The Deer story.

O

OB_FRQ FLYR

Registered
A group of us were in Helen, GA. for dinner. On the way back to the campground my friends wanted to take the long way around the mountain, and I wanted to take the short cut, over the mountain. Upon leaving, they warned: look out for deer!!
I'm thinking, deer! Yea, OK.
Regardless, it was nighttime and a full moon to boot. I was cruising at 60mph when:
In less than a blink of an eye, I was sliding face down on the pavement. In my mind, I’m thinking: I just hit a deer, this can't be happening, not to me!. Also, I sensed that my body was OK.
Then the Busa hit me. We tumbled, and I ended up under the Busa, pinned. I tried to push the Busa off of me, but without success. I released my chinstrap, and wiggled out from under the bike. I tried to sit up but had too much pain.

Fortunately, within 10 minutes a car came along and notified EMS.

End result: FX. Pelvis, 5 ribs, sacrum. (part of spine)Dislocated LT Shoulder, and a tiny amount of road rash.
1 dead deer--thrown 150'
1 totaled Busa.

I am home now, after 8 days in the hospital. Rehab will take approx. 4-6 weeks.

I share this experience with you for one reason. "PROTECTION"
Had it not been for the gear that I was wearing, my injuries would have been fatal.
Helmet, gloves, Motoport 1000 denier cordura jacket with full body armour, silver tab jeans, and boots. I always ride with protection, cause you never know when:

**** happens!!!

Joe
 
Wow! Sorry to hear about that.. I always dred the day I might kiss a deer... Hope all works out well for you!

I wear similar gear to you, but I always wear jeans and I feel sooner or later I better get some form of pant protection.. you mentioned "silver tab jeans" are these stronger than normal jeans?

There is jeans with kevlar in the seat ... but if I want to pant more for protection I am thinking waterproof/breathable cordura pants, or leather...
 
Bulldog, I have 2 pairs of "dragginjeans" and love em. $80 a pop. Little hot down here but that's alright.
 
Ouch! I came around a blind corner last weekend and there was an old broad on a horse in the middle of the road! Thank God I was taking in easy or they would have been pulling my head out of the horses a,s,s.Your a lucky dude!
 
wow,good to here you're home and doing better.I met you on the Lakeland ride and you're a hell of a rider, hope you get back in the saddle soon

Chuck
 
Man, sorry to hear about the hit. Get well quick.

Hooshy, there is no useful tactic to avoid a deer strike, except reduced speed for the whole night ride, and being constantly ready to nail the brakes. When they see your headlight, they will sometimes freeze, sometimes bolt in front of you at the last moment. They move way too quickly to react to, and are utterly unpredictable. They may double back in front of you, they might run into you.

I have hit some animals. I hit a mountain beaver (about as big as a medium-sized dog) at 70 mph, and kept it upright. Its head bent the case saver on my 1100, broke the right anti-dive unit and sprayed fork oil all over my right leg.

I've hit a crow, a bat, a couple smaller birds; just missed a horned owl and a porcupine. And I've hit one deer. I don't like riding smaller highways at night. Deer scare me.
 
I live in Central Pennsylvania, prime white tailed deer country. There are a couple of things you can do that might help.

First watch for their eyes. Before you see the deer you will see what look like a pair of little reflectors. Invaribly you'll see their eyes well before you can make out their shapes. They almost always look at the oncoming light. Of course I have hammered the brakes to discover someone put yellow reflectors at the end of their driveway so this is not a perfect technique.

Second if you have a tiny bit of warning, while braking down, blink your high beams up and down several times. This will break the trance that panics them into your path. They'll often run rather than freeze in your path.

Obviously, deer country precludes 190mph runs.

I hope you and the bike are better soon.
 
Yeah what are "silver tab jeans". Are they some form of Southern Levi's or something tougher.
 
Silver Tab Jeans are just another "model" of jeans made by Levi's, like 501's. They have no extra protective qualities.

I'd say to best avoid a deer(we're assuming you're in that dreaded position of being almost on it already) is to aim for it's hind quarters, clutch in, and rev it while braking hard to the front. The sound might get it moving, and usually forward(that's why I aim for their rear end). All I can say is it worked once up near Tahoe for me, so that's my tactic and I'll stick to it.
 
Good advice insinu8, that's pretty much how we do it here in Texas deer country too. Might use the horn as well. Anything that will make noise. Deer tend to run forward with occasional side to side "jukes" to avoid preditors.

With cows, if you can be loud enough they'll go back the direction they came from, I've even seen 'em go over the top wire of a barbwire fence.

With horses, they'll go wherever you don't want them to. It's best to try and slip by them with a minimum of motion and/or noise.

Sounds like in Flyer's case there wasn't a darn thing he could have done. The deer was most likely as surprised as he was. Hope you feel better.
 
My post, while sounding a little silly, was meant for those who've actually hit an object.

In a car I have the attitude that if it's questionable swerving will cause me to wreck, then I'm hitting whatever (deer, car, etc) it may be.

You can't get ticketed if you hit a deer in the road, but you probably will if there's no proof there was 'an act of God' that caused the accident. In the case a car pulls out in front of me (me being in a car too) and I can't stop, I WILL hit the other car. -Similar case, if he doesn't stop then I'm SOL.

All of the incidents are with the belief that I'm not at fault and speeds are minimal. -I'm not trying to kill anyone.

On a bike, self-preservation comes first. I've used tactics such as engine revs, high/low beam alternating, and horn blows which have kept me accident free.

Has anyone done something as crazy as accelerate into an animal to pick-up momentum?
 
What would be the 'best' way to manage a potential collision with a deer?

Has anyone hit a deer or other animal and managed to keep it upright?

I realize that the first thing you should do is hit the brakes and swerve, but has anyone just pinned the throttle and rode it through? Is it possible?
 
Joe,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I hope you feel better soon. Also,Look forward to riding with you one day up in Lakeland. I'm in Ft.Lauderdale.
 
HEY JOE ITS SONNY SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. DID YOU GET THE PICTURES FROM THE LAKELAND RIDE I E-MAIL THEM OUT? I JUST MISSED A COW THE OTHER DAY ITS TAIL HIT ME IN THE HELMENT RIGHT ON SHIELD HAD TO GET RID OF MY PANTS ALL FULL OF S H I T I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN IT ALL HAPPENS REAL FAST NO TIME TO REACT. SEE YOU SOON ON YOUR NEW BUSA. WHAT COLOR YOU GETTING THIS TIME?
SEE YOU SOON SONNY
 
You guys talk about all this "aim for the rear" and "flash your high beam while revving your motor" kind of like football fans at a bar, telling each other how to cover Jerry Rice. You guys seem not to quite understand just how fast a deer can move.

You will probably see the eyes, but they can sit dead-still until you are practically past them. Then when they launch out of the ditch into your path, driving off their hind legs, you scarcely have time to blink, much less all that other stuff.

My Father was a forester for Weyerhauser, and once had a deer run across in front of him, double back, and run into the side of his company pickup truck. They are fukkin' stupid...and very fast.

[This message has been edited by Mr Bear (edited 31 May 2000).]
 
Bear... I commute 110 miles a day thru deer country. All the riding/driving I do is through corn fields and forest. I've encountered more deer on the road than I have sport bikes.

That said, there is always something you can do. If you see eyes at 70 mph don't go screaming by hoping the deer won't jump out. I hope that is self evident. The eye trick works, I am living proof.

Blinking the lights at them assumes you see them far enough ahead to do something while you're braking down. Again not a perfect technique but it is a proven one.
 
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