The FJR Bird Strike Poll

[BigOgre]

A few years back, somewhere in northern New England I believe. I was about in the middle of a line of bikes and something hit my left foot, hard enough to knock it off the peg. Didn't know what it was at the time but I remember the rider behind me being amused as he later related what he saw.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Some little birdie on the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road (on the coast). One of the rare parts where you can get up to bird-killing speed.

 

[DeSudet]

I keep having close calls with a variety of local birds. Ringneck doves and cactus wren mostly. They like to cross the freeways around here just above car roofs. They tend to misjudge my size and speed forcing me to duck one way or the other to not get hit. Given that cagers seem to behave the same way, I think of it as definitive proof that most cagers are bird-brains...

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Nope. But I had a wild turkey almost take me clean off the bike once. North Georgia mountains near Ellijay. It was huge. And no, I wasn't doing mescaline that day.

 

[Fred W]

In the close call department, was riding down to Sag Harbor with ionbeam and cota95 one spring day many years back. On the short section of interstate highway we took between Fitchburg and Worcester, Mass a hawk of some flavor swooped up from the right roadside and just cleared my head. I didn't know how close it had been until ionbeam, who had been behind me, later related his bird's eye view of the near miss.

Lots of wild turkeys around here, but they are pretty wary and aren't as stupid as deer.

 

[eflyguy]

Not on my FJR, but my FZ1, I've had a whole flock of turkeys take off across my path just as I came upon them. This was in Metro ATL, however, and I had already slowed to around 25 (in a 35), they flew all around and over me.

Best one, however, is on my own driveway - we live on a heavily wooded lot with a 1/4 mile steep, winding climb that you can ride at about 25. I was coming up one evening around sunset and caught something out the corner of my eye, as I rounded a >90 degree bend, a deer leaped from my left side (ground is about 3' high), barely misses my head, and lands on the other side.

I did not know until that moment that deer have the same swirl pattern on either side of the butt hole that you see on short hair dogs!

 

[BanjoBoy]

I dun hit a few UFA on the FJR, butt the thang that got my attention wuz a turkey vulture on the FZ1. That wuz ugly!!!

 

[Geezer]

I've hit a few birds with my FJR. They were all small to medium size but I didn't stop to see exactly what they were.

One time my old Maxim was parked in the garage and my cat was showing a lot of interest in the front of the forks. I went over and found a dead bird sitting on a piece under the headlight, kind of like a fork brace. I think it was a blackbird.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

For whatever reason with this gray '15 I have hit several, of several different species and had many near misses. Pop is convinced that they cannot see that gray color very well. He also thinks that birds have trouble judging the speed of the bike because they "learn" with cars. He may be right.

So far it has been just small, wren and chickadee type birds. Thankfully the bigger ones have escaped the Grim Reaper but I have had buzzards, crows, and turkeys accelerate my heart rate with this FJR. Oddly, I do not recall any strikes with my ST1300 although there were quite a few close calls.

I have had strikes with the '15 in my home state of Louisiana, and also in Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. I cannot remember if I hit one in Utah or not.

The worst I ever dealt with was an owl that Dad hit with his '84 GoldWing one morning on his way home from work. I was waiting for him to arrive so I could take the bike to school and the bike was covered in white owl shit. Covered. I had to wash it off and hurry to not be late for school.

 

[rbentnail]

Hit 2 birds the same day. First was a buzzard, hit the windshield upper left at 55 mph and left a couple minor scratches on the left side of my helmet. Kept the bike upright and in the road but still don't know how as I was ducking hard to the right to get missed by the thing. They're really really big up close and personal. About 3 miles down the road a tweety bird dove into my front forks and exploded into my radiator. Had to pull over and clean it out, fearing overheating may be a problem.

Thought one time I just missed a bat. It zipped between the windshield and the right mirror & didn't hit me so I knew I missed it. Until I can out from work the next morning and had to pry its carcass out from under the rear grab rail.

 

[red2kcbr]

Hit several birds over the years, no bike damage.

 

[AdamK]

3 for me. Two hit the front of the bike and I got one with my foot.

 

[wftreg]

I hit a black bird and a small starling with the FJR. Once riding up the Northway, in New York by Lake George on a 1200 Super-glide with no windshield, I hit a bee that stung me on the neck; and I also had a June bug give me a fat lip. Now with the FJR I have an extra large windshield.

 

[wfooshee]

Mockingbird. Bounced off the windshield, don't know its fate.

 

[LKLD]

Just one, an osprey. He was flying over my lane ahead, when he dropped a prey (squirrel?), and came back for it. Hit him with the forks and fairing. It upset me for a couple of days.

 

[FJRfarrier]

First creature I have ever hit with the FJR... and it's a bald eagle. And I wacked it on July 2nd. Impacted on left mirror. and ricocheted down the side of the bike. No damage done to bike. Bird ended up with a broken wing. Bird rehab lady came and got him. He was quite the powerful boy!

Gonna do something, might as well do it big.... right?

So yeah, I'm "that" person. The one who hits and injures a symbol of our nation, 2 days before we celebrate our independence as a nation. lol.

 

[TomInPA]

I have taken out several birds, but the most interesting was a Prairie Chicken on US 16 West out of the Black Hills in sight of Devil's Tower, that stretched out its neck and ran right into the front wheel. It met a fast end with no damage to the bike.

 

[PhilJet09]

I've killed a few small birds over the last 5 years. Almost hit one of those big damn turkey buzzards on my way home from the Ramble this year. I slowed down to about 20 honking my horn like an idiot before the dumb bastard finally got out of the way. Now that I think about it, almost hit a squirrel the same way. This time of year brings a whole new crop of young, dumb critters with underdeveloped survival skills.

 

[rjrettig]

Took out a Canadian goose. It was close to the edge of the road, typically they just walk away as you get closer, this one decided to fly. Fortunately it only got a few flaps of its wings in before impact. It took a body shot on the end of my throttle grip. As I wasn't going that fast and the bird wasn't going that fast, no damaged to me our the bike. The goose wasn't dead but I know it wasn't going to be flying again!

 

[ionbeam]

I have also hit a few birds, every one with my helmet or body and a few left a bruise imprint in the shape of the bird through my heavy quilted leather coat. Every year I seem to take out at least one bird, squirrel and chipmunk. Recently, on my way to work taking the long way, I crested a steep hill at significant speed and discovered a flock of ------ white peacocks in the middle of the road. Fortunately they all escaped alive. That would have been an exotic bird strike. I'm sure they were escapees from the farm that was right there.