Best argument yet for a full-face helmet

[Guest]

This morning on my way to work, I was on an overpass probably doing about 60mph. I looked up from checking my rear-view mirror to see two sparrows (I think they were sparrows) swooping head on at me. I flinched to duck, but one poor little guy slammed into the lower left section of my visor with a fluffy thud.

Strangest experience. Poor little guy.

[sedelen]

I hit two birds, one a mocking bird which was flying at a right angle towards me, I saw him and thought if he doesn't change his flight pattern I could hit him. He didn't and I did, hit my Honda CB450 crash bar at about
55 mph, feathers everywhere, it was like he exploded.
The other time I was going to work at Disney World riding down I-4, it was early in the morning, it was just getting light out. Never saw the bird,
just hit it full force with my helmet on the left side. I was doing about 70,
it was like someone just took a punch at me.
At least it was a small bird you hit, a lady down here hit a turkey on her Harley, lost control and ran into a barbed wire fence, I believe she died from those injuries.

[Hovmod]

Wow. "how did she die?"
"uh... An accident. "

[Roostabunny]

Yeah, I felt fortunate it was something small. There's plenty of fat pigeons around those overpasses, too. Though even that wouldn't compare to a turkey, gosh!

[sedelen]

a lady down here hit a turkey on her Harley, lost control and ran into a barbed wire fence, I believe she died from those injuries.

I guess she didn't die from her injuries, here's the link, but there's alot of motorcyclists killed hitting things like turkey buzzards and such, I just saw those looking this up. I guess I'll pay closer attention to those turkey buzzards that seem to be on every road down here. Feel lucky you just hit
a sparrow.

http://video.tbo.com/v/31153039/wild.turkey-hits-motorcyclist.htem

[MelodicMetalGod]

Birds, bugs, critters and deer and such...worst hazards on the roads, IMHO. They appear without warning and are totally unpredictable even if you do have a moment to react.

Glad ya made it through OK.

RIP flyer (sparrow).

[cowboyup3371]

I'll agree with this for even a little softer reason - the weather. Left my house this morning with sunny but cloudy skies. Twenty miles later and ran into rain and pea-sized hail...thank goodness for the face shield.

[Hovmod]

Just the other day I hit a huge bumble bee at about 120 kph. BLAM! right between the eyes. That would have hurt!

[Roostabunny]

I guess she didn't die from her injuries, here's the link, but there's alot of motorcyclists killed hitting things like turkey buzzards and such, I just saw those looking this up. I guess I'll pay closer attention to those turkey buzzards that seem to be on every road down here. Feel lucky you just hit
a sparrow.

http://video.tbo.com/v/31153039/wild...orcyclist.htem

I'm glad to hear that, and thanks for looking it up. 25lbs? Sheesh. That's a Butterball to the face. I'm sure thankful for her sake that she survived the encounter, as others have said, there have been plenty who don't.

[sedelen]

Here's the one about the Turkey Buzzard motorcycle fatality, 18 years old, so sad, and also you can see other fatal crashes, some with deer alongside this article, as for me I'm getting ready to go out and ride.

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/Turkey-buzzard-hits-kills-motorcyclist

[oldgrumpy]

injuries with open face helmets,,,,

i met a tallish thin sort rider who hit a kangaroo at night wearing only a open helmet... he woke up the next morning in the back of an anbulance where he spent 2 months in hospital and 12months recovering he was doing 100 plus ks when he hit the roo runing along the dark highway....regards oldgrumpy

[MassJosh]

Here is a sheet I use in the MSF classes. This was a statistic sheet that was composed from crash data.

[toejams1]

Just yeaterday, I big buzzard flew across the road in front of me. You appreciate their size when you are riding 55mph towards one.

[oldgsfan]

Just saw this string. I thought I'd add my two cents. A co-worker was in an accident just a few weeks ago. She rides a Harley. So, naturally, she has to use an open face helmet. She lost it on some gravel and went down. Somehow, she hit her face, I'm not sure on what, and suffered massive injuries to her lower jaw, losing most of her teeth, I mean, like really, almost all of them.
This was about a month ago and she has yet to return to work.
I swear, I don't know why people wear those helmets.

[Agemax]

this guy was lucky...........

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/874222-motorcyclist-freak-pigeon-accident-almost-cost-me-my-life