Just took a BUZZARD BIRD to the helmet at 60 mph!

[FIZZER6]

windscreen 0.5, HJC helmet 0.5, Shorts -1, noggin 0, chicken sized BUZZARD -2!

This bastard almost cost me my life today. Quick thinking and some favor from the big guy upstairs is the only reason I'm posting this from my desk!

It died on impact and I found it 30-40 feet down the road from the impact location.

For those unfamiliar with the black vulture of the US:

The Black Vulture is a fairly large bird of prey, measuring 56-68 centimeters (22–27 in) in length, with a 1.37–1.67 meter (4.5–5.5 ft) wingspan.[22][23] Weight for Black Vultures from North America and the Andes ranges from 1.6 to 2.75 kilograms (3.5–6 lb), the body is roughly the size of a large chicken.

Imagine taking a large chicken to the helmet at 60 mph. It feels like getting hit by an 250lb NFL strong safety! :spank:

How it happened:
I was heading home for lunch hour from the office, I have a 6.5mi commute...I was on a smaller 2-way road, passing zone, decided to swing around a slow moving utility truck, Just as I was about to complete my overtake I see 4 of these buzzards in the road in the right side eating a dead animal. I can't really hit the brakes, no telling if the truck will swerve...so I held steady throttle and hoped they would fly off to the closest side of the road (right) out of our path...NOPE. The stupid birds wait until the truck and I are within 50' and then decide to fly. TO THE LEFT. Out of options now and I have milliseconds to brace for impact. I tightened my grip and tucked in as far as I could at the last possible moment, 3 of the birds missed my fairing by inches...the last one was not so lucky, his feet hit my windscreen and his 6lb body slammed into the top of my helmet with unbelievable force...it was all I could do to keep the bike on the road, not knowing where the truck was behind me I knew I had to keep going. Impact speed was between 55 and 65mph. 1/2 mile down the road I had a place to pull off. Pounding headache and some scratches on my helmet and windscreen to buff out left of this near crash.

Moral of story: Don't play "chicken" with large birds...at high speeds a bird feels like a bowling ball.

 

[Motogiro]

Glad you're okay! :rockon:
There's a perfect case of always learning new experiences on the bike. No matter how experienced a rider you are there are always scenarios we don't expect. Even if it was a car you may not have seen the birds.

 

[ebster1085]

Wow..that is crazy! Thank god you are ok man. If that thing didnt clip the windsheild first this story could have ended very differently.

 

[FIZZER6]

Wow..that is crazy! Thank god you are ok man. If that thing didnt clip the windsheild first this story could have ended very differently.

There is no doubt in my mind that had it hit me squarely in the face shield I would have either come clean off the bike or went down seconds later.

 

[degake]

There is no doubt in my mind that had it hit me squarely in the face shield I would have either come clean off the bike or went down seconds later.

Hmm, so there actually is an advantage of having a windscreen <> riding a naked bike
Too bad you didn't had a camera mounted/running... it would've made a very interesting video :ban:
Main thing is: you came out unharmed (and the bike as well).

Grtz,


Degake

 

[FIZZER6]

Hmm, so there actually is an advantage of having a windscreen <> riding a naked bike
Too bad you didn't had a camera mounted/running... it would've made a very interesting video :ban:
Main thing is: you came out unharmed (and the bike as well).

Grtz,


Degake

I no longer call it a "windscreen". Rather, it is a "buzzard deflector".

Would have been worth it if I had a go-pro running!

 

[champion221elite]

Glad you're ok! Your experience reminds me of the time I hit a hen Turkey that was flying across the road.

 

[FIZZER6]

Glad you're ok! Your experience reminds me of the time I hit a hen Turkey that was flying across the road.

That doesn't sound fun. Although I'd have preferred it to strike the bike and not my head. I'm really starting to get a pounding headache now.

 

[degake]

I no longer call it a "windscreen". Rather, it is a "buzzard deflector".

Would have been worth it if I had a go-pro running!

I would take a patend on that mod :Flash:

The only bird I ever hit was a griffon vulture in Northern Spain
It costed me a headlight, front bumber, hood and windscreen for my car...
Since then I'm never at ease while doing some mountain roads, no mather if I'm in the car or on the bike....

As for those who don't know this bird: Griffon Vulture - Wikipedia

The Griffon Vulture is 93–110 cm (37–43 in) long with a 2.3–2.8 m (7.5–9.2 ft) wingspan. In the nominate race the males weigh 6.2 to 10.5 kg (14 to 23 lb) and females typically weigh 6.5 to 11.3 kg (14 to 25 lb).

Grtz,


Degake

 

[FIZZER6]

I would take a patend on that mod :Flash:

The only bird I ever hit was a griffon vulture in Northern Spain
It costed me a headlight, front bumber, hood and windscreen for my car...
Since then I'm never at ease while doing some mountain roads, no mather if I'm in the car or on the bike....

As for those who don't know this bird: Griffon Vulture - Wikipedia



Grtz,


Degake

I would much have prefer to have hit this thing in my car. I can replace parts easier than my neck/head.

 

[degake]

I would much have prefer to have hit this thing in my car. I can replace parts easier than my neck/head.

+1
But actually, I would have prefer to not hit these kind of birds/animals, either with the car, bike, bycicle, boat, parasail, .... :Flip:

Grtz,


Degake

 

[FIZZER6]

+1
But actually, I would have prefer to not hit these kind of birds/animals, either with the car, bike, bycicle, boat, parasail, .... :flip:

Grtz,


Degake

No one agrees more with this statement today than myself!

the only other living thing I've hit was a bat one night, exploded on my shoulder, left a bruise. The vulture was 100 times worse.

 

[oldfast007]

Glad your ok for the most part, a definite oh sh*t moment...To bad ya can't pluck it & grill it...damn thing. If your head still hurts in the a.m go get looked at!

 

[412fz6]

This reminds me of a thread a while back about riding with your helmet visor up. Yet another good reason not to do that.

 

[FIZZER6]

Now that my head is clearing up a bit, looking back on this I believe that my riding skills came into play there. As a less experienced rider I probably would have locked up the front brake when those birds surprised me and low sided with a 10,000 lb utility truck right behind me. Trying to see the glass half full here while hoping I don't have a concussion or future neck problems from this...

 

[hk_fz6_05]

yeah it definitely sounds like tucking in and hanging on was the exact right thing to do, but not likely to be the panic reaction of a less experienced rider (such as myself)....thank gawd we don't get airborne animals that size here....well aside from pheasants, but when did you last see one of those in suburbia?

glad to hear you're mostly ok. as has been said already, go get looked at if not feeling better soonish.

 

[Erci]

Holy sheet!! Glad you're alright, man!

 

[motojoe122]

Glad you are ok:thumbup:

I guess my sparrow encounter does not compare:BLAA:

 

[McLovin]

Play angry birds much? :BLAA:

glad nothing bad happened to you :cheer:

 

[lytehouse]

Trying to see the glass half full here while hoping I don't have a concussion or future neck problems from this...

Maybe you should think about seeing a Doctor......