Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge My close encounter with a goose

Hi folks,

Tonight on my way home from work I was travelling on a local road doing about 40 mph and was behind a pick up truck (about 30 feet distance)when the truck swerved left and right and started a break lock up. Being that I was at a safe distance, I slowed down, but was not expecting a goose coming at me. The truck hit the goose sending it in all directions. I thought a pillow exploded and feathers were flying all over.
While only part of the body hit me, it seemed like a never ending amount of feathers, guts and blood was covering me. Thanks to all the advice in this site and my experience, I was able to bring the bike to a stop without skidding, or dropping the bike.

The driver of the truck had already stopped and was running toward me (didn't know it at the time)to "be there for me" as he explained. Turns out he rides too. He said his first reaction was to make sure I did not get it as he knew I was behind him. I wish all cagers were like that.

Anyway, my bike looks horrible. Even though its red in color, not just from the blood, it is covered in white dust, feathers and guts.

I did ride it home, but had heart palpitations for a 15 minute ride. I guess tomorrow I'll be going to work late since i need to clean it. Luckily, the only damage i found was a small ding in my headlight.

Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that this FORUM probably saved my bike and me (in that order).

Hs anyone else ever had a close encounter with a goose?

Ron

Almost hit some big bird last summer, Don't know for sure what it was but it was big enough to be a goose. I skidded my back end side ways to avoid it. Scared the crap outa me. Tried to drive around it when I saw it taking off but it seemed to go the way I did so had no choice but to do the side ways controlled skid.

Glad ya made it... feel sorry for the goose though. Something about those birds makes me laugh. I got within 10 feet of a deer once while doing 45MPH.

Take Care
Brad

Geez! that is one heck of a story. Don't know if I would of kept my cookies after that. Me and a buddy were riding in Brown county Indiana. My buddy was in front and got a good look at him almost getting creamed by a huge wild turkey. It missed him by less than two feet! Don't know if it connected if he could of maintained control of his bike.
Well the main point is you like my friend got a pretty good tale and went through it in one piece, except your experience was a lot messier

Man I saw a can that hit a turkey, wouldn't wanna do that on a bike!

Not pokin' fun at ya Ron, but that's some funny stuff (because you didn't get hurt.)
I can picture your bike and you all tarred (well, blood, but same effect) and feathered.
I had a similar incident last week but with a pigeon, and at about 75mph. The van in front of me (probably 40 yards or so) hit a pigeon. I saw the rat fly right in front of him and knew it was coming. A virtual explosion of feathers . The bird corpse went off to the side and I rode through the cloud none the worse for it. Just feathers, no blood, no guts.
Pigeons are stupid. Darwin my tush.

Glad you're okay, and the bike also, more or less. One thing about it, the goose will never have the guts to try that again!

Well Ron, as might say Dr.Suess..."Better a goose, than a moose!"...I suppose.

(yep, sorry...I'm sure somewhere out there Theodor Geisel is spinnin' in his grave at this very moment after THAT one!)

OK...no one else is going to ask so I will.....
Take a PIC of the bike before you clean it and post it so we can see what it looks like

I cant be the only curious one here....can I?

I had a wild turkey fly right by my head while I was riding on a back road. It happened so fast I didn't have time to react.
Looked like a medicine ball with wings.....

Funny that this should be discussed on here. Last night BBC 1 Telly show Traffic Cops a guy riding along on a Fireblade gets a pheasant in the face at 60 miles an hour.
The bike ends up in a ditch totalled with the fella underneath the bike.

Cops go to see the fella in hospital the bloody bird destroyed his visor and broke his nose fractured his cheekbone. The poor guy looked like he had decided to call Mike Tyson a big girls blouse.

Luckily for said biker he had a witness a cager who saw the whole thing happen. or else he would be done for Dangerous driving, speeding, poaching and assualting wild life.

Simply put dinny mess with mother nature she does not fight fair.

Armadillos are very common in Arkansas, and I almost hit one last year. These 25 lb+ things actually jump up in the air when they are frightened, so had I hit it, it would have done some pretty heavy damage - as they have a hard armored shell (hence, their name). Luckily, I wasn't going that fast, so I had time to avoid it. Scared the bejeezus out of me, though.

One sees these normally nocturnal animals more often as roadkill than living here, and they're referred to as 'turtle on the half shell.'

Well,

I should have taken a picture this morning before washing it. Almost 3 hours later...and its clean again. My wife and kids came out this morning to look at it. My daughter and wife almost lost it. My son...typical 14 year old kid...says...KOOL DAD, but one question....why didn't ya take a picture last night with the phone camera?

Anyway, more damage than a little ding in the headlight. My right highway bar light is dented and the bulb has a crack, the bottom right side of my windshield is also cracked. Certainly not the end of the world. Lucky for me I have an extra highway bar light (picked one set up on ebay last year for 25 bucks) and an extra windshield (also got a triumph one on ebay for 150 bucks)

Now.....my wife almost killed me though this morning. She opened our closet up where I hung my jacket....LOL HA HA

The back of the jacket still had feathers stuck on it. I couldn't stop laughing. That is what got her so mad.

In hindsite, I was scared, but am now laughing at what it must of looked like from the other peoples point of view. Darn, I wish I could have seen that!!!!

Any one looking for goose feathers? Still got about 20 or so laying around? LOL



Ron

Had a buddy get broad sided in the helmet by a duck.Took him down,the road rash healed and the bike got fixed, but the jokes will be forever.

DUCK......DUCK....GOOSE!!!

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Now.....my wife almost killed me though this morning. She opened our closet up where I hung my jacket....LOL HA HA

The back of the jacket still had feathers stuck on it. I couldn't stop laughing. That is what got her so mad.

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I thought you were going to say that she saw your stash of trumpet goodies you didn't tell her about!

Never hit a goose, but have slammed a tweety bird while driving my truck. Just like your case, POOF! Feathers everywhere, but unlike your case, the thing weighed less than 20 oz. You don't live in WV or KY do you? Road kill is mandatory supper fixins in those parts.

Yeah, well you should thank your lucky stars there, Ron.

Just this morning these two fowl characters almost drove me right of the friggin' road!!!

I am glad you are "okay" and hopeful that you have a nice supply of goose liver pate in your freezer..

So, does that duck goose game make you nervous now?

Lucky thing the truck ahead of you got first whack, big birds hurt.

Cruisin up Highway 35 (I think) in Northern Alabama one Sunday morning clicking along about 75...Seen what I thought was a turkey just outside the white line of my lane...Had a Ford Ranger close in behind me. Decided to honk my horn...BIG mistake. Turns out it was some kind of vulture that simply jumped strait up into the air, spreading an 11 or so foot wingspan, and right into my lane..I was like...Oh Crap!!! I laid down on the gas tank, and felt the downwash of his impressive wings down my back, barely clearing me and my bike. I looked in my rearview, and the guy driving the truck was laughing hysterically...Would have EASILY knocked me off, then I would have been stampped to the road by the truck...Thank You God....Stay the heck AWAY from all wildlife...well, maybe not ALL......

I've never been threatened by anything so majestic as geese or deer.

Believe it or not I nearly got taken out by migratory toads on my way home from work one night.

I was just going around a bend, fortunately not too fast, on my T595 because it was raining and was faced by hundreds of the slippery devils. It was just like sliding on ice.

And I don't think I was the only victim of these amphibian automotive assasins because the grass verges either side of the road had chunks taken out where cars had slid on them and hit the verges.

The bottom of the fairing and my boots looked like i'd been in a guacamole fight.

So don't think that only the big creatures are a threat to us.

Not a goose, but I had a similar encounter with a duck.
Said quacker was in the median when I rode by at about 30mph.
Guess I scared him, cause he flew up right into my clutch lever.
The lever smashed my fingers between it and the 'bar.
Felt like I'd been hit with a hammer.
For about 6 weeks I couldn't bend that special finger on my left hand,
a condition now known as "Duck Knuckle"
I'm just glad it didn't happen on the front brake side.

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Any one looking for goose feathers? Still got about 20 or so laying around? LO

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Not quite enough for an 'Ida down' then

Luckily only had two small bird contacts to date. Have nearly hit several pheasant and rabbits, a hare, two squirrel and a horse... Negotiating the horse was tough but probably the most close to loosing control however was when I rounded a corner and hit about 30 yards of cow shite at speed! A swift lesson in respecting the unexpected!