How to better avoid death & dismemberment...

[Scab]

I hit my elbow and bruised it pretty bad, a few days later the bruise turned into scab. I had no idea a bruise could be so bad it would become a scab.

I have absolutely NO memory of this. I deny everything.

 

[donaldb]

TC what windjammer said..........#3........

dont ride at night............I dont!

too many boogerbears about after dark. My eyes aren't what they use to be. You seem concerned about your odds and if the risks are worth the rewards. My take is the risks are lower during the day. I understand your concern for desert heat and there are alternatives other than riding those areas only at night.............maybe ride early morning until 12-1p.m. then take a long lunch break and pick up again about 5 and ride till just before dusk/dark, this way you miss the inherent dangers of the dark and the same dangers of the heat. Maybe time your trip w/a little more forgiveness in the schedule.

While we do not have the desert heat here, that you have there, our days now average around 95 degrees w/50-80% humidity. Unlike Radman and our other northern fjr brethren who can not ride during the winter months, I do not ride (or at least very little) during this time of year, again unless it is very early or later in the afternoon. I'm simply too old and fat now-a-days. My bike is mainly a tool of enjoyment. I intend to keep it as such...........and ride it as such.

For the severe obstacles of travel, I have 3 vehicles to deal with extreme cold, heat, rain and darkness. I don't HAVE to take my bike, I choose to ride it when I feel my odds are at best, I have nothing to prove anymore. Just call me brundog II--------I average only about 8k per year on the FJR.

Good luck with what ever you decide TC!

 

[keithaba]

I rode the Ohio River Scenic Byway in Idiana yesterday. Along my way I encountered a dog on the side of the road. I saw him pretty far up to I immediatly started slowing down. I honked like crazy, still no response. He didn't even notice me until I got really close and still could have jutted out, but he didn't. I don't know what else I could have done to make him aware I was coming.

I also almost had an early thanksgiving, twice. Both times I honked like mad and reved the engine. 1 time, the jackass still crossed the road, probably about 50-100 feet in front me, the second time the turkey saw me and darted back into the bushes.

THEY ARE OUT THERE!!!!

 

[LDRydr]

Viper: You fly jets long enough, something like this happens.

The way I see it, since I want to participate in long-distance riding then a good portion of that riding MUST take place at night. All I can do is mitigate the dangers by taking appropriate action; adding aux lights, riding somewhat slower at night, learning (training) what to do when an incident happens (straighten up first, then brake), staying alert (fiddle with the GPS in the daytime, stop if I need to look at the map, be rested).

In the H-D community (and I'm sure others) the saying goes "there are two types or riders; those that have been down and those that are gonna go down". Maybe it's true with critter strikes, and once it's happened your number won't come up again for a while. I'm hoping so, 'cause as they say, "I've been there and done that"

As usual, YMMV

 

[James Burleigh]

Elmer ToeCutter, I'm sorry about your incident with the Wabbit. Did you stop and consider hitting it with something heavy to put it out of its misery, but then reconsider because you'd already hit it with a 600-lb motorcycle...? [i steal all my best jokes from the movies.]

Seriously though, glad you're OK, and hope you recover your mojo soon. Shit happens. Hopefully you're just not the one driving under across the bridge when the falsework it collapses.... But helping us all learn from your experience is a positive outcome of the shit that happens. Thanks for sharing....

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Delusional? Maybe, but the hard reality of logic would convince me to sell off the bike, go back to being a flightless waterfowl, and begrudgingly crawl into a Subaru. Tough call all the way around, but for now, I'm trying to convince myself to stick with the FJR.

I missed deer by not hitting them. Simple. I saw their eyes early enough and slowed. I have missed many animals by "feeling" something dangerous around so I slowed. Sometimes it was a cop, sometimes an animal, sometimes nothing that I saw and I might just be weird. As many times as it has worked, I still listen to that inner voice. I have also seen animals jump in front of me when no inner voice warned me. I've hit birds and rabbits and some things I have no clue what they were. Something about playing hockey and lacrosse has prepped me well to avoid injurious collisions

If I were to apply logic to life, I wouldn't bother being born. You have to apply faith, joy, intuition, want, need and a bunch of other stuff. You have to live for the moment, and for your future. Balancing these things really just ends up balancing wants with fears, or wants with logic, or the act of ignoring the fears and logic. Unless, of course, logic dictates that you might as well have as much fun while you are alive as you can.

But if you quit riding because of logic then I have a few bones to pick with you. Bob, have you ever thought fighting fires might be dangerous? Have you considered that barrelling along with sirens and horn blazing to a fire might be dangerous? Have you considered that most of the 34,000 fatalities per year on the road are in a car not a on a bike. Yeah, I know there are more cars, but cars are far from safe. Shit Bob, if you live by logic, you might as well throw your whole life down the shitter. Is it logical to love someone when love can hurt so much gone awry? Better not take that risk either.

But if you want ammunition for fear, this forum is good enough for anyone. With the number of people that ride many miles on this forum, we hear all sorts of accident stories. Scab is one of the luckier people I know based on the story I heard of his crash. He went and not only bought a replacement, but a bike for his wife too.

I met you through riding. I'm glad for it. You are a good friend and I hope to spend more time with you. Riding brings me great joy and the risks are worth it.

There...shove that in your pipe and smoke it.

and a line from a great Canadian Bruce Cockburn:

"If I fall down and die

without saying good-bye

Rember this:

You'll have lost a friend."

 

[twowheelnut]

Animal hater! I'm turning you in to PETA! Killing little bunnies... That's not right! Good thing you didn't get nailed by Barabus' feared Big Balled Flying Jackalope (Lepus alleni testicalus maximus)! You'da lost that battle.

 

[mike25]

It's the f--king INTERNET, I never gave much thought about all of those

furry creatures. Sure, I've had a few close (some too close) calls, but getting

on this computer and reading 'EVERYONE' else's experience scares the

shit out of me.

I rode to Alaska last year, and spent 50% of the time looking for animals,

30% of the time looking for cops, and 20% enjoying the scenery.

Don't think i'll ever quit riding though.

 

[drew231506]

...reading 'EVERYONE' else's experience scares theshit out of me.

I rode to Alaska last year, and spent 50% of the time looking for animals,

30% of the time looking for cops, and 20% enjoying the scenery.

That's pretty funny, I have had some close calls because I thought I saw a cop (but really it was a ninety year old in a '94 Impala) that I almost crashed into the car in front of me! If i wasnt always looking for cops Id be a much safer rider.

(And DON'T say it!)

That and with everyone feeling the need to post every single crash they hear of (brothers sons friend of a friend had an uncle who was killed on a motorcycle), it def wears on you hearing about it so much. That's why I didn't post mine.

 

[Windjammer]

@Windjammer: I love your avoidance technique #5.
Can I use it?

Dude, accourse you can! The Force is limitless, remember?

I ain't the only one out there using the Evil Eye. I've spoken to other riders who do the same. Many of the critters out there have a highly developed sense of danger. Using the Evil Eye means mentally putting yourself in a place where you are a danger to them, hoping they sense it. Again, maybe it's all bullshit, but even if it gives me a 1% advantage, I'll take it.

rode to Alaska last year, and spent 50% of the time looking for animals,30% of the time looking for cops, and 20% enjoying the scenery.

Yeah, but since the scenery there is 500% above average, you came away with a 100% experience anyway.

 

[Barabus]

Animal hater! I'm turning you in to PETA! Killing little bunnies... That's not right! Good thing you didn't get nailed by Barabus' feared Big Balled Flying Jackalope (Lepus alleni testicalus maximus)! You'da lost that battle.

Drink some whiskey when you ride at night and it keeps the demons away. Jackalopes stay clear of drunk FJR riders. Seriously Bob, I was worried about your evening departure. I did not say anything, but if you are now talking odds- the odds are better during the day for any riding. Most animals are largely dormant during the day. It's too hot. The rest is just odds. A huge deer jumped in front of TWN on the ride home in the middle of the day. It was a narrow miss. In fact from my following distance of two seconds behind, I could not tell that it was a miss. It was that close. Tim was lucky, but he did not miss a beat. Just kept turnin' and burnin'.

I hope you heal fast and play the odds with animals the same as you do with cagers and all other dangers- with knowledge and discipline.

 

[twowheelnut]

A huge deer jumped in front of TWN on the ride home in the middle of the day. It was a narrow miss. In fact from my following distance of two seconds behind, I could not tell that it was a miss. It was that close. Tim was lucky, but he did not miss a beat. Just kept turnin' and burnin'.

A huge deer? Looked like a fuckin' elephant to me! Just for the record, it was a big, damned doe and we missed each other by just a few feet - maybe five or so. Still, it was a miss and not a hit like toe's. I'll take the near misses any day.

 

[Toecutter]

Seriously Bob, I was worried about your evening departure. I did not say anything, but if you are now talking odds- the odds are better during the day for any riding.

Why do you think I spent all that money on the Solteks? I bought my own little chunk of daytime.

Leaving in the morning would have guaranteed a blistering hot, boring ride with all the interstate traffic, LEO's and arrival back at home too late for a "proper" welcoming! Risk-reward baby, risk-reward! :yahoo:

Most animals are largely dormant during the day...A huge deer jumped in front of TWN on the ride home in the middle of the day.

I tend to think that the deer are more likely to do that sort of thing during the day. I doubt if they can see well enough to do high-speed work in the dark, and they always seem more skittish in the daylight. Aside from that rabbit, rest his soul, all the bigger animals I saw while traveling to and from Park City in the dark were acting more casually and predictably, mostly skulking away from my lights. My big mistake was riding with my feet in a lazy position. Won't be doing that again.

 

[mike25]

rode to Alaska last year, and spent 50% of the time looking for animals,30% of the time looking for cops, and 20% enjoying the scenery.

Yeah, but since the scenery there is 500% above average, you came away with a 100% experience anyway.

Great way to put it Windjammer, as it was a 100% wonderful trip.