch closely and liked what he saw. We took it straight at him in consecutive plays for the TD. He was so frustrated he started throwing fisticuffs at our running back and got ejected. His replacement actually gave me a harder time, getting in on a few plays. He didn’t rely on strength so much and played smarter. We won it, but I felt like I had been on the losing end of a fight after that one.
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Scaring the crap out of a bunch of geese in the road can lead to a slippery situation, be careful with that. 😁
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HITTING one can really ruin your day, TOO!
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Big roos are bad news... even for a car... the big red males are built like the proverbial brick sh1t house
and can stand more than 7 feet tall.
I know of two people that were very seriously injured and hospitalized
when the 1955 Chevy they were traveling in collided with a big roo.
The roo (and the shattered laminated windscreen it went "through") wound up in the back seat with the two passengers there... The roo still well and tyruly alive then went berserk in the back seat with the passengers and the shattered windscreen.
![Sky Plant Cloud Tree Jaw]()
and can stand more than 7 feet tall.
I know of two people that were very seriously injured and hospitalized
when the 1955 Chevy they were traveling in collided with a big roo.
The roo (and the shattered laminated windscreen it went "through") wound up in the back seat with the two passengers there... The roo still well and tyruly alive then went berserk in the back seat with the passengers and the shattered windscreen.
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