Has anyone ever hit a piece of tire tread?

I was cruising down the interstate just as the sun was setting. You know, the time of day where your headlight doesn't do a heck of a lot of good. Anyway, I was changing lanes and glanced over my shoulder to check my blind spot as I started the lane change. When I looked back in front of me, there was a coiled up piece of truck tire tread on the stripe that I was about to cross. The asphault was dark black, making it hard to see the tire tread in the road. I quickly adjusted and missed it by 1-2 feet. It was a pretty big piece of tread and was coiled up like a stretched out spring. I don't know if it would have wrecked me, but it sure got my attention.

What have you run over? How bad did it upset the bike?

 

I hit a recap once in a chevy aveo rental car on a work trip. I was amazed that tiny car didn't get flipped from it!

 

I have not hit one but it pisses me off just the sight of them. Looks like hell with the crap all over the place and is a MAJOR issue for motorcyclists. Don't get me started of 18 wheelers.

 

I ran over a large raccoon doing about 25mph, no damage but almost dumped the bike. I think damage would have been done if my bike didn't have such high suspension

 

Haven't hit one but I do think about them often. I frequent 81 in PA which is a major truck route. To say they litter the interstate is an understatement.

 

Have yet to hit one, but you can stay pretty busy between dodging craters (potholes) and debris, that dusk ride can be a bitch.

 

They call them "gators" and they will take you down in a heart beat. I have seen them take out a fender and running gear on a car.
On a road trip one time out west an 18 wheeler passed us, I could see the right rear tire was going bad,,I backed way off and sure enough about 5 miles down the road the right rear tire casing came off, sure glad I was not near it.

 

One time as I was passing a Semi in a cage it blew a tire. Scared the **** out of me and left what looked like a little tar on the window.

 

Yes, it will take a rider down for sure. Some of those things probably weigh over 20 pounds. I'd put that in the near miss category.

 

A Sister I ride with hit one head-on and it kicked back and tore-up her bag on a Street Glide. Could of been alot worst. Cracked the side of the plastic bag pretty bad and bruised part of her leg.
Same type of situation it was dusk and didn't see it until it was to late. Luckliy she stayed up and saved it, Could of been ugly in free-way traffic @ 60 plus.