YamaPA
New Member
Been away from the forum, but now back. The story goes like this.....in mid May, I collided with a deer on the Blue Ridge Parkway (the second deer hit for me on the Parkway for me in 3 years and my fourth deer incident on a bike in 10 years and the first time I have ever crashed as a result). It was a bright sunny day in the early afternoon. The deer came out about 30 feet in front of me while I was enjoying a spirited ride trying to rehook with some friends after a mandated upset stomach bowel stop. I T-boned the animal dead center, the front of the bike imploded (nothing but the front wheel, brake calipers, the Givi crash bars and the front forks remained on the front---the entire front of the bike was cleared back to the steering stem.
After impact, I remained upright for a while (and thought to myself, "that's the fourth mother effing deer I have hit and I am not going to crash...unbelievable". Next thing I know, I'm low siding the 600 pound S10 porker because I entered a 10 foot wide strip of grass. I wound up sliding in the strip of grass probably 200 feet all the while parallel to a tree line and not hitting a single tree. Near the end of the slide, I, as well as the bike, did one flip. I wound up in a patch of poison ivy (which just happened to be the only "open" space along the tree line) and bike layed 5 feet off the road. The black S10 was totaled, I was pretty much OK except for a twisted knee (which had been injured from eons past). Twelve minutes passed and not single vehicle came by. No cell phone service was avaialble. Eventually vehicles came by to offer help. I told them to drive on down the road a bit and find two bikers and tell them of my plight. My friends cames back and then a portion of the rest of our group (about 20 of us) also showed up. Yada, yada, yada,.....park ranger, AAA towing, etc. all then happened in the next 3 or so hours. I then had to ride bitch on a friends bike down to our destination of Little Switzerland for the next 180 miles......all during prime deer time on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Needless to say, that a stressful mind experience for someone who has only been a pillion maybe for 5 miles in all his life.
Given that was my fourth deer hit on a bike, I serioulsy considered no more street riding. So much so that I bought a sports car (BMW Z4 M Roadster), sold a Goldwing, but kept two KTM enduros. Today I complete the paperwork for my new replacement black S10. I will say my mind still has issues with riding and even driving in a cage down a road where there is little or no open space from the edge of the road to where bambi and others hide. When you think about it, it really is quite scary. I do believe my road riding style will forever be changed when the road meets the forest. The unpredicatble nature of wildlife is amazing, but deer have got to be the stupidist animals when it comes to processing potential collisions with vehicles. Those of you in "wide open" states probably probably don't consider the risk nearly as much as those of us in the northeast.....but after 4 deer hits, all I can say it does screw with your mind.
I just hope I enjoy the new bike as much as the old one. Modding is going to be easy this time...I know what is needed and what goes where without delay.
After impact, I remained upright for a while (and thought to myself, "that's the fourth mother effing deer I have hit and I am not going to crash...unbelievable". Next thing I know, I'm low siding the 600 pound S10 porker because I entered a 10 foot wide strip of grass. I wound up sliding in the strip of grass probably 200 feet all the while parallel to a tree line and not hitting a single tree. Near the end of the slide, I, as well as the bike, did one flip. I wound up in a patch of poison ivy (which just happened to be the only "open" space along the tree line) and bike layed 5 feet off the road. The black S10 was totaled, I was pretty much OK except for a twisted knee (which had been injured from eons past). Twelve minutes passed and not single vehicle came by. No cell phone service was avaialble. Eventually vehicles came by to offer help. I told them to drive on down the road a bit and find two bikers and tell them of my plight. My friends cames back and then a portion of the rest of our group (about 20 of us) also showed up. Yada, yada, yada,.....park ranger, AAA towing, etc. all then happened in the next 3 or so hours. I then had to ride bitch on a friends bike down to our destination of Little Switzerland for the next 180 miles......all during prime deer time on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Needless to say, that a stressful mind experience for someone who has only been a pillion maybe for 5 miles in all his life.
Given that was my fourth deer hit on a bike, I serioulsy considered no more street riding. So much so that I bought a sports car (BMW Z4 M Roadster), sold a Goldwing, but kept two KTM enduros. Today I complete the paperwork for my new replacement black S10. I will say my mind still has issues with riding and even driving in a cage down a road where there is little or no open space from the edge of the road to where bambi and others hide. When you think about it, it really is quite scary. I do believe my road riding style will forever be changed when the road meets the forest. The unpredicatble nature of wildlife is amazing, but deer have got to be the stupidist animals when it comes to processing potential collisions with vehicles. Those of you in "wide open" states probably probably don't consider the risk nearly as much as those of us in the northeast.....but after 4 deer hits, all I can say it does screw with your mind.
I just hope I enjoy the new bike as much as the old one. Modding is going to be easy this time...I know what is needed and what goes where without delay.
)
