How many here have had weird road hazards show up unexpectantly?

[solo1]

I'll start.

I was waiting on my Honda 900F at a stop sign for traffic to clear on a two lane busy road.  I noticed a pickup truck coming from left to right carrying a big unsecured load of split wood.  About 100 yards from the intersection to my left, a big piece of split wood fell off from the truck into the center of the lane. Before the wood even came to a stop, a speeding following car straddled it.The wood got caught underneath the car and was working its way back.  "Sh**!".  It happened so fast but I remembered thinking it better not come out in front of me, I couldn't move.

It came loose just passed the intersection and bounced across the road into the hood of a car in the oncoming lane.  Pieces of hood, headlight, and front bumper, flew.  The SOB in the truck kept on down the road.  No one got hurt but if it would've bounced into the windshield of the car, or, worse yet, came out and hit me! 

There's no way to get ready for something like that!

[hubcapsc]

I came around a curve in the Clemson Forest one morning, and caught up to some jerks that were getting rid of unwanted log rounds by ejecting them, one by one,
from the back of their moving pickup truck... they mostly seemed to be going into the ditch... I guess that was their "plan"...

-Mike "D'OH"

[R J]

In 1986 I bought that new Fuel Injected Gold Wing, nicknamed SEi.

My youngest daughter and I were cruising along about 80, on I-25 in the inside lane.     Passing cars like they were hobo's on a stopped train.     About then a pickup pulled into my lane to pass a car.  He had a unsecured ladder with the nose sticking up over the cab.  The wind caught it and out it came into our lane.

I got as far left as I could get, but my stage coach trailer ran right up the center of it with the right wheel.     Cars in the right lane started stopping, this joker duck into the median.     As soon as I got the pucker out of my butt, we stopped.    Truck driver wanted me to pay for his ladder.    Told him to go screw himself.   We left and never heard another word out of him.       Then my teen age daughter said "that was fun, let's do it again."

[Ice]

A couple of years ago, my wife and I were riding Route 10 in VA, down around Jamestown, (nice loop for the day) when we were rounding this long right hand turn doing around 60-65, (you could not see through the turn) and as we came around the end of the turn there was a local Sheriff with his patrol car in the middle of the road, no lights whatsoever, stopping traffic for a funeral. After realizing that the car was actually stopped, I jammed the brakes, locking both tires and while sliding towards the patrol car (in split seconds) I had to decide head for the trees to the left, or the sheer wall to the right or head for the patrol car and maybe loose enough momentum to minimize damage, well I decided for the patrol car and was able to stop 2 inches from his bumper. Well after collecting what wits I had left, I decided the best thing to do was to cuss the guy out for stopping in the middle of the road without his emergency equipment, all my wife could say is shut up, I cant drive this thing, how am I going to get the Valk home when your in Jail.

Yuri

[Jack]

When I lived out of New Orleans, I was coming home from the casino late at night and exiting the freeway at Airline Drive, I almost ran over a live alligator.  Woke me up quick!

[Westernbiker]

Years ago when I was riding my blue and cream '98' Valk I had two weeks to kill in between job changes (I planned that) I was headed for Colorado from Arizona. I had just passed the Little Painted Desert and was cruising about 75 or 80 on the indian reservation, very desolate area. I came around an up hill curve and there was a flock of sheep in the road. I hit the brakes hard and layed on the Big BF Quad Horns. The sheep started to part as I went up in between them. Never had time to stop, surprised and happy they got out of the way.

[donaldcc]

Road Runner and rattlesnake while riding through desert recently.  Neither big enough to do much harm unless the road runner jumped up in my face. 

[hubcapsc]

and there was a flock of sheep in the road.

DING DING DING...

That woke up my other brain neuron 

Early in the ride back last week, on my way back from Wytheville, I rounded a corner on 21 over the "Iron Mountain"
and came upon the darnedest sight maybe I ever saw. The road was full of geese(?) swans(?) - very large whiteish
birds, clumped together like sardines, all with their wings out fully extended, facing me. In unison they marched back and forth
across the road - trying to decide what to do? Ida know. As soon as it looked like I could go by without
a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (only with geese and Valkyries) I went on by, wishing right away I'd
had the presence of mind to take a picture of them.

-Mike

[Brad]

Worst one was earlier this year riding through Las Vegas, was on the north side of town three lane hi way.  Was heavy traffic with a tractor trailer rig in the left lane and a Honda accord in front of me in the center lane and cars in the right lane, no where to go.  The Honda was slightly behind the tractor trailer rig when I saw some smoke from the right side of the trailer.  I let off the throttle a bit and then I saw the tread of one of the trailer tires flip into the air and land right in the path of the Honda, now I was off the throttle and on the brake.  The Honda hit the road gator, there was no way to swerve we were boxed in.  The road gator ripped off the left front fender of the Honda and now she was on the brakes hard.  I now have to dodge the road gator and the fender of the accord without leaving my lane.  Funny thing was I just did it without thinking and then about crapped myself after I had cleared the mess.

[Super Santa]

I was riding southbound on my old 1984 Honda Magna on I-45 just south of Houston when a northbound vehicle lost a tire.  I watched the tire rolling and bouncing up and over the guard rail and into my lane of traffic.  Was able to avoid it by a lane.  Scary site to see coming at you.

[Jay]

Riding north of Colorado Springs on I25 I had to dodge a wheelburrow that fell out of a pickup, and was sliding towards me.  Great fun.

[X Ring]

Buzzards in the road are pretty common around here but I have had to dodge empty pallets falling off a truck on I-10.  I was in my S-10 pickup at the time.  That'll increase the ole pucker factor.   

Marty

[2K-Valk]

On the way to Daytona for Octoberfest, I-75S out of Atlanta.  My 98 Standard and two Harley brothers, with me in the middle.  I spotted a pallet in the lane in front of us and moved to outside lane with Harley behind me following.  Harley in front didn't see it until last second and just missed it by a frog's hair.  Needless to say, next rest area required one drawer change-----

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I've had a few show up over the years.

Most memorable ones were, having a pickup full of hay drop two bails in my lane as I met him while rounding a corner at 70. Stood the scooter up to slip between them, then finished the corner.

Next was meeting a flatbed truck in a corner which was dragging a 30' chain that had swing into my lane like a skier behind a boat.

Meeting an open top coal truck on the highway which lost a chunk of coal at just the right time to break the windshield on my old 550K Honda. It looked like a black meteorite rolling in the air just before it hit.

And of course the danged acorns in the corner a few years ago which I used to break my leg.

[Oss]

not me

This was the japanese fellow that went around the world including the himalayas



To me this is the gold standard of animal obstacles

[Jabba]

I had a goose get between me and the windshield.  Lucky I was only going 10 MPH.

I have had several cardboard box experiences. 

I was in a cage one time when a Rail ROad tie fell off a dump truck at 60 MPH.   It was tumbling end over end... and I got UNDER it but was REALLY worried. 

I got UNDER a doe once in a cage at 100 MPH too.  That was interesting.

Jabba

[fudgie]

On the way out to Sturgis this year we were just south of Interior on 44. Its a hilly sweeper kinda road. We were cruising 75-80 mph when we were about to top a hill. A peacock (wtf) decide to cross the road. As we got closer he kept walking. Finally as he hit the center line he decided to fly. We had to duck as we went under him. Odd thing was my brain was saying to slow down and speed up at the same time.  ??? So I did. Hit the rear brakes a little and hammered down at the same time. 

[Michvalk]

Following a 5th wheel camper kinda close as I was gonna pass after the top of the hill. Realized I was looking at the bottom of the trailer, axels, tires and all. Trailer came off the 5th wheel and the front legs dug into the pavement and stopped about as fast as I have ever seen. Swerved left into the oncoming lane(fortunately no traffic) Partner swerved right onto the sholder. He was right behind me, said I had layed the bike far enough over to slide under the corner of the trailer before it came back down. That was on a Suzuki T-500, '73 I believe and brand new. I quit  following quite so close after that.

[Valkahuna]

Early '80's, riding a Yamaha XS1100 in Mass on I90 near Westfield, a pick-up in front of me had a wooden runged chair come out of the bed.

I had no place to go, so I braked hard. The chair hit the road just in front of me and broke into many pieces. Magically none of the pieces even touched me. If the chair had stayed together even in several larger pieces, I would have bought it.

Now everytime I see someone moving stuff, I back way off. It's paid off, since several years ago, a guy in front of me lost a mattress off the top of a mini-van. I was safe because I was back far enough to stop safely.

Also saw a boat, probably about a 16 foot outboard, blew off the trailer from a guy going in the other direction on a divided interstate. That thing just tumbled through the air, end over end, and seemed to take forever until it finally hit the road. By then I was down the road a ways and did not see what happened. You've got to tie stuff down I guess? 

[PhredValk]

Last month heading east thru Saskatchewan on Hwy 16, about 80 feet behind a semi trailer, when a big clump of something appears from between his rear tires. Looked to be a roll of sod, so I move right to go around. Noticed the sod was moving to the right, so cut left and passed a 20-25 lb porcupine on his way home...
Fred.

[..]

Of the many.

N GA following a horse trailer.

Horse backs up to the half door and lets go about half a dozen cannonballs of dung. Thye exploded like shrapnel in front of me.

Wasn't pretty.

[Hoser]

Ever had a cow squirt a stream out the side of a cattle truck while you were passing?  Really glad My bike has a windshield!  hoser

[czuch]

Hoser, Yup, done the cow thing YUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!.
Piece of angle iron 2 inch angles, 2 feet long. SAW it fall out of the truck. It was sliding and I thought I'd miss it. Nope. It hooked and came up. The Valk of my dreams went 45 degrees and the wife gave me a great big hug. We landed ok and pulled over. I could find no damage.  A driver also pulled over and said "Man that' some ridin, I thought you guys were had." The final drive was unscathed as was everything else.Then I got home, and looked real close. the plastic dust cover had split when the rim caught the iron and lifted us. I know a guy here who is "the guy" and $75.00,  and a dust cover later, were back on it.

[BamaDrifter64]

Worst I ever had was a 4" x 4" post, probably 10 to 12 feet long, laying across 2 lanes of a 4 lane...thankfully I was in a cage, but everyone was doing 75 to 80 mph in really heavy traffic...so no one in those lanes saw the post until it was like 2 car lengths in front of them...thankfully, I was in a lane that it didn't cover....but both cars in the lanes to the left of me nailed it...as did the ones before them and after them...I can't imagine if you were on a bike and nailed it...

Dave

[Jess from VA]

Some years ago, I am riding North up I-95 from Fredricksburg VA, which is a hellacious stretch of crowded three lane high-speed mayhem for many years.  It is pouring rain and very dark with thunder and lightening, and I am hunkered down in the slow (right) lane a decent distance behind a semi.... far enough back I am not in the spray from his wheels. 

We are still at 70mph in the slow lane, and all of a sudden I see a pile of something come out from under (and between the wheels of) the semi trailer ahead.  It is a tangled pile/spiderweb of 50-100 (?) of those metal-band tie-down straps they use to secure things in and on trucks.  The pile is like 3-4 feet wide and 10-12 inches high. 

In the dry I might have been able to make a herculean effort to swing around this mess, but in the pouring rain I was afraid to make such a sudden move.  I was speeding right at the center of the pile, and all I did was raise my legs up in the air clear off the boards,  and ride right thru the middle of it. 

I had only about 1.5 seconds to react from first seeing it to running it over, and it just scared me shitless as I imagined the metal tie straps would cut my tire(s) with a traumatic blowout and/or get tangled up in the front and back wheels/fenders and lock a wheel or drag along with me, so I could fall down and get run over by the cages behind me....  What happened was I went right thru it with no issue at all.  But I lost a year off my life. 

I have also seen chit bounce out of pickup beds many times.... stuff that gravity will hold down until the driver runs over a big bump.  Amazingly big things can get launched.

[John Schmidt]

When I lived out of New Orleans, I was coming home from the casino late at night and exiting the freeway at Airline Drive, I almost ran over a live alligator.  Woke me up quick!

I DID run over the tail of a gator. Happened about 10 years ago at dusk, was meeting a bunch of Gold Wingers for dinner east of Orlando and I was on my Wing, tooling along on this 2-lane but not real fast. Came over a slight rise at a bridge and there he was, sucker was about 8' long and laying across the center of the highway, apparently soaking up the last of the heat from the blacktop. I couldn't miss him totally, ran over the last few inches of his tail....quite a bump at that. I watched him in the mirror and he reared up and spun around but I was gone by then. Another thing to watch here in Fla. is wild hogs. They love to root around in the ditches because people throw trash out there. You never know which way they'll run if they decide to scoot across the road.

[Doc Moose]

Riding back from Indy one night on I-74, after dark.  Never saw it on the road.  Deer carcass.  Fresh.  Went right over the top of the head (no antlers) with a jolt that lifted me off the seat as the bike went in the air.  Scared the crap out of me.  I envisioned blood and guts on the underside of the bike as I rode on home for another 25 miles.  When I checked after parking it, there were no signs of the road hazard to be found. 
I get my revenge during hunting season. 

[wupster]

years ago I was ridden my Harley threw a small town on a rainy night tryin to
get home when all of a sudden their was a wooden barracaid with no flashing
light on it. Was to late to try to stop with the wet pavement, so I hung on tight
and broke the barracaid in half, got the bike stopped thinking something is on the other side
but their wasn't so I rode on home. It hit the fork square between the fender and
the headlight not a nick on it. Had to change my shorts tho........

[Doc Moose]

Hey wupster, shoot me an email.  I changed to your new addy in my email addy listing and now everything bounces back as undeliverable.  Can't send anything to ya and haven't gotten anything from you either.

[Grumpy]

Not on the bike, but last year in my wife's van on I-4 a car in front of me lost his hood, I swerved left to miss, almost made it. It took out both right side tires on the van, threw me into a broad slide. Managed to get stopped without wrecking it. The hood went back airborne and got the front right side of a Cadillac esclade behind me, also blew out the right front tire.  Then it went into another lane and a semi had it take out his windshield and right mirror. No injuries, but several of us needed fresh underwear.

[Dogg]

wierd is what this is....

 Riding to my moms on a small backroad here. couple of chicken farms on it, lots of corn, cute little houses. laid back road. my wife and youngest daughter behind me in the truck. running maybe 40 just enjoying the late afternoon air when I looked up, over to my right about 2 O'clock there is the biggest chicken hawk I had ever seen. I just watched him circle around in front of me. beautiful, majestic. wow. if you have ever seen the matrix, the fight scene between neo and mr smith in the rain. the way smith circled in front of neo. thats what i was seeing. this bird was now heading straight for me. I just thoght that was the coolest thing. until he was 6 feet off the pavement with him big as*ed talons out.... he reached for me, tried to grab me but I laid down on teh tank and slid off the seat to the right of the bike. wsnt about to slow down...he just missed me I heard his nails click as he tried to grab me. He flew around but landed on teh coop where he started from. scared the living crap outa me, worse for the wife, she thought I was gonna die. that bird had a wingspan as wide as tehroad....yellow line to white line. biggest dam chicken hawk Id ever seen....

[old grouch]

On the way to IZ X, about 8 miles east of Sharon Springs, KS., on my I/S Trike doing 70 mph, topped a small rise, saw a rooster pheasant on the right shoulder, said "don't you do it!!"  He did! and with a full 360 degrees of choices he assumed a perfect intercept course with my face.  Ducked my head down as he was maybe a foot away and took a direct hit on the top of my helmet.  Good thing he hit me in the head--no real harm done.  Four pound bird at 70mph--that will ring your bell.  I was three miles down the road before it occured to me that I could have had pheasant for dinner that night!

[R J]

Couple of other situations.

My step dad bought a brand new 49 Ford.  I had my license for a couple of years.  I asked if I could have the car Friday night, I had a date with a girl 12 miles South of me.

2 lane road, dark as 4377, come over the top of a little hill and there is about 15 hogs in the road.   Lay on the brakes, thought i missed all of them and I hit 2nd gear and romped on it.  Next thing I knew was the ride side of the car came up in the air and staid there.   I heard the old sow squeal on impact.   Car following me went on into town and called the sheriff.    They showed up, they called a wrecker to get the hog out from under the car.  Sheriff said the hog is dead.  Being a 17 year old punk, I figured my ass was in deep trouble with my step dad.

Wrecker got there, lifted the car up, several guys (farmers) reached in to pull the carcass out.  They got her about 1/2 way out and she jumped up and run down the road.  She had NO hide on one side.   Found the farmer who owned the hog and he said she came home all skinned up.  

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This is one when I was a CHP.

A call came over that another officer needed assistance in a traffic stop.    This van was running from him and I was running parallel to this van a block away.  The van came up my block and turned right  and to his surprise there is a motorcycle officer on his tail now.    They make a left turn the rear door flies open and a 55 barrel of oil is spilled into the intersection.   NO chance of turning or stopping, I entered a Wells Fargo branch through the front door, slid clear back to the back of the bank.  Parked bike where it stopped, and took a seat in an office chair.    Went, 10-07 to go home and change my shorts..   Driver was finally caught and he got several citations, he was convicted on a charge of attempted murder of a Police Officer.

[Jabba]

The Sow story reminded me of one... I was caged... but nonetheless, I saw a 400 lb Hog fall out of the back of a pickup truck at 70 mph once on the highway.  Hog's are TOUGH!!  He was one mad, roadrashed SOB!!  I stopped to help... and pretty soon there were 4 cops, the farmers and me trying to corrall a bloody mad prize hog.  Eventually the officers decided he was a threat to the other motorists and was going to shoot him.  The farmers stopped him saying that his side arm wouldn't be a humane way to do it.  (It was a 9mm) This was 20 years ago...  The farmers got a .30-06 out of the truck and got permission to do it.  The LEO's said they were glad to allow him to do it, so they didn't have to fill out all the firearm discharge paperwork.  If we'd have been able to get a handle on that hog... he would have survived that ordeal just fine.

Jabba

[solo1]

It looks like most of the chit we've seen is stuff falling off vehicles.   Good idea to watch and stay back.

One last one for me.  I was riding my Seca 550 on highway 101 going to Monroeville at night when I saw a light reflection on the road in my headlight.  No traffic was coming so I slowed and went into the opposing lane.  It was about a 10 foot long curled piece of BARBED wire laying on the road.

I stopped, walked back, and threw it off the road.  Then I started thinking what if I'd hit it?  Scary.

[kickstand]

We were riding one evening very warm on a 2 lane back road came up on what look like fog but was a mass of bugs like millions wasn't a spot on the bike that didn't have bug juice on it. On the eway cardboard flying out of a pickup, Was hit by flying rubber from a tire blow out from a car in front of me

[Rowdy]

  a lot of interesting crap & critters on them roads - I enjoyed reading about the experiences    geeez gators !! Chicken Hawks !!!   

I have had deer, dogs, ground hogs, huge snake, cows, turkey buzzards & a trash can run into my lane 

The big snake  came over a hill (rise in the road) and their was the biggest snake I had ever seen on an Ohio road - it streched over both lanes and as big around as my wrist  No place to go put over it, I had 2 bikes following me, and I knew they could not see it and would not see me if I stop ??? Like going over a speed bump - he curled up after I hit it and the 2nd bike missed it completely then the  3rd bike the snake was pissed and tried to snap out - missed 

Trash can:  Darn thing had a mind of it's own, dusk early morning on the way to work, stuck between 2 trucks - truck in front of me was a trash truck, I suspect the trash can fell off the truck, but it swirled around from some unknown location  and it was every where I wanted to go to avoid it  just missed it but I must have hit the brake or turned the wheels, something -the Valk started that high speed front in wable  I had this other truck following me just a bit to close - all I could think off - was if I surved the crash would that truck behind me miss me  ??? Fortunetly I got it back under control 

Turkey Buzzards: My wife actually hit one as we came around a blind cornor - fortunetly her windshield took the blunt of the impact and she did not wreck and the buzzard shook it off and went on his merry way     I've had couple close calls with them birds myself 

[smokey]

Just out of Army in 1968, had the not uncommon attitude of being suprised at still being alive.
Riding down an almost empty intersta in Okla, wearing my outfit of sun glasses, no shirt, cutoffs and tennis shoes. (i've learned better with age). Going about 80 on my Harley, smokin' my cigar.

When a June bug hit me square in the center of my chest.
Those who don't know, an Okla June bug is like a tennis ball filled with sand and coated in rock hard epoxy. 

[Psychotic Bovine]

I was riding the back roads near my home when a turkey vulture decided to take off out of the tree I was passing.  I ducked just in time, but my helmet smacked his tail feathers (good thing it was a full face helmet).  At 45 mph and 1 foot away a turkey vulture looks as big as a 747.  This was a couple of years ago on my Valk.

Weirdest thing I have been hit by was a bag of doritos.  It hit my left foot and exploded.  I think it had blown out of the pick-up in front of me.  Quite a few years ago on my Yammy FJ1200.

[hubcapsc]

When a June bug hit me square in the center of my chest.

A couple of years ago, I was on back roads in Georgia headed over to Stanley Steamer's house. As I was going
through an area of agriculture, I began to encounter billions of junebug like things... who knows, maybe it
was a swarm of locusts? They all seemed to be coming in my direction, they appeared from infinity into my field of vision
like tracers of anti-aircraft fire like you see in war movies... I was startled at first, but I just tucked in behind my jacket and
helmet and fairing and air-wings and what-not and enjoyed the show.. Blam... Bang... Kapow... whiz...

I met a bee in the chest once on a dirt bike on a dirt road... I wouldn't want to take an epoxy covered OK rock in the chest at 80... ouch...

-Mike