On hitting deer

[Gnarly Cranium]

I gotta say I have noticed a theme-- when people hit a deer, if they're going 25-35 the outcome often tends to be pretty nasty.

The ones going 50-80 often seem to just shred the motherfucker and keep rolling. Totaled, maybe, but rolling.

Not to say that speed is any sort of good thing in of itself in these situations-- by all means brake like a sumbitch all you can-- but the stabilizing forces that carry you in a straight line are your friend.

 

[Momo-san]

I don't know how much there is to do with respect to a deer hit. Scrubbing off speed is good but the one thing you have to understand is more often than not the little hooved assholes appear like an aberration. One moment clear road next moment DEER.
Having been jumped by one of these manifestations of evil I doubt that there was any way to save myself or the bike.

The only thing I do agree with is getting the front end as light as possible to avoid subducting under the shitting and pissing mass that you are about to become one with.

Deer are a fate game, when it's your turn it's your turn. Asesome if you can evicerate the mofo and ride your gore covered machine to victory but I don't believe that's skill, I think it's luck.

My

F'realz!!

 

[Cheung]

All I saw when I hit was a brown blur.... wasn't even sure it was a deer until the rest of the riders I was with helped me up, and keep the road safe...(I was riding near the middle of the pack, about 20 of us total in mid-day)

And biggest thing on hitting a deer, the weight of yourself plue your bike vs. the deer is near the same, with little/no time to react, you will more then likely be sent doing the superman/woman.

 

[serazin]

It would seem to me that guiding your bike in the direction of the deer's rump would be a good idea, however......., the last scary encounter I had there were two of the fuggerz! The first one materialized out of the ether about twenty feet in front of me, coming up out of the right hand verge of the road and bolting right in front of me. I braked hard and missed him by inches. The kicker was the second bastard that was right behind the first one. It put the binders on and for fraction of a second I could actually see it had it fore feet out in front sorta sliding as it tried to stop. I went between them but was down to about 30-40 mph by then. (I guess I was going 60,65-maybe even 70 when all this started....in the dark about 3:30 am..)

I didn't get my ticket punched this time. Luck.

 

[Junkie]

I gotta say I have noticed a theme-- when people hit a deer, if they're going 25-35 the outcome often tends to be pretty nasty.

The ones going 50-80 often seem to just shred the motherfucker and keep rolling. Totaled, maybe, but rolling.

Not to say that speed is any sort of good thing in of itself in these situations-- by all means brake like a sumbitch all you can-- but the stabilizing forces that carry you in a straight line are your friend.

I was doing 75-80 when I hit the deer that I hit, and didn't manage to stay rolling. I suspect part of that is that the deer locked up my front brakes (I think - I know it actuated them hard enough to break the end of my middle finger, which was stuck in between the lever and bar when I hit it). I was WOT when I hit it, as evidenced by the fact that it was the end of my middle finger that was broken.

 

[plumber]

I gotta say I have noticed a theme-- when people hit a deer, if they're going 25-35 the outcome often tends to be pretty nasty.

The ones going 50-80 often seem to just shred the motherfucker and keep rolling. Totaled, maybe, but rolling.

Not to say that speed is any sort of good thing in of itself in these situations-- by all means brake like a sumbitch all you can-- but the stabilizing forces that carry you in a straight line are your friend.

I hit mine at about 55 on Mines Rd. If I had to do it again I'd choose 25-35 mph.

 

[sixtytwo]

My rules for crashing into deer are like crashing into everything else:
1. If it's too big to crash into and get thrown clear over, scrub off as much speed as possible before the collision.
2. If it's small enough, just crash the bike straight into it and fly over the handlebars

Why not choice #1 all the time, you ask? Well, braking is a gamble. Brake too hard, the bike will start to endo, or worse, the front end will wash out. This will send you straight into the deer. Choice #2, successfully executed, will land you on the pavement with just scrapes and bruises. Personal experience, anyway.

 

[louemc]

Not to say that speed is any sort of good thing in of itself in these situations-- by all means brake like a sumbitch all you can-- but the stabilizing forces that carry you in a straight line are your friend.

Very True, Usually riders have to slither around in Muddy Woodsy Enduro Competition or play riding, to find that out.....Not so obvious on paved roads, but it is true everywhere.

 

[louemc]

I nailed one on 17, June 26th, my birthday... many years back. On my Hayabusa.

It was around 9PM, and I was flying down the long flat straight stretch in Scotts Valley between Mt. Hermon and Granite Creek heading to the Valley for a birthday party. Doing an easy 75 in the slow lane.

I saw some movement off to the shoulder about 1/8th of a mile up the road by the Granite Creek overpass, just at the edge of my headlight. Sure enough a good sized deer walked out right into the slow lane, not even looking at me. I got on the brakes as hard as I dared and tracked the movement of the deer. The damn thing was continuing across my lane towards the median so I made a split-second decision to get off the brakes and gun it WFO to scoot around it's backside.

It chose that very moment to flip a 180 and jump back towards the shoulder...

The front fender/nose caught it right in the haunches and the deer exploded around and over me. I was still on the gas and now in an instant violent tankslapper. Somehow my lizard brain made my left hand fan the clutch and that popped the front end up allowing me to get the bars straight and set it back down.

I was able to get it slowed down and hauled over on the shoulder. Front fender was totally gone, only a couple plastic shards were left where the fender bolts remained. I had bambi fur, bits, and hoof scratches down the side of the bike, and a couple nice cracks in my upper.

Eric Lambert was not too far behind me in his pickup and saw the entire thing happen... impact, tankslapper, and wheelie... When the deer jumped out he thought for sure I was dead, and told me I burned up an entire lifetime of karma somehow pulling that save out of my ass. He'll verify this story isn't a load of bullshit, which is good... because I wouldn't expect anybody to believe it without witnesses.

Front end of was still pointed straight, rotors looked fine, so I cleaned off the bike the best I could and finished the ride over 17 to my party.

Deer are nothing but rats on stilts.

I would of believed it without a witness

 

[moto-rama]

I nailed one on 17, June 26th, my birthday... many years back. On my Hayabusa.

......I was able to get it slowed down and hauled over on the shoulder. Front fender was totally gone, only a couple plastic shards were left where the fender bolts remained. I had bambi fur, bits, and hoof scratches down the side of the bike, and a couple nice cracks in my upper.....

I recall when that happened, and was amazed that you were able to keep the Busa upright.

For what it's worth the deer I hit must've been filled with concrete, the impact collapsed the forks in to the motor, compressed the frame, sheared off the right side clip on like a sawz all and bent the front wheel in to a sort of oval shape.
Sort of like 80 to Zero in nothing flat, except that I was still doing 70+ down Hwy One while the deer and the bike pretty much stayed close to the point of impact. No fun riding without a bike under you at that speed.

 

[ThumperX]

I hit mine at about 55 on Mines Rd. If I had to do it again I'd choose 25-35 mph.

Right there with you on that Plumber

I think there are too many variables to make any kind of general statement when it comes to deer.
A little 599 is no match for Bambi.
Racoons, skunks, squirrels, turkeys, rattlesnakes, bring 'em, but a freaking deer...the size and height are just exactly right to take the bike out