Roadway FOD

[DENCOUCH]

On my way home last night from Albany, I felt myself slowly contemplating the results of discovering a tire carcass or hunk of 2 by 4 in the roadway.

Decades ago in Japan, while riding a 125 Honda, I hit a rock in the roadway & did a "tank-slapper". I did not go down & managed to carry-on in grand style, but that moment has yet to be forgotten.

While on their FJR, has anyone run into anything like that or been surprised by debris that they hit, and the story had a happy ending?

(I must have lingering fears of the darkness, with thoughts like this while riding at night... the tinted faceshield didn't help :huh: )

 

[rbentnail]

Working 2nd shift puts me on the road after midnight half the time. With the perils of hitting something always present, I just say F-it and go on down the road. You know what changed my mind from fear? A fox. Ran right over the little bass-turd. Bike never noticed it. Previous to that I'd squashed a couple rabbits, several squirrels, 2 possums, a raccoon, numerous tweety birds, 2 dogs (1 small, 1 medium) and a buzzard. But for some reason it was the fox that finally convinced my brain to just go on, don't swerve so hard you endanger yourself, and just run the damn thing over if it doesn't move. But watch out- squashed critters provide no traction in curves.

 

[dcarver]

Bambi!

 

[rogdeb]

Don ........That pic always gives me the chills

 

[Knifemaker]

I'll start off by saying I just make it a practise, nay a rule, to never ride at night. Besides after 4pm is the cocktail hour and I won't drink and ride.

But, many years back, I was riding my Kawasaki S2 home one night and as I came over a steep crest of a hill, there across the road was a 12 foot 4x4 post, blocking both lanes.

I was always taught to hit obstacles head on, and as I had no time or space to stop, I just altered my path slightly to hit the post at 90 degrees. Arms locked on the bars, *** off the seat, knees bent i waited for the bone jarring impact.

But nothing. Right past it and not even the slightest hint the tire touched anything. A look in the mirror showed it was still there and then the sudden dawn of realization that the object was not a 4x4 wooden post...but 12 foot long 4x4 piece of open cell foam ..... Which had simply compressed under the weight of the bike.

Am sure the guy in the caddy convertible at the next stop light wondered why I was laughing.........

 

[FJRay]

On my way to WFO in Park City a log truck lost a tire in front of me and I ran over the tread that seperated from the tire. It was a scary moment but the bike handled it well and my heart rate was almost normal when the horse ran out in front of me but he kept moving. Next was the ignition taking a **** but thats another subject.

 

[DJB]

Way from lake hit a 2X4 on route 2 in Colechester , CT. Went right over it, glad it did not have any nails in it. :yahoo:

 

[petey]

Bambi!

Hey carver, you must have hit (a herd) more than one bambi....

 

[FJR Bill]

Well I've been lucky. Buzzards here in Florida can be a threat. I've had several come off of road kill and fly right in front of me. I avoid riding at night and I also avoid lonely deer invested roads in the early morning and late evening. If on the interstate at night I lower from my daytime speed mostly to be able to react and miss tire debris that is hard to see. I use high beam lights as much as possible. Can't eliminate risks but you can improve your odds with some simple precautions.

Bill

 

[SkooterG]

Ride more, stress less.............

 

[crumpadump]

Working 2nd shift puts me on the road after midnight half the time. With the perils of hitting something always present, I just say F-it and go on down the road. You know what changed my mind from fear? A fox. Ran right over the little bass-turd. Bike never noticed it. Previous to that I'd squashed a couple rabbits, several squirrels, 2 possums, a raccoon, numerous tweety birds, 2 dogs (1 small, 1 medium) and a buzzard. But for some reason it was the fox that finally convinced my brain to just go on, don't swerve so hard you endanger yourself, and just run the damn thing over if it doesn't move. But watch out- squashed critters provide no traction in curves.

During my abate course last year we where covering hazards in the road and what to do in case a dog starts to chase you, or try an avoid hitting bigger things like deer and large dogs. But for the smaller animals he said run them right over "that's why they're called squishes". I love animals but I still giggle when I think of him saying that.

 

[gixxerjasen]

None on the FJR as I haven't had it that long.

However, in Florida I could see cars ahead swerving left. I moved left but the car in front of me didn't. He ran full over a tire and flipped it up in the air. Thankfully I'd been paying attention because it went through the air about chest high where I'd been riding.

Another time I had a camaro run over a small piece of wood and flip it up in the air, I swerved and almost missed it. It bounced off my shoulder armor and hurt like all heck. I just imagine if it had of hit somewhere not armored.

Had a bird fly into the front of my TLR once...he bounced off, no damage to the bike. It was a small bird though.

 

[Crash Cash]

I was going through a tollbooth on the way to my MRC Experienced Rider course. As I came out, a pickup truck hit a traffic cone and fired it straight into my front wheel. I saw it out of the corner of my eye. I don't know what happened to the cone, but it was a fun 6 seconds or so. Amazingly, there wasn't any damage to anything on the bike.

I did have a friend behind me on his VTX, going to the same course. He was pretty certain I was going down, and terrified he was going to run me over.

 

[Rain Dancer]

I hit a deer with my FJR, Bambi (or his brother, since dcarver took out Bambi) and the bike stayed up. Bike hit the back end of the deer, sent the deer flying across the road and the FJR and I went they other way across the road. No tank slapper, just a nice sideway skid mark (in the road, the other skid mark we will ignore). That was an early morning ride. A little tape on the side panel and I finished the season out. This bike is solid!

 

[timk]

I hit a turtle,I was just dazing it,not payin attention,closest thing to a tank slapper from a animal. I did a tankslapper once, that's more than enough,over the handlebars about 40mph.

 

[Fingerflicker]

I also work 2nd shift and have to drive in the dark. I have hit a deer that was already dead. Luckily it's belly was facing me and instead of going over the bars I did an Evil Knievel jump off it's carcass. Another time I hit a 4x4 piece of lumber waiting for me in the fast lane and dented both my rims. The front still held air, but the back had a slow leak that allowed me to get home 25 miles away. I was able to keep the bike up on both wheels and not lay it down on both occasions. I have adjusted my headlights since these incidents and can see things much better. I put the hi beams on and adjusted the beams to where they are just above the street along the horizon. When I switch them back to normal they are just right for me and light up plenty of road in front of me. The way they were set up from the dealer only gave me 10 feet of reaction time, not enough when my average speed is 75-80 mph! It took a change of jobs which changed my commuting route (still drive at night) to not have anymore large road debris to avoid.

 

[GaryM]

I hit a deer two years ago on my KLR. I was going about 50 and it came out of nowhere (I guess they all do eh?)

Somehow both me and the bike stayed upright, bambi went down. I pulled over to calm down and see what the hell happened. The only damage was my right cowling was missing along with a few bits that is covered. Two broke and a couple bent spokes (I think the deers leg got into the front wheel and well, that is the thing nightmares are made of). The deer did not fair as well and since that bit of the story is a bit gory and not pleasant at all I will skip it.

I rode the rest of the way into work and when I got off it went straight to the dealer.

What really bothers me to this day is that same day another bike hit a deer and the rider died. He hit the deer and veered into oncoming traffic and that was it. Maybe it was just the luck of the draw or it just ain't my time yet. I dunno but I still get spooked when I ride past that spot and evening/night riding isn't as pleasurable as it was before.

 

[Brodie]

2000 Chevy Silverado

Would you believe the bloody headlight bulb still lit.

Needless to say I had numb nuts for a while...

88744 miles

KILLED WAY TOO YOUNG

 

[HotRodZilla]

2000 Chevy Silverado

Would you believe the bloody headlight bulb still lit.

Needless to say I had numb nuts for a while...

88744 miles

KILLED WAY TOO YOUNG

Yeah, buy it wanted to die after you put that paint in it.

Sorry...Couldn't help it. That one was just waiting for someone to follow through. : :