GlennTuc Posted March 21, 2009 #1 Posted March 21, 2009 I was working overtime at the plant and was relieved by my co-worker at 0200. I changed clothes and headed for the house. It was a cloudy night, so the only light on I-24 to help me see was the headlight and passing lights on my RSV. As I was zipping down the hiway at a smooth 75 mph, I caught a glimpse of something to my left and on the edge of the road. When I passed it, I seen that it was a bale of hay. Before I could completely refocus my eyes back to the front and say "I'm glad that wasn't in the middle of the road," well, you guessed it, there was another in the middle of the road. I swerved to miss it and caught it with my lower right fairing. It broke my fairing and bent the engine guard into my floorboard and pushed my floorboard up. As I swerved and sideswiped the bale in the road, I seen two more bales in the road and there was just enough room to swerve again and go in between them. Needless to say I had come to a near stop by then. The motor still sounded good and it still handled fine, so I rode it on home without any more problems. I see a deer or two occasionally, but I never would have thought there would be bales of hay on the Interstate Highway. Some people, like myself, are fortunate to be able to ride year round. For others, riding season is just beginning. Whenever, however, and whatever you ride, please stay aware that unexpected hazards are out there. RIDE SAFE!!!! Glenn
Yammer Dan Posted March 21, 2009 #4 Posted March 21, 2009 Thats a new one!! Glad you didn't suffer any damage. Bike can be fixed.
flb_78 Posted March 21, 2009 #5 Posted March 21, 2009 Did you pull them off the roadway or call the police to let them know so they could clear it off? Im surprised that some farmer didn't stop to pick em up. Most likely, it was an 18 wheeler that had a strap come loose. I don't know how they keep that stuff on there. When they'd come in the shop with hay bales on, I'd just look at it and try to figure out how it didn't come off. I also wanted to throw and cig butt on one just to see how fast it would go up!!!!
cowpuc Posted March 21, 2009 #6 Posted March 21, 2009 Not saying you whether you were over riding your headlights or not but I can attest to having done just that on many occasions.. Although with me its usually an exhaust system off a car or a big ol' honkin hunk of tire from a semi having lost its re-tread... Heck I even JUST barely missed a full grown Texas Longhorn standing perpendicular to the center line with his head turned away so you couldnt see his eyes - scared the living jeebers out of me!!! Speaking from experience, over riding the headlights is a VERY easy thing to do,,, just kinda kick back and daydream for few seconds and WHOA - what was that!!! A trick that has saved my life a number of times is what I call the Flammy Tap I learned as a kid.. I found out while going no handed on my SL350 that I could change lanes instantly just by Tapping lighting on the end of the bar.. I told a buddy about it at the time and he said I was a flammy so the turn Flammy Tap was born... 'Puc
Kregerdoodle Posted March 21, 2009 #7 Posted March 21, 2009 Dang, that will tighten ya up!! Glad your not hurt. I came within feet of hitting a Horse yesterday morn around 0600.... folks down the road had 2 of theres get out and they decided they needed to graze in the road.. I gave them a real nice wake up knock on their front door.... Ride Safe ya`ll!!!!
Scooter Bob Posted March 21, 2009 #8 Posted March 21, 2009 Ya, it's easy to do. We came around a curve Tuesday night, and there's a black cow walking towards us on our edge of the road. There eyes don't seem to reflect like a deer does. Anyways, we turned around and went back to Mike's farm, yes we know who's it was, and he went to get her back in. After taking down a deer in 01, I try to do less riding at night, but when it gets dark at 7, can't always be home by then. Just have to watch as close as you can, but still try to enjoy the ride. But that cow could mess up a bike and a person way worse than a deer. Later, Scooter Bob:Venture:
Monty Posted March 21, 2009 #9 Posted March 21, 2009 Glad you didn't get hurt. I sure hope you dragged them out of the road before you left, so maybe another unsuspecting person didn't hit them, and not get as lucky as you. I tend to find treated 4x4 blocks that fall off of trailers. I guess they are the wheel chocks. I always stop and throw them in the ditch, so someone doesn't hit them.
Jethroish Posted March 21, 2009 #10 Posted March 21, 2009 Gld to hear you are ok. Years ago, when I still lived in Michigan, going through Flint, some one lost a washing maching off of a trailer in the middle of I-475. A guy in a Fiero hit it and about 60 mph. He walked awya, but I would say the washing machine won.
Moped Posted March 21, 2009 #11 Posted March 21, 2009 GlennTuc, don't know about insurance claim with you but interesting story from my daughter. She was on I-74 and a 2 ft 2/4 flew up in front of her hit the grill and punctured the condenser. Apparently the car in front of her hit the 2/4 making it airborne to hit her. Called insurance ( Allstate ) and stated what happened. Agent asked if she ran over 2/4 or if it was airborne? She said it fell off another vehicle or was kicked up and was airborne. Agent said it made a difference because if she ran over it, it would be covered under collision, if hit in air, then it would be comprehensive. In a soft tone he said you always want to say it was airborne or fell off vehicle. Quite often your deductible is lower on comp and depending on your insurance company may increase rates or at least show one more collision on your record if claimed on collision. Interesting story I thought. Good luck
Snarley Bill Posted March 21, 2009 #12 Posted March 21, 2009 ones you gotta watch is those 1000 lb round bales.
Jethroish Posted March 21, 2009 #13 Posted March 21, 2009 In a soft tone he said you always want to say it was airborne or fell off vehicle. Quite often your deductible is lower on comp and depending on your insurance company may increase rates or at least show one more collision on your record if claimed on collision. Interesting story I thought. Good luck My dad just had a claim on his van for hitting something in the road. His insurance agent (long time friend) told them that the new thing is, if what you hit was staionary in the raod, and you faild to avoid it, it's your fault, ie. not covered. If it was airborne or moving in such a way as there was no avoiding it, then it is covered. I would have to call BS on that. If my choice was to hit a board in the road or swerve and take out a family of 4 or roll my car, I'm taking my chances with the board. Insurance companies are getting so bad.
slick97spirit Posted March 21, 2009 #14 Posted March 21, 2009 His insurance agent (long time friend) told them that the new thing is, if what you hit was staionary in the raod, and you faild to avoid it, it's your fault, ie. not covered. His insurance agent is wrong. If I am at fault in striking a tree, car, trailer, you name it and I have full coverage insurance. My insurance is responsible for the damage less the deductible.
BEER30 Posted March 21, 2009 #15 Posted March 21, 2009 I guess I will never tell you guys on how to make a 6' snowball and roll it into the middle of the road on a curve then ......Nope , it wasn't me . Or wrap yourself up with aluminum foil on a foggy night and run across the road ! ......Nope , it wasn't me !!!!!!! If you ever find 2 5gallon buckets of white paint and paint the road with the stop and crosswalk symbols on the pavement ....... .....Nope , it wasn't me ! Catch a bobcat in a live trap , stuff it into a suitcase and set along the side of the road and sit back and watch .... ......Nope , it wasn't me !! Take a rubber band and a steel washer and tie it to the drive shaft of an old codger'sP/U truck .... .....Nope , it wasn't me !!! Make midnight raids and swipe the old out-houses and sit them along the side of the roads with a sign that says "Rest Area"..... .....Nope , it wasn't me ! I'm not giving you guys anymore ideas . If I did , you all would think I was a Bad Boy growing up . BEER30
Rocket Posted March 21, 2009 #16 Posted March 21, 2009 I'm not giving you guys anymore ideas . If I did , you all would think I was a Bad Boy growing up . BEER30 Now, who would think of you, having actually grown up (don't think so), growing older yes, no doubt of that.............. :rotf:
Lone Eagle Posted March 21, 2009 #17 Posted March 21, 2009 Glad you were able to control the bike and come out of this incident OK - wow.
Uturn Posted March 22, 2009 #18 Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) Funny you should talk about a bale of hay...today on the way back from the NC M&E, there was a bale in the medium of HWY 158. I thought it would be bad JUJU for that to be in the road. Ride safe. MIKE aka Uturn Edited March 22, 2009 by Uturn
BIG TOM Posted March 22, 2009 #19 Posted March 22, 2009 I guess I will never tell you guys on how to make a 6' snowball and roll it into the middle of the road on a curve then ......Nope , it wasn't me . Or wrap yourself up with aluminum foil on a foggy night and run across the road ! ......Nope , it wasn't me !!!!!!! If you ever find 2 5gallon buckets of white paint and paint the road with the stop and crosswalk symbols on the pavement ....... .....Nope , it wasn't me ! Catch a bobcat in a live trap , stuff it into a suitcase and set along the side of the road and sit back and watch .... ......Nope , it wasn't me !! Take a rubber band and a steel washer and tie it to the drive shaft of an old codger'sP/U truck .... .....Nope , it wasn't me !!! Make midnight raids and swipe the old out-houses and sit them along the side of the roads with a sign that says "Rest Area"..... .....Nope , it wasn't me ! I'm not giving you guys anymore ideas . If I did , you all would think I was a Bad Boy growing up . BEER30 After reading your post to taters, she would like to know how many nights have you spent in the local slammer...
Uturn Posted March 22, 2009 #20 Posted March 22, 2009 I guess I will never tell you guys on how to make a 6' snowball and roll it into the middle of the road on a curve then ......Nope , it wasn't me . Or wrap yourself up with aluminum foil on a foggy night and run across the road ! ......Nope , it wasn't me !!!!!!! If you ever find 2 5gallon buckets of white paint and paint the road with the stop and crosswalk symbols on the pavement ....... .....Nope , it wasn't me ! Catch a bobcat in a live trap , stuff it into a suitcase and set along the side of the road and sit back and watch .... ......Nope , it wasn't me !! Take a rubber band and a steel washer and tie it to the drive shaft of an old codger'sP/U truck .... .....Nope , it wasn't me !!! Make midnight raids and swipe the old out-houses and sit them along the side of the roads with a sign that says "Rest Area"..... .....Nope , it wasn't me ! I'm not giving you guys anymore ideas . If I did , you all would think I was a Bad Boy growing up . BEER30 Gene, you ain't right -- BEER24/7 needs to get you an appointment :>) MIKE aka Uturn
starman Posted March 22, 2009 #21 Posted March 22, 2009 Coming home one night from a club meeting I could almost see something in the road ,couldnt make it out, it was a 24 ft black boat that had fallen off a trailer, being dark at 9 pm could not see it , but it had a white Johnsos outboard that was all I could make out.Luckilly I saw it in time to swerve and miss it .
KiteSquid Posted March 22, 2009 #22 Posted March 22, 2009 Just remember what Jack Burton said: "I never drive faster than I can see."
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