Too Close!!

[XJ Rob]

Yesterday I decided to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather with a ride on one of my favorite roads. SWMBO and I headed out towards the St. Clair River at the blue water bridge. Cutting over to 136 starting in Port Huron and enjoying the twisties and scenery. All the while watching for deer or other critters to pop out. Made a stop at an overlook for a quick smoke and rest SWMBO's back. Got back on the road and headed down Abbottsford rd. which is also a great scenic road with a few good twisties. About a mile from the main road and civilization again, I look to the left to see a wild turkey starting to cross about 50yds ahead. I was doing about 50mph so there isn't much time to react. I get hard on the brake and it starts to cross right in front of us running. By the time we get next to it, he/she is in flight flapping so hard we felt the wind coming off it's wings. I felt SWMBO slightly lean a bit to her right and I actually ducked a bit. It all happened so fast. After we past, we both started laughing pretty hard. Just a reaction I guess. Not sure what the outcome would have been but I don't think the turkey would have lived and one of us would have a pretty sore if not broken neck. All in all it was an awesome ride.
Ride Safe Everyone

p.s. You can see 136 on the link below.136 is highlighted but Abbottsford (not highlighted) runs south if you continue west just past the second hard right curve going north.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/regions/mi_thumb.html

[mstic2000]

Ain't this great ridin weather for Michigan? (10 months of winter and 2 months of bad sledding) I've been out and about here around Saginaw, Owasso, & Bay City. I might head up to Tawas & Oscoda this weekend and take a dip in the big pond. All this nice weather around here must be bringing out the big birds too. U.S. 23 along the shoreline is an awsome ride too.

[Guy_b_g]

A face full of gnats at speed stings.

A grasshopper at 70mph on bare skin leaves a bruise.

I hit a dove once on the freeway in my car and it looked like a grenade full of feathers went off.

I can only imagine what hitting a turkey at speed would be like...not good...probably major injuries.

I'm glad you missed it!

[cywelchjr]

Yet another of the reasons I ride behind a fairing. I'll let the fairing absorb the impact of those small life forms and if I hit one thats too much for the fairing that damages it I'll mount the spare fairing to replace it. I figure the fairing is far more expendable than my face (although the fairing is likely better looking )

[bikerphil]

Ran into some "love bugs" crossing the Glades last week.....

[Guy_b_g]

Those things suck...and they'll eat the paint off if you don't remove them right away too.

[TopCatGr58]

Not sure what the outcome would have been but I don't think the turkey would have lived and one of us would have a pretty sore if not broken neck.

Hey Rob,

At least you would have been wearing a helmet, this fellow was just letting his hair blow in the breeze....





I hit a pigeon or dove one evening when my friend was riding behind me on his bike, and all he saw was an explosion of feathers, and I barely felt anything...in my helmet!?
T.C.