Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: LuftGansa on March 18, 2025, 08:49:31 PM
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While driving on a secondary road south on my v85 tt , A hawk (mottled blur) struck my front right full face helmet. This happened in a split second in which I saw it very briefly before the strike. I think I had enough awareness to tense up my neck and head muscles and that was it.. Sure glad it wasn't the black panther (true sighting) I saw over a year ago in the same general vicinity.
How many other Guzzistas have ever struck a bird?
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Had a turkey nearly hit me while going around 60.I was laughing about it until my friend suggested it would be like getting hit in the head with a bowling ball.
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I hit a blackbird going 60 in my chest and it knocked the breath out of me. I hit a Guenny hen on my Sp1000 and it rolled off the windshield spinning in the air.
A friend of mine got killed by a turkey a few years back, JB. It was at night.
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I hit a vulture (or should I say he hit me) on a twisty road in Oregon. Right smack on the front middle of my helmet. I was riding my old K75S and had my head down and all of the force went straight down my spine. When I looked back, he was down on the pavement. Called my chiropractor and told him I would be at his office in a 1/2 hour. He still tells people the story.
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I never hit a bird but I did have a bat fly into me back when I road a gsxr. It hurt and left blood on my shirt.
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I head butted a pheasant years ago. Had to stop until the "stars" stopped. Had a sore neck for a couple of days. There was actually two pheasants. Both burst out of a hedge ahead of me. One went high, the kamakazi went low. He bounced off the side of my helmet and left a few feathers fluttering in the breaze as he flew off.
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I've narrowly missed a few over the years with a well timed duck. But a year or two ago a low flying one hit a cylinder head and got wedged between the fuel tank and valve cover slowly cooking till I realized it was there. I'd seen it fly across the road in front of me and had thought I'd narrowly missed it.
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Caught a bat on the widnshield of a Rocket III Triumph
Killed the bat but not thew shield, weird
inditx
p.s. Now the dear was a different story, same bike…..sold that bike.
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A bird hit the left side of my helmet while I was in a turn, fortunately it wasn't a large bird but I didn't see it coming and it scared the sh#t out of me.
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Current count 1 duck , i was going very slowly through a city park@ 6am . About 30 ducks were sleeping on the road . I yanked in the clutch & idled the engine . About 3/4 through the flock they awoke & alighted ! One came up under my left arm & was flapping against my chest . I let go of my left arm & Donald rolled over my shoulder!
When I got to the park exit , going onto the highway I looked down to see duck shit all over my jacket .
Second bird up close incident was a small (fortunately) turkey @ 40 MPH or so . It bounced off the motor & kept going .
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I knew a couple that had a vulture just clip the top of the screen, causing it to barf. The barf hit his wife and was so bad that by the time he got stopped she was throwing up in her helmet. Another had a turkey come up and land in his lap fighting to get away by banging against him and the inside of the fairing. It worked itself out without him crashing but the turkey had clawed through the leather in places on his jacket. Strikes are rare but dangerous.
GliderJohn
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Two weeks ago, I was coming back from Suches GA going 80+ mph on my Ducati 939 SS on a long hilly straight, a hawk swooped down in front me and struck my cowling before cartwheeling up against my shoulder. Result was this ...
(https://i.ibb.co/SXq4MJxv/IMG-8056.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SXq4MJxv)
Bike got a bit unsettled but thankfully it didn't hit my head or upper body. Felt bad for the hawk, can't believe it survived, suspect it was focused on some prey.
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I’ve hit two hawks.
One in tn on the v7 sport. I was riding alone on a sunny Sunday. He flapped & stood straight up wings out like all the pics, then hit me feet/claws first, dead center right in chest like I was dinner. Flapped around between my arms and got out before I went too far. That one was like slow motion and I thought my little half shell helmet meant I was going to get a face full of claws.
The other one was while 2-up on our shovelhead. 75-80mph on interstate in northern VT in cold rainy Sunday in Oct. never saw him, just all of a sudden some big brown & white fluffy thing was furiously bouncing around between my body arms and windshield. I first thought it was road trash that had blown up, then saw feathers in the flapping. Held the line and it quickly went over my shoulder and my said “what was that? Looked like a hawk”. We decided it was diving across road towards dinner when our paths crossed. it apparently flew in from side and never hit the windshield, just landed between my arms.
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I stunned a Pheasant many moons ago.
Quiet back road, CX500EC, riding in a very 'spirited' manner.
Pheasant came out of a hedge at knee-height like an Exocet, barely saw what happened, it hit the R/H Cylinder area.
Could see it flapping about on the road in my Mirrors, thought I should do the decent thing and finish it off (was not looking forward to that at all).
By the time I'd stopped and turned round, it was gone.
I checked the undergrowth as much as I could, nothing.
Lucky Bird.
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Two weeks ago, I was coming back from Suches GA going 80+ mph on my Ducati 939 SS on a long hilly straight, a hawk swooped down in front me and struck my cowling before cartwheeling up against my shoulder. Result was this ...
(https://i.ibb.co/SXq4MJxv/IMG-8056.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SXq4MJxv)
Bike got a bit unsettled but thankfully it didn't hit my head or upper body. Felt bad for the hawk, can't believe it survived, suspect it was focused on some prey.
Looks expensive!
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Hit a big stork like bird about 50 years ago on my commute to work on my 175 Bridgestone. Hit something about the size of a dove about 20 yrs. back; my brother behind me said the feather storm was impressive. The Stork actually made my shoulder pretty sore from the impact.
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Had a meadowlark hit my full face helmet just over the windshield. Looking in the mirrors, I saw yellow feathers flying.
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Deb was following me when we went over a lighted overpass. There were birds flying back and forth under the lights eating bugs. She said she saw my head move suddenly and explode. A bird had hit near the bottom of the face shield. I felt around to see if there was any guts or crap, I had gotten off clean so we kept rolling.
Another time I was passing a line of cars and trucks on a county road, going over a hundred. A vulture took off from the right and about the time I figured I wasn’t going to hit him , he crapped. Missed that too, it sure stunk!
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I guess from all the bird stories, it pays to have a real winshield and a full face helmet!
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Riding in KS for the WG rally saw may vultures on the road.They would slowly take off as I approached them.It was rather nerve wracking,I couldn’t see why the didn’t take their roadkill to go .
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Looks expensive!
Could be worse. Flying Magazine writer Dick Karl bought a nice used Beech Premier jet. Had owned it only six months when had a bird strike on a wing leading edge leaving an indentation about the size of a baseball. It was found that it couldn't be repaired safely. Beech was no longer making the plane or parts. Search of used plane wrecking yards could not come up with a full wing so the plane was considered non-airworthy and totaled. Now that is an expensive bird strike!
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Acquaintance took an Owl in the face about 20 years back. Broke his neck. Fatal.... Something to think about.
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Nothing big. I think something like a sparrow hit my helmet and bounced off. I saw it flopping around in the road in my rearview.
Another time about 5 miles from home on my way to the Wisconsin rally, a bird hit my rearview mirror and broke it. We took the long way around over the Great Lakes so I stopped at a Canadian Tire and picked up a stick on mirror.
Pete
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Riding in KS for the WG rally saw may vultures on the road.They would slowly take off as I approached them.It was rather nerve wracking,I couldn’t see why the didn’t take their roadkill to go .
I slow down when I see them based on Wes Stephens experience with those birds. He assumed they would take flight on his approach, which they slowly did but he got too close to one and it shit all over him and his bike which he said was pretty disgusting.
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I hit a Wild Turkey. It broke the windshield and cracked the fairing before hitting me in the chest. I don't know remember how I got stopped but the man driving the car behind me was standing beside me holding the handlebars when I finally caught my breath and became aware again. Not one of my favorite riding memories.
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Wow, that guy holding your handlebars was likely from the other dimension. Glad he stopped.
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No bird strikes but I ran over a skunk coming back from Shreveport. I thought I hit a pothole. I was eyeballing the traffic in front of me and merging right after accelerating to pass traffic. The guys behind me told me that I had run over a skunk. 6 of us. Last rider in the pack got the full aroma. :grin: We were going back to Lindale for the GRIT. That's what you get when you have the guy from Hawaii in front as speed bait for the State Police. :grin:
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Wow! More folks than I would have thought have had fowl encounters on a bike..... :rolleyes:
I took a pheasant in the kisser at dusk one day. I was going
about 55 or so and saw it just before impact. Good thing, too -
or it probably would have knocked me off the bike. Headache for
a coupla hours - me, not the bird. Bird flew away.
I also had a duck shit all over my head one morning. I was 17 and
had just bought a a brandy-new orange Bell Star II helmet. It changed to
white for a little bit there......
Stretch
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Close encounter with black bird on the side of the road. I was on the Ducati and it flew from the right wide of country road, blinked my eyes awaiting impact and gone. I thought was a black vulture. But later I am convinced it was a Wild Turkey. The Turkey was at least 3 or 4 times heavier if it has hit me, thank goodness
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hit a crow on a motorway (Uk) , at about 85- 90 mph wearing an open face helmet, had to pull over onto hard shoulder. to clean mess of exploded crow, and restriaghten broken nose, again
while doing this the police stopped, to ask if i needed help, gave me a load of blue paper to wipe mess off face and mouth. wouldnt let me sit in back of shiny new jam sandwitch while doing it though.
trust me raw crow tastes disgusting.
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First time I heard of someone literally eatin crow!
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A friend in High School hit a bird and he said it knocked him backwards, hands off the bars. Thankfully the bike continued straight ahead and all was fine once back on the grips.
One time on the freeway on one of my trips, probably doing 70 or 80, saw a vulture with his road kill on the shoulder in front of me. He took off, heading right across my lane, but with the added weight of his payload, wasn't gaining altitude very quickly. If he hadn't dropped his load, there's a good chance it would have been an encounter of the first kind.
I've often wondered how birds manage to always miss me and haven't worried about them. I know they'll do the right thing. But after all of your stories, there's a little bit of doubt...
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Fort9 did a thing about pigeons and collisions. Bird/Vehicle strikes increase as the vehicle goes beyond "standard speed". Seems the birds learn avoidance techniques for average conditions, but run amok when faced with velocities that don't fit the average pattern.
In his video he transferred the bird knowledge gained to situations involving people colliding with motorcyclists who are operating at unexpected velocities.
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Seeing that Red tailed hawk gave me just enough time to stiffen up my neck and head. I wonder how much worse it could have been had I, Not noticed the incoming bird, Not been wearing a helmet, Driving with a windshield that moved the bird further to the right before impacting the right side of my head/helmet, I just wonder. Also, it is a risk whenever I get on the bike or behind the wheel. I never know what is going to happen and I guess that is part of driving a bike in the first place.
Good to look up that Fort9 video.
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https://youtu.be/doSDfIo61r0?si=luLBkj9DjWYs3QEQ
Fort9 Video
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"He took a duck in the face at 250 knots" ... William Gibson, "Pattern Recognition".
Myself, only a sparrow hit on the engine, that one required a trip to the car wash. I have had bees inside my helmet on two occasions though.
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In 1980 I was riding on I-35 south of Dallas. Wearing a 3/4 helmet and no face shield at the time. A bumble bee went between the side of my head and the inside of the helmet. Felt it buzzing away while stuck on top of my ear. Didn't realize that it was a bumblebee and I had not been stung. I stuck my finger there hoping to pull out whatever it was and that is when it nailed me on the end of the finger. Did a record 70-0 and a record time removing the helmet which than the bumble bee flew away apparently no worse for wear. I probably would have crashed if that sucker had stung my ear or head. My hand swelled up pretty well for a couple of days making riding a bit awkward.
GliderJohn
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I was coming home from a glorious around the United States and Mexico trip when a wasp hit me like a beer room dart, right face cheek.. One for the books.
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Ah, insect related thread drift. The first time I took a bee in the helmet I had a small friend on the back. He was relaxing in my slipstream, just barely holding on when I was stung, and I dropped into a face on the tank posture. He said the wind change nearly took him off the bike.
The second time I took two bees in my helmet, and did not get stung. I stopped, took off my helmet and they flew away. I wonder how they locationally reorient after going hundreds of yards down the road.
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Have never hit a large bird, though came close a few times in the UK. 1st was crow that appeared from seemingly no where as I rounded a bend…hedge on both sides kinda thing. Other 2 were pheasant…on the same ride. Right outside RAF Fairford.
Only bird I ever hit was tiny. Like maybe a finch. Couldn’t tell you really. All I know is I hit something. When I stopped a bit later there were feathers stuck all over the spot on the front of my jacket. Probably doing about 50 or so going round a corner when it happened. I never even saw it.
Bees are an entirely different story. Luckily I am not allergic. One afternoon I was headed into The City to visit my Uncle & Cousins near Golden Gate Park. Crossing the GGB, I hit a bee. Right on the chin bar of my helmet. I’m be known at to me, it merely glanced off the chin bar and went straight down the neck of my leathers.
Somewhere along 25th Ave I got stung. Then again and again. Headed down Geary I got stung yet again before I finally turned toward Golden Gate Park at 17th and rolled into my Aunt & Uncles drive way. They were all out side waiting with beers….and tried to hand me one as I frantically started stripping out of my leathers.
When I finally got to where I could unzip my chest/back protector the bee fell out and was promptly stomped. I had welts all over my chest from the stings. Years later a similar thing happened to me on a rental bike riding up Pali Highway in Hawaii. Same exact thing. Bee glanced off my chin bar and straight down the neck of my jacket. I pulled over right after the 1st sting but got several more before I got that one out. He didn’t just get down my jacket, but inside my shirt too.
Been much luckier since then…a couple weeks ago I hit one and it went straight through my chin vent. I’m riding along when it crawled up my visor right into my line of sight. Turned my head and cracked open the visor at speed and out it went.
Worst or scariest near miss….a rattle snake in North FLA. a buddy & I were out for a ride. He was out in front of me, maybe 50-60 feet. He swerved and I see the long dark object whirling through the air. I thought he’d slung a chain. As the object and I got closer, I realized it was a rattle snake and I dipped left to avoid having it wind up wrapped around my arm or neck. Narrowly missed it on my right, and watched in my mirror as it slithered off into the weeds.
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All of these testimonies just confirms the reason I have always chosen to ride behind a superior quality lexan shield, that is tall enough to look through, not over.
Our police bikes OEM shields were immediately replaced with these over size shields as soon as new bikes went into service. And my shields have been struck by birds, rocks and hail stones, with no averse effects to the rider.
Again ones personal choices has consequences at times.
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The last posts have been fun in a commiserating way. I too am a fervent believer in a windshield/screen that is tall enough to look through but not over. While in the Army a way back in time, a couple of pilots from the Vietnam era were mentioning to me that a pilot, who was deathly afraid of snakes, found one coming up the control stick and he went berzerk with the aircraft and crashed killing him and others. The moral of the insect/motorcycle story is to keep calm and coast to a stop!
Luft