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Doc Wong: I Hit A Full Size Deer... Video

DocWong

DocWong

Well-known member
Joined
May 14, 2002
Location
Belmont
Moto(s)
One for every occasion!
Name
Harry Wong
Doc Wong: I Hit A Full Size Deer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua9T3laCLFQ&ab_channel=DocWongMotorcycles

I don't know what lesson is to be learned from this experience, but on Thankgiving day this happened!

After dinner, by son Alex said he wanted to do a short ride. So I put him on my Yamaha XT225, a perfect bike for a new rider.
Anyway we were on Canada Road going a conservative speed when all of the sudden it ran in front of me. No time for any reaction except for me saying shi.....!!!

Since I hit the deer while it was on a full run, the impact cranked my front wheel to one side and counter-steered (hard) into the ground.

I got plastered into the ground. The only thing I could think of was to not get run over in traffic. Luckily there was no traffic. I'm glad today I'm well enough to share this with you.

I always look at these things with a "what lesson is to be had here?" I can't think of any, you?

Doc Wong
 
I got one which I prescribe too.

Don't ride at night in deer patrol areas.

Glad you were not seriously hurt and yeah.... not enough time to add the T to the SHI!!!
 
Yea, does anyone think deer whistles work?
 
A few thoughts....
1. Deer whistles work 100% of the time they work, somewhat less those times they don’t.
2.
going a conservative speed
Click to expand...
well there’s your problem. ;)
3. It’s been my experience that if you see one deer another is likely nearby but I did not see any “warning” deer in your clip.

I’m glad you were not seriously injured and likewise hope the bike is ok. I assume your son was not involved at all and hopefully is not too spooked seeing you go down.

Lousy luck...deer are cute, but dumb as hell and reckless. Sorry you had an incident.
 
Wow! I thought you used up your luck with that crash on Skyline.
 
I've hit four of the f**king things. Lessons learned:

1) Deer #1 crossed the road from left to right. I tried to go in front of him, he tried to go in front of me, and we collided. Totaled my bike, broke my wrist and my finger. Lesson learned: don't go in front, go behind.

2) Deer #2 crossed the road from left to right. I knew what to do, go behind him! I thought I missed him by a mile. At the last second I also hit the horn, which caused him to do an incredible 180 and jump back in front of me. Didn't crash, smashed the fairing and headlight. Lesson learned: if you already missed him, stay off the horn.

3) Deer number three jumped across my front fender so fast I had no time to do anything. Watched the fender flex as he just cleared my front wheel and that was it. Lesson learned: f**king things are so fast, there's no hope.

4) Deer number four plowed into the side of my bike on Eureka Canyon Rd on the way to Laguna Seca. By the time I saw him it was too late. Knocked me right off the road. Landed on the soft shoulder, no harm done to me, bike had a busted radiator which poured all my coolant onto the ground. Oh that's just great! Limped it down the hill to Aptos for quicksteel epoxy, silicone repair tape and radiator stop leak powder.

Lessons learned: stupid f**king mindless meat missles just come shooting out of the bushes anytime anyplace and there's not much you can do about it. I've hit em at dawn, at night, in the middle of the day, during the fall rut, during the summer. I've hit em fast, I've hit em slow, I've hit em with deer whistles and without.
 
With 2 recent serious crashes could the Universe be telling you to stop riding or the next one will be your last?

I don’t know about you but my wife would be after me to hang it up or buy a bigger life insurance policy.
 
peterhively said:
I've hit four of the f**king things. Lessons learned:

1) Deer #1 crossed the road from left to right. I tried to go in front of him, he tried to go in front of me, and we collided. Totaled my bike, broke my wrist and my finger. Lesson learned: don't go in front, go behind.

2) Deer #2 crossed the road from left to right. I knew what to do, go behind him! I thought I missed him by a mile. At the last second I also hit the horn, which caused him to do an incredible 180 and jump back in front of me. Didn't crash, smashed the fairing and headlight. Lesson learned: if you already missed him, stay off the horn.

3) Deer number three jumped across my front fender so fast I had no time to do anything. Watched the fender flex as he just cleared my front wheel and that was it. Lesson learned: f**king things are so fast, there's no hope.

4) Deer number four plowed into the side of my bike on Eureka Canyon Rd on the way to Laguna Seca. By the time I saw him it was too late. Knocked me right off the road. Landed on the soft shoulder, no harm done to me, bike had a busted radiator which poured all my coolant onto the ground. Oh that's just great! Limped it down the hill to Aptos for quicksteel epoxy, silicone repair tape and radiator stop leak powder.

Lessons learned: stupid f**king mindless meat missles just come shooting out of the bushes anytime anyplace and there's not much you can do about it. I've hit em at dawn, at night, in the middle of the day, during the fall rut, during the summer. I've hit em fast, I've hit em slow, I've hit em with deer whistles and without.
Click to expand...

#1 collision avoidance rule - if it's moving, aim for it, it will be gone by the time you get there.

edit - i live in an area infested with wildlife - deer, bear, lions, coyotes among the larger, seen them all crossing close. some moving fast, some slow. ride and drive aggressively. only hit once. a deer standing stationary in the middle of the road on a blind corner. but fortunately, was in an F250 with big brush guards.

and yeah, if they’re moving, never hit the horn - it changes their trajectory (double-back danger).
 
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peterhively said:
….

Lessons learned: stupid f**king mindless meat missles just come shooting out of the bushes anytime anyplace and there's not much you can do about it. I've hit em at dawn, at night, in the middle of the day, during the fall rut, during the summer. I've hit em fast, I've hit em slow, I've hit em with deer whistles and without.
Click to expand...

Stupid meat missles :laughing

That made me laugh
 
DocWong said:
Yea, does anyone think deer whistles work?
Click to expand...

I road with a pair of deer whistles on a 1987 BMW K100 back in the early 90s and fly fished the evening hatch on Manzanita Lake in Lassen park and road back to the Cassel campground about 30 miles in the dark on Highway 89 and the deer were everywhere and didn't have any incidents. Jury still out if they really work though!
 
Seriously though, there are a few things to be aware of. Fall is rutting season so the damn things are even stupider than normal. They are prey animals so they like cover...they will try to cross the road where the foliage is closest to the road, so slow down where the bushes are close to the road. If you spend time bicycling at low speeds on your favorite moto roads you'll start to notice many of the tiny deer trails many of which come down very steep enbankments. Maybe it leads to a water source? So think about those things.

RE: deer whistles, I do have em on my bikes but don't know how well they work based on past experience. But reading up on them I found this, which does seem more promising. Also they have some good info on their site, more things to be aware of RE: deer behavior etc.

https://xp3hornet.com/faq/

I actually made one myself back in the day for an project while studying electronics at College of Marin. Much smaller, lower powered than this hornet thing.
 
Glad that you are mostly ok.

Not sure if it's a thing, but around the dusk hours I'm extremely cautious on country roads because I think that's the time when the deer are moving about and going to their safe places for the night.

I have deer whistles on my SUV and haven't hit a deer yet. Reminds me to get some for the van. I never thought too much about putting them on my bikes because I'm not sure where to mount them.
 
Hoo boy, 2023 has been rough for you.

So glad you are ok.

I'm in the "don't ride at night" group...though when I used to I loved it.
 
Living where I do, deer is my biggest concern. My friend has hit 2 of them on his bike, both times without falling. I avoid riding in the early morning and evening. I stay as close to the center of the road as I can in the hope that it gives me a little extra time to react. But there's really not much we can do. A good friend of mine just decided to sell his year old Tenere because of his fear of hitting a deer.

Mad
 
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