Turkey's can move
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 455
Likes: 1
From: Deep River ON
Turkey's can move
Going to Ottawa today a stupid Turkey came out of the ditch and across the road in front of the cage. Can those things ever move. No time to react. It hit the passenger front end. Significant damage. Once I got over it I started to think how lucky I was to have been in the cage. If I had been on the Glide I would be in hospital right now. Sorry, just need to de-stress a bit and I know you Guys will understand
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 901
Likes: 5
From: Springfield, MO
Hit a turkey on the bike a few years ago. Came up out of a ditch just like with you. All I had time to do was brace myself, holding the handlebars as tight as I could. Hit the turkey with the left handgrip. I remember the RPMs coming up as it pushed the clutch lever in. Amazingly, I kept it up and other than turkey blood everywhere, there was no damage to the bike. I did injure my left wrist as it kind of jammed my wrist, but no serious damage to anyone or anything but the turkey.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 338
Likes: 2
From: North Central CT
Came around a blind corner to a flock of them crossing the road...I aimed for a gap and prayed....those suckers are quick.
Wanna know something else that's quick...a fully grown moose.
The biggest brown streak I have left on my Sundowner seat was a near miss with a big female moose that was placidly chewing on some grass well off the side of the road on Rte 9 outside Bennington VT heading to Brattleboro. I come around a corner and see the car well ahead of me slow and pull toward the side of the road. Didn't think much of it, so I keep motoring along.
I notice a little bit ahead of them a marsh on the side of the road with a moose standing in it facing away from the road. Being basically a child of the 'burbs (and not too bright about moose) I figure 1) its too late for me to come to a stop anywhere but alongside the moose (where I really don't wanna be) without going into a skid 2) its facing away from me so if I scare it it'll go deeper into the marsh.
Well, I figure I have no choice and I stay on the throttle and go all the way over onto the shoulder of the road on the opposite side from the moose. All of a sudden, my ASSumption goes all wrong and she charges right towards me. I punch it and pray...she changed her mind before it was too late and veered away...felt like a few feet were between us, but it was probably more than that. Could not believe how fast that thing was. Heart didn't settle down for miles, lol, and I had to change my shorts...she was like lighning, those long legs just ate up the distance. The locals almost got to laugh about another stupid tourist/moose incident.
Lesson: see moose, STOP! Wait for moose to do whatever it is that moose wants. Wait for moose as long as it takes for moose to do what moose do. When moose go, you go!
Wanna know something else that's quick...a fully grown moose.
The biggest brown streak I have left on my Sundowner seat was a near miss with a big female moose that was placidly chewing on some grass well off the side of the road on Rte 9 outside Bennington VT heading to Brattleboro. I come around a corner and see the car well ahead of me slow and pull toward the side of the road. Didn't think much of it, so I keep motoring along.
I notice a little bit ahead of them a marsh on the side of the road with a moose standing in it facing away from the road. Being basically a child of the 'burbs (and not too bright about moose) I figure 1) its too late for me to come to a stop anywhere but alongside the moose (where I really don't wanna be) without going into a skid 2) its facing away from me so if I scare it it'll go deeper into the marsh.
Well, I figure I have no choice and I stay on the throttle and go all the way over onto the shoulder of the road on the opposite side from the moose. All of a sudden, my ASSumption goes all wrong and she charges right towards me. I punch it and pray...she changed her mind before it was too late and veered away...felt like a few feet were between us, but it was probably more than that. Could not believe how fast that thing was. Heart didn't settle down for miles, lol, and I had to change my shorts...she was like lighning, those long legs just ate up the distance. The locals almost got to laugh about another stupid tourist/moose incident.
Lesson: see moose, STOP! Wait for moose to do whatever it is that moose wants. Wait for moose as long as it takes for moose to do what moose do. When moose go, you go!
Last edited by MadIrish; Apr 26, 2011 at 09:07 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,274
Likes: 130
From: Now Western TN
Hit a turkey on the bike a few years ago. Came up out of a ditch just like with you. All I had time to do was brace myself, holding the handlebars as tight as I could. Hit the turkey with the left handgrip. I remember the RPMs coming up as it pushed the clutch lever in. Amazingly, I kept it up and other than turkey blood everywhere, there was no damage to the bike. I did injure my left wrist as it kind of jammed my wrist, but no serious damage to anyone or anything but the turkey.
same thing happened to me, flew right out of the right hand ditch. It hit the front fairing on the left side and flipped over the left side of the fairing and up and past my left shoulder. Turkey guts all over the fairing, lowers, everywhere. Luckily held the bike up and pulled over, guy behind me saw everything and said he was amazed I kept the bike up.
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 483
Likes: 4
Not a turkey, but I had a finch (very small bird about the size of a baseball) come out of the ditch and connect with my right shoulder at about 70 miles an hour. Have Randy Johnson hurl a fastball at you & it would probably feel about the same, HOLY **** that hurt 
. Lots of swerving until I could regain control, thankfully I didn't go down.
. Lots of swerving until I could regain control, thankfully I didn't go down.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,778
Likes: 69
From: Badlands of ND
I have had to dodge those critters a few times over the years. We have a lot of them up here. So far have never hit one. Glad to here you are OK. Things like that are why I have ABS on my Ultra.
