FJR - 1, buzzard - 0

[tenex]

Anyone who rides in Texas knows about the hazards of buzzards. They feed on dead stuff in the roadway, and when you come over a rise or around a corner they take off real slow, and they're real big. In the 15 years of lived here I've had a lot of close calls. Yesterday I was headed south on 69 just north of Greenville at about 70 mph. I came around a corner and one of the ugly *******s was feeding on something dead right on the yellow line. I started to slow down, hoping that he'd fly to the left, into the other lane. No such luck. He waited a little too long to take off, and flew directly in front of the bike. I was probably doing 60 when I hit him. He was just above the front fender and just below the headlight. I pulled over to check the front of the bike and within a minute two guys in trucks had stopped to see if I needed help. The good news is the only thing that was broken was the inner plastic panel ($15.00) and the two plastic rivets that hold it in place. The bad news is it's gonna take a while to get all the feathers out of my radiator.

Be careful out there.

 

[Old Michael]

Is the buzzard okay? You didn't say.

 

[Silent]

 

[Dr. Rich]

On my way back from NAFO last year I hit an owl in the dark. No damage to the bike but a bruise on the leg. I don't know if this is any help, but Old Michael has lots of experience taking pine needles out of a radiator. They might be similar to feathers! I know he has pictures!

 

[ShawnKing]

Anyone who rides in Texas knows about the hazards of buzzards.

Wild turkeys are the problem around here.

I started to slow down, hoping that he'd fly to the left, into the other lane. No such luck. He waited a little too long to take off, and flew directly in front of the bike. I was probably doing 60 when I hit him.

LOL Is that what a Texan calls "Slowing down"?

 

[jjsC6]

About five months ago I had the same thing happened, except his body hit me right on the helmet (full face, thank God). I could feel his wings on my chest as well. I'd guess his wingspan to be at least four feet. I was on a very deserted road early on a Sunday. I turned around and at first two of his buddies were checking him out. I guess they were hoping he was dead so they could eat him. As I got close, he tried to hop/fly and managed to just hop off to the side of the road. I hear birds are smart, so I got the hell out of there.

 

[Vesparado]

I know those stupid things smell pretty bad if they break open. All the strong stomach acid that they have to eat up all that dead tissue. You're very lucky he hit the bike and not you. Those things are big enough to do some serious damage.

 

[Bugnatr]

Glad you are ok. Those flying carp can do some real damage. We have our fair share of them out west too.

 

[jride]

There aqre plenty of them in Kansas too.

quite a few years ago i had a close call with one also i had a goldwing at the time. The wife and I went for a ride and on a little used strech of hiway there was a turkey buzzard near the center line. I began to slow and it took off to the left and circled around and sure enough it got back just as i arrived where it had been on the hiway. In a instinctive action i ducked and leaned my body to the left while keeping the bike straight and level. The wife smacked me and said something to the effect of. Yea move so it will hit me! I said thats better than it hitting me if it hit me we might wreck if it hit you it might just knock you out. She didn't think it was funny.

 

[fjrboomer]

I had a close call with a buzzard in s.w. OK a number of years ago. The wife and I were on our way home from Mount Scott and I was cruising about 70 on a 95 Goldwing when I saw the buzzard sitting on a fence post on the left side of the road. As I approached he took off and flew right into my path. I shouted for my wift to duck and I did the same. He cleared the windshield by just a few inches. fortunately he had enough altitude that the airflow over the windshield carried him up and over. I can tell you he looked very big as he passed right over us. I am sure if he had been a little lower I would have had the same experience you did or possibly worse. If we had not ducked he might have nailed me. Glad you only suffered a sittle surface damage to your ride.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I had one hit my shoulder with his wing last summer. I won.

The impact was really not bad at all & sure nowhere near as bad as the robin-sized bird that I had smack my helmet a couple of years ago.

 

[FJrider1]

Turkey buzzards, Owls...??? We have NY Suicide pigeons here!

 

[rainbowrider]

Late last summer a lady we ride with was riding across the Jicarilla Apache reservation outside Ducle, NM. Cruising at about 55-60 she noticed a large raven flying parallel to her, when it took a sharp left u-turn and flew right into her, glancing off her forehead. No helmet :angry2: no loss of control, but she had feathers sticking out from around her sunglasses. We now affectionately call her "Bird Brain". And she now rides with a helmet. :yahoo:

 

[jmdaniel]

I hit one about a year ago, North of I-10 and West of Fredricksburg, (for the Texans on the board). Same spot, above the front fender, below the headlights. It was killed instantly, with at least a broken neck, and it STUCK in the bike. I pulled over and pulled it out, and thanked my lucky stars for the placement. The only physical damage to the bike was a small scratch on the bottom of the plastic covering the right headlight. The guts took quite awhile to wash off, as I hit it about 125 miles from the casa, and it was about 95 degrees out that day. The meat had turned into turkey (buzzard) jerky by the time I got home. :blink:

 

[big ears]

We have plenty in Lousyana also. I don't slow down. Slowing down makes them hang around and circle, they hate to leave their food. Loud pipes really help if you have them. The ones I have known get out of the way if you shown them you mean business.

 

[Silent]

I hit a Sea Gull doing about 80 on a Washington freeway. Hit smack dab in the center of the windshield. Good thing I was driving my Mustang at the time

 

[SilverHound]

AP Newswire : Rockwell TX – Careless speeding renegade biker slaughters innocent feeding raptor and rides away…

 

[Checkswrecks]

We have plenty in Lousyana also. I don't slow down. Slowing down makes them hang around and circle, they hate to leave their food. Loud pipes really help if you have them. The ones I have known get out of the way if you shown them you mean business.

So THAT's who the Hardley riders keep talking about saving! :lol:

 

[Rls]

Sometimes, they will, well how to put it, empty the contents of their insides--OK they take a big dump to lighten the load (no pun intended) when they sense danger so that they can gain altitude quicker. I saw them do that once from a car when another car surprised it. I pitty the poor biker who rides under that!