One tough machine !!

[MrMung]

On the first morning of my annual week-long solo ride, I managed to smack into a 2-3 year old Mule Deer doe, FJR fully loaded.

I was doing about 65mph, through some great sweepers outside of Condon, OR, when...there she was...right on the right shoulder. In the time it took me to think "Oh- Sh&t", she jumped into my path.

I had to let Sir Issac Newton handle the issue, and avoided any quick/dangerous last micro-second steering changes, and see if F=MA really worked (no time for much else). Tightened my grip, ducked my head, and let the chips fall....

Took out my headlights, right mirror, RH saddlebag, RH muffler, and left a healthy batch of Deer scat all over the *** end of the bike. Amazingly, the bike and I did NOT go down, and came to a stop a few hundred yards down the road... More amazingly, the bike ran fine, steered straight, no bleeding from me or the bike...just the Deer...dead deer.......

With some help from a few riders who came by, and some ty-wraps and duct tape, I finished the 4,000+ miles-in-7 day ride, and made it to Desert Valley Power Sports in Prosser, WA where I dropped it off for major repairs.

About $5K in damage, but Progressive covered it well......

I have never had a bad crash like that, and am absolutely amazed that this machine took a hard hit like that, and shook it off like "so what".

What a great bike...saved my ***. When this one ever gives up..I am buyin' another

 

[Ordrock]

DAMN

I just did a ride through there myself; saw about 200 deer along the ride from Fossil toward Condon. On one other occasion a few years ago, I was driving my pick-up and while driving above the speed limit and in some blind curves, I came across about 300 Elk. No ****, I sat there in awe watching these monsters walk across the road. I was closer to Fossil when the Elk showed up for their slow stroll through the hills.

Just a few weeks ago I rode back for California and somewhere between highway 97 from Madris and the back road to Fossil I came up on @ 100 Elk crossing the road. I sat there looking for the spikes, so I could come back during second season and fill my tag. I would have better luck killing it with my bike then getting a land owner to allow me hunt on their property.

Every time I ride from Hermiston to Bend I drive those back roads, always on the alert for those critters.

God loves you and those who ride those fancy FJR’s.

You should have gone out a bought a lottery ticket; evidently you were on a lucky streak.

 

[El Toro]

I'm glad you made it through the adventure with the mule deer. Its always sobering to whack a large mammal.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

MrMung,

Congrat's on your save and good driving... I happened to do the same thing in your neck of the woods on Mt St Helens and was able to complete my trip as well. Only I was walking like Uncle Festus for a week or two.

Good Luck on your repair and what a machine!

 

[hellcreep]

Man I am glad YOU made it through that okay. Hears to excellent skills and a dash of good fortune!

--hellcreep

 

[HotRodZilla]

Sheesh. Glad you made out so well. It's nice that these bikes don't seem to crumble during deer hits as so many others do. You are not the first to hit one and not go down, so that says something for the bike; and possibly our mature experienced riders. B) Stay safe.

 

[BIODSL]

Glad you're alright. I personally think it was a smart move on your part. In '06 I crashed avoiding a deer and I swear the next time I'm just going through the SOB.

Paul Peloquin

Monmouth OR

 

[MrMung]

Glad you're alright. I personally think it was a smart move on your part. In '06 I crashed avoiding a deer and I swear the next time I'm just going through the SOB.
Paul Peloquin

Monmouth OR

Thanks ......

Now that I am hearing about all the ELK down that way, that calls for some reeeel extra caution....

Dont think a hit on them will turn out well at all.....

 

[Docholiday]

Great to hear that you survived the encounter and were still able to complete your trek. I think I might have had to take a day off and relax with a few beers after that encounter with the mulie. I prefer to hunt deer with my guns but it is nice to know the FJR will come through in a pinch. Ride safe.

 

[Panman]

I was just thinking of you, I was wondering if you still were in Marysville as we live close but have never met. I went down to Maupin for the meet up down there a few weeks back, we went down on Friday so we could ride the canyons on Sat, towards the end of the day we were coming back thru Fossil as we were headed back to Maupin and the Forest Rats were everywhere right in town!

We have the same problem over on the road between Twisp and Pateros, I was over there mid June on a ride with a couple of guys and the annual deer strike sigh had 186 on it and right on the sign it said NEW RECORD! Certainly glad you are ok.

 

[E1Allen]

That's awesome. I would hope I would attempt to plow through a deer as well if I come across one. I hope the few deer I have hit in cars will make up all of em so I don't have to hit one on the Feej.

 

[crankshaft]

Glad you survived the run it with the deer. But...... where are the pictures. We always like seeing pictures

 

[Bungie]

Interesting read: Deer hits double since 1993

Their blaming urban sprawl into Deer territory. Me, I think them bastages are organizing against us.

 

[FJR@DTS]

I finished the 4,000+ miles-in-7 day ride, and made it to Desert Valley Power Sports in Prosser, WA where I dropped it off for major repairs.

WOW, OK, you rode through a mule dear, put the bike back togther with duct tape, and continued on a 4000 mile ride.

That's pretty impressive , I salute you! ioneer:

 

[Duster19]

Heading to Desert Valley tomorrow. So, I'll make a point to checkout your bike.

Glad to hear you stayed upright.

Dave

 

[rogdeb]

MrMung,

Always figured this would be my best action in the same circumstances -- you proved it good.

Glad you came through OK.

 

[wellsj]

Glad to hear you survived that encounter! Hitting a deer is the one thing that I don't ever want to do. I ride to work everyday in the late evening and come home early morning which is prime deer hours. I see them on occasion which is fine, it's the ones I don't see that worry me. Hell I had a bear cross in front of me over the weekend about 3pm this last weekend, so I guess you never know.

Hope the bike gets put back together soon.

 

[LSUBOY]

The phrase, "knock the S><T out of you probably came from hitting deer. Glad you okay tho!

 

[Dudewado]

Welcome to the club no one wants to join.

When my '03 was a year old, I hit a deer on Highway 230 near Crater Lake.

Right before this I had read a debate on whether to hit the brakes, or just ride through the deer.

I rode through and stayed up. It did do about $3000 damage, but I was able to ride it home.

Only injury to me was a badly bruised foot. Deer was turned into small deerlets on the road.

Glad you are OK!