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?
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.
Riding the upward spiral.
When I was driving from Illinios to Florida to see the giantI 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?
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.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.
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.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?
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).
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