Today Devin and I were out for a little ride. He was on his 2014 Street Glide Special and I was on my 2012 Heritage.

About half way thru we switched bikes, just to see the difference in the two.

I was in front on the SG and a bird flew into the fairing on the left side. A while later, when we stopped, Devin said it had spun around in the air, then landed right as he rode by.

It's probably been a year and over 50k miles since I hit a bird. Then when riding his almost new SG, I hit one. What are the odds?

Fortunately there was no damage to his black denim paint!

 

In over 40 years of riding I have taken 6 bird strikes probably the only reason I wear a helmet now also got a black eye from a big beetle

 

I'm guessing it was McCartney; Ringo is too mellow to do that to ya.

 

Will always happen the minute you take your bud's new ride

 

Hit a bird for the first time ever (15 years of riding) just a couple weeks ago. Sucker jumped up and flew right in front of my bike just below the fairing (Might have hit the bottom of it, heard a THUNK).. I was going ~40mph.. didn't see what happened to it but pulled over to take a look. Poor guy was plastered to my front cylinder.. Fortunately dead.. Had to pry him off.

Surprised it doesn't happen more often to be honest.

 

I ride a lot of back roads and there are always birds coming out, maybe it's that time of year or something. I know I'll hit one in the near future, just hope its a small bird and not a goose.

 

I used to hit at least one bird a year for 10 years or so. It has been a couple seasons since I hit one now.

 

Sounds like Murphy's Law at work!

 

About 20 yrs ago a friend and I were riding our Honda Nighthawks down I35 and he took a crow to the shoulder. We pulled over at the next rest area because his shoulder was hurting. It turned out the beak of the crow went through his jacket and broke off in his shoulder. He pulled it out and headed back home. I think about that every time I ride.

 

I have so many close calls with birds of all sizes that I'm really considering carrying a Taurus Judge with me on the bike. The worst was when a big tom turkey creased his tail with the top of my windshield. His legs were on either side the the shield.