Animal threats - Gory photos inside. NKS.

[Red600F]

Over the weekend I was riding my kat 600. I was about a mile from my house and slowing down for a stop sign. A darn groundhog ran between my wheels at about 30mph. scared the crap outta me.

has anyone every hit an animal before or have any advice for such an event?

Atleast one groundhog will cross the road just about everytime I ride and I just ride slow and cautious.

[Holocene]

Nearly hit a deer the other night. They step out into the road seemingly from nowhere. While hitting a deer may be an inconvenience in a car, if you hit one on a bike, you're finished.

[pete325is]

i hit a bird... on the right side of my chest... got blood all over my white leather jacket.. that was fun.. oh.. and i hit another bird while slowing down for a deer.. took that one off the helmet.. .

[LORDMETAL]

i hit a squirrel

with my old 72 honda cl 200
back in 91. the squirrel ran between my wheels at about 35mph .
kill the poor thing

[SilentTJ]

my instructor for the MSF course told us... large animals... do what you can to avoid them, brake hard, or swerve, w/e you can do... but small animals like that.... hit em... don't bother braking, swerving or anything... just hit em... better you kill them than killing yourself by trying to avoid them and something go wrong...

[#1 Moses]

Critters Just Blow your Horn!!!

[il_ragazzo]

i hit an owl , a mud pie (strange black duck lookin things that can't fly), a crow , and almost a turkey vulture ... birds and i aren't on the best of terms right now... ya know?...

[NiteMare]

i hit a smallish dog on my old Jawa 250 years ago, braked like mad but it was too late just bumped straight over it ...

killed the dog instantly

[lucifers_ride]

First reation is gonna be to let off the throttle or slam the brakes, DON'T Imagine hitting the brake or the engine braking and then hitting a small animal, tires will lock up and you might just end up on the ground with the little animal. I hit a coon the other night on the SV doing 60MPH and it never even touched the back tire. Hit the front and must have flew. I felt the front hit and jerk but never the back. Deer or big dogs, different story.

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[steves]

Dogs always expect you to speed up. I try to vary my speed going past them, then crack the throttle when I am out of their way. Some smaller animals it's harder to judge what you should do. Usually I will try to spook them with the horns or revving the motor.... if you can safely stop you probably should.

[tzortn]

The way it was explained in the MSF course that I attended was that if the animal is small enough to fit on a serving platter aim for it. Most likely it will run away before you get there.

[diavolo]

Those are what's known as "squishables". As unfortunate as it is hitting a small critter; to the best of my knowledge, none are considered an endangered species. Bigger animals pose a much greater risk to ones' safety: larger dogs, deer, etc.

[Vandil]

My Kat is a fighter now after a bike+deer accident.

[Red600F]

thanks for sharing some expereinces! I use my Kat horn when I have time but everyone knows how loud they arnt... A friend told me the other day to just lean back on the seat to let the front soak it up like you would if you had to hit a branch or something.

I havnt hit anything yet but I fear the day is near...

[cruspeed]

I've hit a possum' and a few pre-dead animals.......and had deer guts flung all over me, but that's what I get for staying too close behind a transfer truck. I'm fearing the deer also, I commute alot during dusk and dawn and see them alot. Most of them around here won't even get spooked when you beep the horn, I guess they are used of it.