Bird Strike!

[Tkelly]

First time I heard of someone literally eatin crow!

[wirespokes]

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...

[n3303j]

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.

[LuftGansa]

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.

[n3303j]

https://youtu.be/doSDfIo61r0?si=luLBkj9DjWYs3QEQ
Fort9 Video

[normzone]

"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.

[Gliderjohn]

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

[LuftGansa]

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.

[normzone]

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.

[Oca Grassa]

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.

[Ncdan]

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.

[LuftGansa]

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