17th confirmed bird strike of the year

[Seaking]

Ok I'm getting worried now.. No joke, no fabrication here, but this evening I've had my 17th confirmed bird strike while riding my 2006 Midnight Venture this year. By confirmed I mean someone else saw it happen as well..

 

I've taken crows to the helmet, woodpeckers to the knee cap, various small birds through the front wheel.. pigeons exploding off my shoulder, etc etc.. this evening, a large white bird zoomed out of the woods and nailed my foot in such a manner as to twist my foot off the highway peg.. OUCH!! I had to pull over as my knee was pooched from the twisting.. My ride buddy saw it happen but couldn't ID the type of bird but all he saw was a big poof of feathers from the impact..

 

I ride my bike a lot, so compared to the average person, I should actually see more hazards than the guy / gal who goes from their home out to the coffee shop and back but this thing about bird strikes has me worried.. with over 30,000 miles since last summer..

 

My buddy, who's witnessed close to 10 of these bird strikes can't believe it but the blood and guts and bruises are not fantasy.. it hurts!

 

He thinks it might be possible that there is something on the bike causing these birds to have a suicidal tendency..

 

Is it just me and my bike or is this common to get so many bird strikes on a bike?

[davecb]

Didn't you know that birds hate Midnight Ventures??/:rotf::rotf:

[friesman]

I dunno exactly whats happening with ya, but my bet is that your momma must have ticked off the stork when you were delivered....

 

 

Brian

Edited September 21, 2009 by friesman

[loehring]

Never had a bird strike. Must be a Canadian thing.

[Twenty7Delta]

it must be a Canadian thing, I've had a few as well. Only two this year but my worst was years ago when I caught an owl in the chest - that was messy!!

[Sylvester]

Me thinks you need to park that machine. I have ridden for forty nine years and have only been hit twice...once by a small bird and once by a duck and yes I ducked.

 

[Cougar]

For me (3) bird strikes in 5 years ..... both right and left knees

and one to the windscreen,

Kamikaze Birds?

[mrc]

I was pegged by a bat once. Almost kill me.

[Seaking]

comedians, thanks! lol

 

My buddy didn't believe my record last year but when he started riding with me this year, he was stunned that I was getting hit so often.. even while we're traveling in the USA.

 

The most spectacular this year is when we zoomed under a bridge on the highway and a pigeon swooped down from above and caught me square on the shoulder resulting in the bird exploding in a big poof of feathers.. it darn near took me off the bike, causing the bike to swerve wildly before I could pull over. While I was pulled over pulling guts and feathers off my person, my buddy was off his bike laughing his assets off.. yes, he said he appreciated how close I came to crashing and getting seriously hurt but from his angle, the kamikaze bird strike was cartoonishly funny to see from behind.. apparently the big poof of feathers was immense.. I didn't think it was funny as I had feathers and guts all over me and almost crashed..

 

But the woodpecker bird strike was the funniest of them all... but that's for later..

[Guest HdHtr]

I hit a turkey on the backside of Aerojet in the Sac area one year and hit a duck that was coming off a farm pond next to the road in Dalhart, TX. Went a few years, then heading for home a couple of weeks ago I was into a corner and had a turkey buzzard fly off a road kill right into my right front ...

 

No fun at all. I don't know what I'd do if I was riding a bird magnet like you must have!!

[Marcarl]

I'd say it's the second gen thing all over again,,, just not fast enough to get out of natures' way.

[ahoutzer]

32 years, 309,000 motorcycle miles, zero bird hits. I hit a Saint Bernard once with a CX500 (no damage to the bike, dog totalled), and a raccoon one time (lost part of the RSV's radiator cowling). Killed a lot of bugs, too. No bird hits. You're doing something wrong -- like maybe living where you are. What do your birds drink there?

[5bikes]

They've got a 5-6' wingspan! Everytime I see one I'm slowing and blowing the horn excessively. Ugly birds, but they do a great service cleaning up the roads.

So far only one has hit my helmet. Another good reason to wear one. Seen hundreds. Scary!!!

[PBJ]

I'd say it's the second gen thing all over again,,, just not fast enough to get out of natures' way.

 

Its got to be a VENTURE thing. I've been riding for thirty years, riding my big Honda V65 Sabre for 25 of them but its not been until this last year owning my 85 Venture Royale that I've been hit 3 times by birds. The first time I felt bad, the second time I thought "What an odd coincidence" the third time I started wondering whats going on here?!

[Vance]

I'd say it's the second gen thing all over again,,, just not fast enough to get out of natures' way.

 

....just going to fast for nature to get out of the way.

[N3FOL]

So far, I only can confirm one bird strike on my Venture one morning headed to work. The bird hit the right side of the fairing and down it went (came from my left). Luckily it appeared to be a smaller bird 8 o'clock in the morning.

[Renne]

Be careful!,,,,,very careful!,,,,if you take out an Eagle or Condor you might be facing international criminal charges,,,,(protected species etc etc)! Maybe if you were to modify those little deer whistles, say drill the holes a bit larger to sound like a big cat, install them with small clips high on your windshield..............................or.............maybe custom leathers made to look like a cat!

 

Seriously though, I caught a LARGE beetle in the forehead, NOT FUNNY dang near knocked me OUT!,,,,,,can't imagine a BIRD!

 

Renne

[screamstone]

But the woodpecker bird strike was the funniest of them all... but that's for later..

 

 

Holy crap! You took one to the woodpecker also? that HAD to hurt!!!:rotf:

[LilBeaver]

I've only been riding for about 10 years but I've had 2 bird hits already.

 

One was a few years back, I was on my GS750 - thank gd I was only doing 30-35 mph. I took a small bird right in the chest. It nearly knocked me off the bike and it sure as hell knocked the wind out of me.

 

Second one was a few weeks ago right after I put a practically new windshield on. Fortunately it hit the shield and not me.

 

I would die a happy man if I never experienced that again.

[BigBoyinMS]

Never had a bird hit on a bike, so far (knock on woodpecker ) but I drove a '58 Chevy in the late '70's that took a hit. I saw a small dot just above the highway and as I got closer I could tell it was a bird flying directly at the car. He must have had all he could take with the bird world because he dived directly at me and kamikaze'd the windshield dead center below the rear-view mirror. Luckily, even the windshields were extra thick in those old cars!

[Naked Rider]

i guy i work with took a hit last year from a humming bird nailed him right between the eyes he looked liked crap if it had been a little lower and to the left or right he might have lost his eye.

[loehring]

For all of you who like to hit flying things.

[philmartin]

Maybe it's the "chirp" that attracts them.

[N3FOL]

:rotf:You have a point there.

[Sailor]

Perhaps those birds have been watching Alfred Hitchcocks "The Birds". You have just got to quit wearing that birdseed underwear. Over 30 years biking and never been hit by a bird. Lots of cigarette butts and bugs, even a deer, in my driveway even. The worst was a huge moth which hit my full face dead center. I was going about 50 mph on a winding road and suddenly all I could see was green slime.