Took out a bird on my way to work today

[Fish Baseball]

Well here goes, normal everyday ride to work, awesome day, sunny but no glare, not to hot..ok you get the picture. Take off from the lights, drop the wrist to get past a slow moving truck, yeah cool, I'm feeling awesome at this stage, clear now for a good 300m or so, loving it, then BANG on the side of my helmet, feathers everywhere! Pulled over to the side of the road, get helmet off and its covered in blood and feathers. Look back down the road and there is a lump of what was once bird lying on the road.

So the lesson to be learned here is that the full face helmet is the way to go. I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd gone the open face option.

[Water Warrior 2]

Yup, that would leave a mark. Just be thankful you weren't doing a shoulder check at that moment. I do like the added protection of a full face helmet and a windshield in front of me. I hit a bird 3 years ago and it was so sudden if was scary. I had to stop after I realized the front of the bike was covered with bird crap and it was flowing back at me. Sure hope I never hit an Eagle, they are really big suckers.

[patrick_777]

Good lesson for everybody. I have yet to hit a bird. I've come close, but no cigar yet. The biggest things I've smeared onto my helmet are a couple of wasps and a bumblebee...at the same time.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Fish Baseball

So the lesson to be learned here is that the full face helmet is the way to go.

MY lesson to be learned is never ride on the highway without a wind(bird)shield. Think about being hit by a chicken or a crow......or even a pigeon. Even with a helmet, a direct strike can take you OFF the bike. :skull:

[Sarris]

In Floriduh we have a lot of road kill, thus we get a lot of big black buzzards.\

Seems as though the bike scares them into a mass exodus as they're enjoying their road kill dinner.

Not only do they weigh 30 lbs or so (and can take you clean off your bike), but they have a nasty tendancy to crap when scared.

There is nothing on this planet as foul (fowl?) as buzzard shit. It'll take the paint off your ride in minutes.

And if it gets on your clothing, you might as well throw them out, as the funk will never come out. (don't ask how I know)

You want to avoid them at all cost. Dangerous and nasty.

:skull: :puke: :skull: :puke: :skull: :puke:

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by Sarris

There is nothing on this planet as foul (fowl?) as buzzard shit. It'll take the paint off your ride in minutes.

And if it gets on your clothing, you might as well throw them out, as the funk will never come out. (don't ask how I know)
:skull: :puke: :skull: :puke: :skull: :puke:

And they PEE on their legs to stay cool. Weird ducks buzzards!!!

[alanmcorcoran]

I remember a thread from years back where someone was trying to separate "real" bikers, from, well, fake ones I guess. Being both a newb, a mechanical idiot (read: no mods now or ever) and not much of a joiner to boot, I found it somewhat irritating, but this thread made me think, "You know you're a real biker when... you've killed a bird using your head (literally.)"

I lost my bird viginity about two months in, but I'm pretty sure it was a hummingbird, which, given the range of winged critters described above, may not really count. (No blood spatter or feather residue for the CSI: Avian squad to analyze.) Small as they are, it definitely got my attention - thought somebody in the park had tossed a rock at me for the first few seconds. I think it was just innate reflexes from similar harassment on a bicycle that kept me from dumping the GZ. Definitely a "WTF?" moment.

May I recommend a Aldred Hitchcock classic for this week's movie night? Oh, and PETA called. You're in deep (bird) shit.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

May I recommend a Aldred Hitchcock classic for this week's movie night? Oh, and PETA called. You're in deep (bird) shit.

Is there an organization that protects Japanese Beetles (June Bugs) ???

Those little bastards are about the size of a .45 slug and about as hard. At 70 MPH, they really HURT, even through a leather jacket. On your bare skin, you could swear that you've been shot......and they leave a red welt. OUCH !!
:skull:

[burkbuilds]

These issues are the reason I always wear a helmet and a face shield. (Sorry guys, I still don't believe it's going to save my life in a crash). Face shield is a must for me, Learned that lesson as a kid riding trail bikes on my uncles farm, fresh cow poop in the face is not the way to start your day. I've hit birds with the bike, but so far I haven't taken one on the helmet, but I've taken bugs big enough to scrap the paint off my helmet where they hit, I've hit bugs that snapped my head back when they hit my face shield and a few 3/4" size gravels have gotten me a few times as well. I'm glad that the bird you got didn't take you out! I've also been caught in a hailstorm with marble + size hail, and it hurt bad enough hitting my body much less my face.

[Water Warrior 2]

BB, all good reasons for a FF helmet. Hopefully you never have to test your theory about a crash.