Neighbor hit buzzard.....on motorcycle

[KYErik]

I was T-boned by a Maxima. If it wasn't for my helmet, I might be comatose in a hospital bed right now. I don't understand why many motorcyclists don't wear a helmet- but I suppose they have that right and hopefully they have thought about the risk.

I feel lucky that I just lost my right leg (right above the knee). Prosthetic technology has come a long way and I can still do most everything I used to do- just a little slower. My days of sharing the road with cars is over but I still enjoy riding a dirt bike from time to time.

 

[RSKY]

Have met several motorcycles lately with a pulsing headlight. That makes them visible and noticeable at a greater range. If I rode I would have that.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Stopped an oak tree dead in it's tracks when I was 18. Had to go through a steel guardrail to get him, but he didn't get away. Was doing 65 when I slid out of the top of the curve, probably 55 when I hit the guardrail (too busy to look), and probably 40-45 when I hit the tree. I bet that tree still has the scars on it, I know I do. Only reason I lived is 1. I was 18, and 2. I was wearing a full face helmet. That was in 1984. EMT's told my riding buddy that I probably wouldn't make it to the hospital (they were surprised I was still alive by the time they got there). Took 6 months to walk again under my own power, the list of bones not broken/crushed is shorter than the list that was.

I actually did ride again starting a couple years later, but I stopped completely about 20 years ago. Riding every day through valley traffic in Phoenix, AZ, plus being a full time tow truck/recovery wrecker driver convinced me to stop.

I always wore a full face helmet, summer or winter, but my view has always been the difference between a rider that wears a helmet and a rider that doesn't, is that the guy wearing the full face helmet at least gives his loved ones the option of an open casket funeral when he's killed.

 

[gwstang]

I rode for many years and finally had to give it up from a neck injury. Once they put a titanium plate in the neck....wind really sucks to be going 55 + mph. Even a good windshield did not help. My father always said that they called the cycles...."Murdercycles" or "An Accident Looking for a Place To happen!" Of course, growing up...my sister was an ER Nurse, so we got to hear all about the maimed/crippled/skinned up/dead people (especially kids) from riding motorcycles. Wasn't no way in he** my parents were going to allow a cycle.... I waited until I was in the Navy to get my first bike back in 1977. Anyway, about 10 years ago, I was riding home late one night about midnight, from work. It was a 50 mile ride back then . Of course the deer were just waiting for me each night. I added some led side lights on the crash bar and it really lit up the sides of the road for me at night. I saw a doe cross the county road and head into the bushes...(you know the bushes/saplings are not cut back on the little county roads like a state road) .I knew she was going to turn around and go back. Yep, I had slowed from 50 down to about 15 by the time she got to me. I was hard on the front dual brakes and riding the pedal on the rear discs. Got to about 3 or 4 mph and by the time I was stopped, she had her head resting on my left arm (I had crossed into the opposite lane as far as I could go to give me more room). She kept pushing on my arm, I finally lifted my arm and pushed her back and she took off around the front wheel. I was shaking and I mean badly. I had to get off and walk off the adrenaline before resuming my journey. I quickly found out that I had stopped in 4th gear. and had to push the bike enough to get downshifted to take off again. Had many close calls in about 140K miles on 5 different bikes added together over the years. I do have the hankering to get a HD street Glide as they look comfortable and easy to handle....don't tell the red head though...Lord Almighty, she would have a fit....in case you fellows married to those beautiful blondes/brunettes don't know about red heads....she will snatch a knot in my tail so fast........I'll let you finish it...lol . I turn 61 in about another hour.....to old to get crunched up now.

The last thing I remember hitting was a small owl that was feasting on a dead squirrel at night. He hit the crash bar and scared the you know what out of me. He was ok. Oh yes, I was on my brand new 2009 Yamaha 1100 Silverado going home one night and some young teenage black kids driving their mama's honda car (school support tag on the rear) decided it was ok to throw a frigging egg at me when I was going by them on a four lane. I was right upset. They didn't realize that the bike could easily out run that honda. They looked pretty scared by the time I got done dressing them down and explaining that it could cause someone with less experience to crash and they would be in a heap of trouble them as most bikes had a gopro mounted and it would have their tag/car recorded. btw, it did get some on me and my bike. Maybe they learned....or maybe they became another trayvon....

 

[MossRoad]

....figured it was just a matter of time till my number came up, so sold my bike. Got into flying ultralights and we wont go in to details on that adventure....

Nice!

 

[square1]

Rode from before I could legally drive until our first child was born. Only had two on road near incidents in all those years. Both were a result of my own poor judgement. Helmets were required in Michigan in those days and always wore one on & off road.
Bought another bike after our youngest graduated high school and went off to college. Rode it for 1 1/2 seasons and sold it because of all the reasons listed previously. Had more near incidents with distracted or inattentive drivers than I can count. Wore a helmet unless I was just out slowly cruising the back roads. Still would not want to encounter a turkey, vulture, or other animal even at 35~40 MPH.
Couple interesting stats. The year after Michigan allowed riders to decide if they wanted to wear a helmet or not the number of fatalities to helmetless riders was double helmeted riders. Total fatalities were up 23% when the national average was up 10%. Helmets do save lives I think.

 

[Tomtint]

In one form or another, I have had a bike for 45 years. Mass has a helmetblaw and I do wear a novelty helmet that is likley not much help in a hard fall. On the occasion I get up into NH or other state where a helmet is not required, ... if it's 85-90* .. in all likelihood the bucket is removed. I'm a very "aware of my surroundings" rider. Typically on very rural back roads and avoid the hiway whenever possible. I do a pretty fair amount of miles every year on the bike... quite often, I can see someone who is about to do something stupid in front of me before they actually do it. Everything from driving close or on a line, to a low pressure tire, or a grey hair at the wheel, etc... if you are going to be on a bike today.. you need 100% of your wits at all times.

 

[Rustyiron]

People TEXTING is what I think will eventually get me off 2 wheels and put me back into an open air Jeep.
It should be treated exactly the same as DWI.

 

[fidowanttobe]

Rode from when I was 16 till 65. Hit a dog once and killed it. Riding through Kansas and hit a prairie chicken, was wearing a helmet, glanced off it and feathers went everywhere. Riding up around Yellowstone and a grey wolf ran in front of me, I was doing around 70 mph (that was the speed limit, no traffic) I just missed him by a hair, had to pull over and check my underwear. At 65 I figured I had been pretty lucky and figured it was just a matter of time till my number came up, so sold my bike. Got into flying ultralights and we wont go in to details on that adventure. Still at 76 on a spring day I can still smell the aspens trees riding up Cimarron canyon In New Mex. or the prairie breeze in Wyoming, or the smell of the pulp mills in Ark.

Don't forget about the "WHEW! Something dead in the ditch back there" smell! :laughing:

 

[Gary Fowler]

I rode bikes all the time as a kid (13-15) and didn't have a helmet. Then didn't ride again till 24 or so but mostly wore a helmet. Didn't ride again till in my 50's when I bought my first older bike to ride (a Honda Silverwing 500cc) a year later upped to an 1100 CC Yamaha Virago, then a 1200cc Honda Goldwing. I never rode any of them without a helmet and now ride a 1500cc Goldwing. I have 3 helmets that I use when riding it, a full face for cold weather, a 3/4 helmet for spring/fall riding and a skull cap 1/2 helmet for summer. I have never had any encounter with animals and there are dangers around the home that likely kill or maim more folks than motorcycle accidents. Things like falls from ladders, slips in showers / tubs, mowers and tractors tipping over etc. likely kill more folks than hitting an animal on a motorcycle. We all just have to assume some risk in doing the things we like to do and use good judgement in any task that we are doing. I always do a task assessment on whatever I do (40 years of construction and that requirement are engrained )and think of what could happen, vs what to do to prevent it. I do some risk taking (like working under a load suspended by my 3 PH or FEL) but decided the risk of failure is too low to worry about it. If I had a bunch of people around me like kids and such, it would be a different story because you can never not expect a kid to jump on a tractor and start pulling levers etc.