just hit a turkey

[Capt baz]

was out to top off the fuel tank for the up coming week @ about 6pm tonight. fueled up & was on my way home & an oncoming car was flashing his headlights frantically. i saw a turkey(tom) crossing the road slowly. i was doing about 40mph & was slowing quickly. the bird seemed to be glad being on the other side of the road. then all of a sudden he took flight back across the road. for about 5 seconds(seemed like 2 min), he was flying at the same speed i was going (probably 10mph at this point), and his wings were brushing against my right arm. then he cut right in front of me & hit the fairing. he went straight down, after being pushed ahead from the slight impact & i ran over him. i thought i was going down when he momentarily wedged in front of my front tire. thump thump & i was over him. he was killed instantly when he went under the tires. there was a woman jogging & saw the whole thing unfold. i turned around & stopped near thanksgiving dinner. i assesed the damage, which seemed only to be turkey shit everywhere on the front of the bike, and down the right side. absoloutly no damage to the bike. i called the  . they showed up & filled out an accident report that stated ducati vs turkey.

[aaronb]

did you take him home?  wild turkey is delisch!

[m0t0g0th]

was out to top off the fuel tank for the up coming week @ about 6pm tonight. fueled up & was on my way home & an oncoming car was flashing his headlights frantically. i saw a turkey(tom) crossing the road slowly. i was doing about 40mph & was slowing quickly. the bird seemed to be glad being on the other side of the road. then all of a sudden he took flight back across the road. for about 5 seconds(seemed like 2 min), he was flying at the same speed i was going (probably 10mph at this point), and his wings were brushing against my right arm. then he cut right in front of me & hit the fairing. he went straight down, after being pushed ahead from the slight impact & i ran over him. i thought i was going down when he momentarily wedged in front of my front tire. thump thump & i was over him. he was killed instantly when he went under the tires. there was a woman jogging & saw the whole thing unfold. i turned around & stopped near thanksgiving dinner. i assesed the damage, which seemed only to be turkey shit everywhere on the front of the bike, and down the right side. absoloutly no damage to the bike. i called the  . they showed up & filled out an accident report that stated ducati vs turkey.

those things are seriously stupid, trying to drag vs a Duc?  ... maybe it misheard.
congratulations on your win vs wildlife - no crash!

[somegirl]

Glad you and the bike made it ok.

[DoubleEagle]

I was riding on Rt. 56 between Ash Cave and Athens. Ohio one Spring day when I had one run right across the road about 20 yards in front of me. I'm sure glad I didn't have the same experience you did 'cause I was motoring and it probably would have been a mess with more than the Turkey getting messed up ! Sorru for the Turkey but glad you and the bike only need a bath. If it's not Deer it's who knows  what in the hills.

[Capt baz]

did you take him home?  wild turkey is delisch!


no, i wanted to but no room under my arm. he wasn't bleeding. i'm sure his neck was broken from the thump thump. the  asked if i wanted him & i said too hard to hold & ride. so he took it. he mentioned the deep fat fryer & tying some fly fishing hooks from the tail feathers.  it was about 20/25lbs. the woman jogger was standing there crying the whole time because it was expired. i had to listen to her till the  arrived. boy, when i came home & am still      ing.

[lazarus7]

niiiice....
4-11-07 i was riding the speed triple, 4 lane divided highway
orange groves down the south side, running about 70 or so...
egret came out of NOWHERE and clipped the left front fork tube....
shook me up, thats for sure....
slimed the fork, radiator and went down, but it made a mess EVERYWHERE....
ugh.
took me a couple days to find all the mess on the bike....
aah well made for a good story, and pics...
glad you rode it out ok.

[mstevens]

Damn!

There are a ton of turkeys around here. The toms have a tendency to stand in the middle of a road while the flock crosses behind them just staring down cars with a "when you goin' home, boy?" attitude. I've had a few fly in front of me and it's quite unnerving, especially since they tend to fly across the road one at a time, so you never know how many more there are yet to come.

Glad you made it!

[Count Desmo]

It's possible you're being punished for eating turkey bacon instead of the real thing.



Seriously, glad you're OK!

[aaronb]

did you take him home?  wild turkey is delisch!


no, i wanted to but no room under my arm. he wasn't bleeding. i'm sure his neck was broken from the thump thump. the  asked if i wanted him & i said too hard to hold & ride. so he took it. he mentioned the deep fat fryer & tying some fly fishing hooks from the tail feathers.  it was about 20/25lbs. the woman jogger was standing there crying the whole time because it was expired. i had to listen to her till the  arrived. boy, when i came home & am still      ing.

that's why i always keep one of those stretchy nets under the seat. you never know when your going to want to pick up some road kill. i think that at least owes you a sandwich   


glad you and the ride made it home unscathed.   

[silentbob]

I seem to attract birds.

I almost got hit in the head by a wild turkey while riding in one of the canyons.  I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye and the next thing I know there is a bird the size of a basketball coming right at my head.  I was going about 80 mph so I wasn't going to stop.  I just put my helmet on top of the tank to brace for the impact and it went over my head.

On another day in the same canyon I sucked a sparrow into the air intake of the 1098.

And at least once a month I get hit by pigeons on the way to work.  There is an overpass on the freeway and as I cross underneath it they fly right at my helmet.  Usually I duck under but sometimes they bounce off.

[Evil_Ductator]

^^^     

That post cracked me up, I'm picturing you riding around with birds everywhere just flying right at your head   

[mstevens]

It's possible you're being punished for eating turkey bacon instead of the real thing.

Additional punishment?! I thought turkey bacon was its own punishment.

[Porsche Monkey]

Was the jogger good lookin?  This post is worthless without pics!

[Grampa]

make the beast with two backsers