LowAndSilent
Well-known member
This weekend, I got to participate in the Good, Bad, and the Ugly (GBU) Rally in Montana. I was having a pretty good ride, and had just finished up my Saddlesore 1000 requirements for the rally. After getting my fuel receipt in White Sulphur Springs, MT, I headed for a bonus on the edge of town. While there, I saw another GBU rider named Jon (who would later go on to get 3rd place in the Unlimited category). We chatted for a minute while we got our photos and filled out the bonus paperwork, before he departed into town to fuel up in preperation for making the push towards the last bonuses and then the hotel. Wrapping up my stuff, I pulled back out onto US 89 South, steaming for I-90 and those last bonuses.
Just outside of town I cruised by the local airport, feeling good about finally earning my SS1000. I had my LED aux lights going, to spot any little critters along the way. Well...I seem to have missed one.
Cruising along at around 65 mph, I saw a fawn dart out of the grass on the left side of the road and run into the middle, and start tearing up the center line. I immediately got on the brakes, but less than half a second later, then deer changed direction, veered into the middle of my lane, and stopped...probably no farther than 10 yards directly infront of my bike. No time to make a course correction at that speed, I got off the brakes and looked for a soft spot for impact.
Bullseye.
The bike shuddered, but stayed straight and true after impact. I slowed down and pulled a u-turn, heading back to a small pullout just before where I hit the fawn. Just in case, I placed my helmet behind the bike while I checked it over for any serious damage. Seeing none, I took a few quick photos of the scene and then went back for a slightly closer look.
Pretty much the only damage was blood and guts splatter, and a horrid stench.
About this time, Jon (from before) rolled up and stopped to see if any assistance was needed. Seeing no real damage, he offered to follow me for a few miles to make sure nothing was bent. Gearing back up, we continued on down 89, with him pulling past once all seemed well.
Stopping in the next town for a bonus, I found a car wash and hosed the bike and gear down. The temps were finally climbing as the sun came up, and the stench was getting worse. The front fairing, forks, radiator, and the everything from mid-thigh down on my Roadcrafter were splattered with blood and tissue. Once I finally got back to the hotel, I saw I still had a little present from the fawn to remember it by.
Just outside of town I cruised by the local airport, feeling good about finally earning my SS1000. I had my LED aux lights going, to spot any little critters along the way. Well...I seem to have missed one.
Cruising along at around 65 mph, I saw a fawn dart out of the grass on the left side of the road and run into the middle, and start tearing up the center line. I immediately got on the brakes, but less than half a second later, then deer changed direction, veered into the middle of my lane, and stopped...probably no farther than 10 yards directly infront of my bike. No time to make a course correction at that speed, I got off the brakes and looked for a soft spot for impact.
Bullseye.
The bike shuddered, but stayed straight and true after impact. I slowed down and pulled a u-turn, heading back to a small pullout just before where I hit the fawn. Just in case, I placed my helmet behind the bike while I checked it over for any serious damage. Seeing none, I took a few quick photos of the scene and then went back for a slightly closer look.
Pretty much the only damage was blood and guts splatter, and a horrid stench.
About this time, Jon (from before) rolled up and stopped to see if any assistance was needed. Seeing no real damage, he offered to follow me for a few miles to make sure nothing was bent. Gearing back up, we continued on down 89, with him pulling past once all seemed well.
Stopping in the next town for a bonus, I found a car wash and hosed the bike and gear down. The temps were finally climbing as the sun came up, and the stench was getting worse. The front fairing, forks, radiator, and the everything from mid-thigh down on my Roadcrafter were splattered with blood and tissue. Once I finally got back to the hotel, I saw I still had a little present from the fawn to remember it by.
