What items have you dodged or hit on your commute?

[JoeDabbs]

I thought this might be a common occurence for those that commute on their bikes. I say, "dodged or hit", because sometimes it's better to do either. Other times, disaster will strike if not choosing the right approach. Typically, I'll be in a fast-moving pack of cages, with no recourse but to run over whatever comes out from underneath the back wheels of the car (or jeep) in front of me. My biggest bounce was hitting a loading pallet. R60/6 flew up in the air and landed solid with my headlight shell flying off and shattering against the bolts on the front fender. Pulled over for that one. On my CLC, the biggest object I hit was a garage door (metal) lying in my path. CLC (big ol' girl) flew up in the air, but landed nicely. I put a dent in the CAT with that one. Angle iron tipped by by jeep in front of me and flip flopping down the road. That was deflected by my crash bars on the CLC, but did bounce off my shin. Didn't bleed, but left a scar - go figure. For sure, I would have went down had I tried to dodge the loading pallet. In Detroit, once, a snowmobile fell off the truck in front of me, but I had room to dodge that one. I certainly wouldn't want to hit a snowmobile head on...

[dbrick]

Going 70 or so on an Interstate in traffic, I was confronted by a 20-30 gallon plastic garbage can a few years ago.

It rolled into my lane, and as with Joe's experience, I was too close to dodge. There was a thump as the bike's front end rode over it, and a buzz-thump as (I think) it briefly was stuck beneath the bike before the rear tire went over it. I was surprised that the bike did not even wiggle alarmingly, although I can confirm that my adrenal glands got a good workout once they figured out what had happened.

[kantuckid]

Going 70 or so on an Interstate in traffic, I was confronted by a 20-30 gallon plastic garbage can a few years ago.

It rolled into my lane, and as with Joe's experience, I was too close to dodge. There was a thump as the bike's front end rode over it, and a buzz-thump as (I think) it briefly was stuck beneath the bike before the rear tire went over it. I was surprised that the bike did not even wiggle alarmingly, although I can confirm that my adrenal glands got a good workout once they figured out what had happened.

"Driving a car" I hit a plastic bucket too, after it flew out of the back of a service truck in front of me. Busted my fog light & bumper cover paint job messed up. I was in hvy traffic with multiple lanes & in urban St.Louis during daylight rush hour. When I was told it was my fault I ended up talking to the Vice-president of Claims(or better put, "howdowegivethemtheshaft") and I distinctly remember the guy asking me if the bucket was air born(and thus supposedly unavoidable) or lying on the highway (as if you could simply drive around it) to determine if they had correctly decided against me by assigning fault. I lost my large claim free discount & after asking "which way was my fault" I lied & kept my discount after the call.
Another time I hit an orange cone as I rounded a ramp/curve and took out a PU headlight & they didn't take the discount then with no discussion?
Moral: watch what you hit and HOW you hit it...

[jeffd]

Nothing all that exciting for me, I seem to get mostly small game. Caught a full grown Robin in the chest at 70MPH, that one hurt. Found a swarm of bees on the way home one day. Only ended up with 17 stings. Also collected a raccoon in the dark and in the rain. By the time I saw it there was nothing to do but hold on. Hit it square on at speed. Can't say the coon was the cause but my fork seals started leaking.
Jeff

[PGlaves]

Not commuting - but up in Montana I hit a short 4x4 chunk of lumber. Ruined the front wheel beyond what Woody's Wheelworks could straighten. I had them relace a new rim onto the existing hub.

[mika]

The bulk of my miles are commuting. The only odd ball thing beyond the normal things any rider has to be concerned with was a sippy cup hurled at me while waiting for a stoplight to change. The cup hit the tank, the lid popped off and spilled liquid on the bike and the crotch of a good pair of dress pants. I had a riding jacket on and a suit coat in the tank bag. The people at the meeting I was headed to had a good laugh while I had a cleaning bill.

[JoeDabbs]

This is the opposite of the thread, but one summer morning riding on the expressway through Downtown Detroit it was mighty hot - hot enough that the turpperware bowl of homemade chicken soup that I had strapped on the back seat had thoroughly melted from when I had grabbed it from the fridge. Now, understand that there was about an inch on pure fat that had collected at the top of the container when I had taken it out. Traffic being what it was, we were cruising along at about 70 mph with about 6 feet between each vehicle. All of a sudden, a yellow Corvette got on my tail and got within inches of my bike and just hung there. I hand signalled him to back off a bit, but he stayed right on my tail. I couldn't really speed up - no room. Then, as fate would have it, I hit a big pot hole and the chicken soup bowl went flying off the bike and onto his hood, upon which the contents went all over his windshield. Then he switched his wipers on, which, of course smeared the whole mess even more. I glanced back as this was happening, and he pulled over to the left (we were all in the speed lane) and I could see that he was scraping his Corvette all down the side as he grinded along the Jersey Barrier. I must admit, I did not stop, but somehow, I didn't feel badly about not stopping. I sincerely hoped that he would never, ever tailgate a motorcycle again and try to intimidate anyone on two wheels in that fashion.

[mcmxcivrs]

Mostly just careless, inattentive or reckless drivers. I did have to dodge around a huge bale of hay once, but that was in my truck.

[okiegman]

I commute 50 miles one way combination 2 lane country roads and highway. Last summer I was 3 for 6 hitting crap.

1.) Roadrunner, those things are fast but not that fast. He had crossed the road in front of me every day for the past 2 years. Guess he was an adrenaline junkie as he kept letting me get closer and closer before crossing - well this time he let me get a little too close

2.) Turkey vulture was eating dinner in the middle of the road (2 lane) tried to get his skunk laden butt off the tarmac coming right at me. I ducked behind the windscreen which he hit with both feet and his tail.

3.) Best guess a chunk of wood with a railroad spike in it based on the hole it put in my rear tire. I never saw it. I was riding along another 2 lane country road, no one else around. All of the sudden to my left was..........wait for it........A shiny Honda XR650L for sale. Never saw the wood/nail. Tore off my mud flap as well as ruining a tire.

I should add I missed 2 deer and a cow. I'm also an avid deer hunter and the buck I missed in late October was bigger than any I saw in the woods. It was also the closest near miss. Barreled around a tree lined corder at dawn to find him standing in the middle of the road. Seemed as tho it took him forever to get moving (looked like he was skating on ice) as I was all over the brakes trying to get shut down. Thought I might have to "lay-er down" (just kidding! Poking fun of another thread on here).


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[waxrash]

Turkey vulture bounced of my shield on the RT.

[darrylri]

I dodged a child's wading pool, the hard plastic kind, that apparently came off the roof of a car a little ways ahead of me. It was moderately heavy traffic on I-280 in Sunnyvale (ie, Sillycon Valley, lots of type A drivers). My friend Martin, who was riding behind me, went over it.

[glenfiddich]

I was riding the GS along back (dirt) roads on my way to work one morning. It was raining lightly. I noticed a flock of wild turkeys in the road ahead of me so slowed way down till they could scoot out of the way. One didn't head for the shoulders, but instead began running straight down the road as I followed at about 5mph. He finally took flight and because he continued in my direction of travel I figured I'd have a little fun. I rolled on the throttle and reached up to pluck a tail feather.

The moment I touched the bird it let loose with the largest, most malodorous turkey poop on the planet. Caught me full on the visor and got into the vents! God did it stink!

[REBGEN]

Now I understand why Barley insisted on having his OWN sidecar to ride in :-)

[35634]

Years ago I was commuting to work on I75, downtown Dayton, when a huge empty wooden telephone-line-spools (the kind you make picnic tables out of) rolled off the truck in front of me, hit the pavement and continued to roll straight down it's lane. I moved over a lane and passed it and the truck, the guys in the truck were laughing hilariously.

[basketcase]

Dodged a piano crate ... in the middle lane of the interstate in rush hour traffic in Chattonooga, TN.