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I was traveling in my work truck earlier this week on I-85 in Charlotte, NC. Traffic was moving pretty fast when all of a sudden a truck in front of me swerved revealing a huge tire tread in my lane. I was far enough back to miss it but it got me thinking. What if I were on my motorcycle and hit something at highways speed?
I saw where someone had hit a wooden pallet a while back.
What things have people hit while riding and how did the Goldwing react?:yikes::yikes:
I drove 85 for 16 years at my previous job and seen everything from extension ladders and even water coolers getting slammed by mini vans and drug until i waved down the driver to inform him of it. DUH. I did have a mishap while going 85 N just past Hwy 290 where a fifth wheel camper lost his spare tire. It went under the camper and and was bouncing 10' at a time right towards me. Luckily I had all 3 lanes to myself to swerve out of the way. As for the B, no incidents yet. I did do the squirrel dance with a pole cat at 6am wednesday morning and missed it by only 2'. WHEW !! or should I say SHEEEW....
Not road debris per se, but had an incident while traveling through the twisties on hwy 50 in Indiana at about midnight. I was at a spirited pace when I rounded the corner at speed when right in front of me was a deer standing in the road. I didn't have time to make much of a correction and my knee still struck the deer's snout leaving a hell of a bruise on my knee.
I pulled over, parked the bike and sat there for about twenty minutes while my heart calmed down. I imagine it was quite an ordeal for the deer too.
I wasn't riding on this occasion (sigh) but several years ago I was driving on family vacation in British Columbia's lake country and was following three riders. Was giving them lots of room which proved to be a wise choice. These motorcyclists were following a pickup truck that had a rubber raft tied down in the bed -- or so the driver thought. The thing broke loose and sailed into the air and landed in front of the riders in the middle of a rural two lane highway. They all managed to avoid it without going down. It was close. Whenever I see a large object like an inner tube or raft tied down in a pickup I move past faaast.
I was crossing the Coronado bridge a month or so ago and had a 2'x3' piece of what appeared to be plywood come flying towards me...I discovered it was cardboard when it hit the fairing broadside...I had nowhere to go, scared the poo out of me...The B never wavered...
I ran over firewood doing about 75 mph. It was dark and I was cruising in moderate highway traffic. The wood was in the center of the lane so the cars were fine, I wasn't.
I was on my ST1300. Both tires blew out, both rims damaged and required replacing. I just coasted to a stop on the side of the highway. I tried to push the bike once it stopped but couldn't get the bent rim through the front brakes.
It scared the crap out of me but it actually gave me more confidence on two wheels; these bikes want to stay upright going forward.
It also makes me very aware of my position on the highway and how far I can see the road. I now try to choose the lane where I can see the furthest. I also try to keep my tires in the lane where the car tires are if I'm following traffic and can't see far down the road.
My all time favourite to avoid are the folks who think they can hold down a mattress on their vehicle's roof with their arms outside the window and a bit of twine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brasco
On 99 outside Bakersfield a few years ago my wife and I were following a tow truck that was right off the set of Sanford & Son. They were towing a pickup. Wind caught the canopy of the pickup and tore it off. It came down the road like a 500 pound tumbleweed narrowly missing everyone on the road that morning. They just kept on going...oblivious.
When I was driving from Illinios to Florida to see the giant mouse I noticed and mentioned to wife about all the debris we seen on the interstate in Georgia. It was ten fold worse than Illinios. Doesn't Georgia have road crews to pick that stuff up?
Several weeks ago, I was riding on a 2 lane, 55MPH road with my wife following on her Spyder.
She yelled out when a buzzard flew out of the woods from my right and right across in front of me !!!!
I did not hit him but his wing slapped my helmet.
Scared my wife more than me. :yikes::yikes::yikes:
Ran over a Windsheild that came out of a wrecked car on a Rollback wrecker on I-10, in heavy traffic near Houston. Was checking my mirrors and never saw it come out, just ran over all this broken, sliding glass. Didn't scare me, but my wife, riding her bike behind me, saw it and it scared her.
8' 4x4 jumped off a trailer and slid in front of me bout 45mph. Aimed for it and it slid out of the way.
Empty (didn't know it at the time) cardboard wardrobe box. Hit that one but it was empty.
Had a chunk of truck tire tread kicked up the air and hit windheild. my shoulder, and trunk of Goldwing. That spooked me good.
Was next to a bus on I-75 near Macon, Ga that blew a rear tire, that proceeded to beat the fiberglass fender flare into pieces and onto me. That one got my attention.
Most of these happened on I-States, so I try to stick to back roads. Same dangers, just slower speeds. :icon_mrgreen:
I ride to work early in the morning while it still dark on the 57 freeway which seems to have a lot of debris. The first incident happened on my VTX when I hit a car part(maybe alternator) I didn't go down but when I got to work I was checking for damages and noticed the front wheel had a good size dent in it. Don't know how it didn't go flat. The second one I was on my brand new 2013 F6b again riding to work when I hit debris from a accident that had just happened. It was all over the road so I tried to miss it but hit something heavy but again didn't go down. Thought I was ok so I tried twisting the throttle and nothing. I still had enough speed and coasted to the side of the road. Got off, foot hurt a little and looked at the bike. Oil all over the bike and my right leg. So now foot is hurting more so I sit down hoping I didn't break anything. I come to find out it was a damaged ligament so that was cool but my bike turned out to be totaled. In the end my insurance paid me more that what I paid for it so I bought a 2015 deluxe with the extra cash.
All of these stories remind me why I like state highways the best. They, for the most part, have wide shoulders and good sight lines. With a lot less traffic, rarely do I see any road debris. What you give up is the increased safety of all traffic moving in the same direction on interstates, with no driveways or intersections.
I had 7000 miles on my bike before I ever rode it on an interstate, other than some local routes around here for short distances.
I made the mistake of following a family going camping and their pickup had all kinds of crappie stuffed in the back.Quote:
Originally Posted by VStarRider
The last thing was a good size cooler and two camping chairs.
Well wouldn't you know it they came off the truck and showered us with ice first then gave us the coolest Obstic iCal course you can ever think of. Lucky us all this for free at 65 mph.
Wow lots of close calls and only a few hits. Only a few things really worry me when I ride other than idiots. Deer and debris.
That would be me (pallet). 75 mph and she stayed upright. A little more than 5k worth of damage. I no longer ride on interstates. I did not much anyway but have decided I should slow down take my time and avoid pallets.Quote:
Originally Posted by pickensace
I hit a large hand-carry sized toolbox that fell out of the back of a truck I was following. I tried to swerve to avoid it but it was still dancing itself from the fall at 60mph. I had a truck in the lane next to me so couldn't just slide that way. Last second I just grabbed the bars a little tighter and dropped my head below the windshield line...hit it at 60mph and watched it snap open and wrenches/sockets/hammers and other assorted parts go flying and the top of the case slide right as the shell and lid went left.
I was impressed with how well the bike shook that off. Dropping the head down was more in line with kissing my ass goodbye, cuz I was sure I was about to eat pavement.
As much crap as I've seen happen on the road from payloads coming loose, nothing surprises me...watched a Mini-cooper two lanes away from me hit a couch that fell off a truck...the couch was a mangled mess, and that poor mini-cooper was not driveable (owner was able to get it to the side but its engine and front end were all mashed up).
I always follow the tires in front of me, Bike or car/truck,,Quote:
Originally Posted by pickensace
that way if the car bounces over something or swerves, I have a second to react,,
kennyU,,seattle wa.