another hazard

[joe66]

A motorcycle passenger was killed last night on a road I ride everyday. I guess she was a passenger on her boyfriends CBR600 F4 when a opossum ran out in front of them. The police said the rider locked the brakes and "slid" and the girl was thrown from the bike into a mailbox. The rider was treated and released. I guess he high sided. The paper didn't mention speed but it's posted as 45 mph and I assume they both had helmets since they are required here.
I've never hit anything like that. I've had to brake hard a couple of times in the last few weeks for deer but with something like a possum or a 'coon wouldn't it be best to get on the throttle and get your weight back a little and just hit'em as straight as possible?

[txsporty]

I don't know if I'd hit the throttle, but I'd hang on and run over the Varmint then to high side anything!!!! :frownthre

I don't like to run over any living thing, but I'd rather it be them then ME!!:D

[DustyJacket]

Friday morning, a cat jumped out in front of me (maybe 4 feet away) while I was leaning over in a curve on the cloverleaf about to enter the highway. Nothing I could do without endangering myself.

if it had been 20 feet away I might have swerved or slowed a tad, but too many people 9even in cars) wreck trying to avoid small animals........

[xlhflh]

The reason for getting on the throttle is to shift the weight back and off of the front wheel.

[joe66]

Todays paper said they now think speed may have been a factor in this crash. The bike slid approximately 400ft! Now I don't know the coefficient of friction of a motorcycle on it's side, but I do believe a bike traveling the posted speed limit of 45 mph would have stopped in less distance. The accident re-creation people were there again today measuring and video taping the scene.

[bullittt]

:wonderlan :wonderlan :wonderlan i had a little bunny rabbit commit suicide under my front tire this summer...............sorry t osay it hardly was noticed! Small guy.........but never never try and swerve to m,iss it.....more bite it that way fore sure!!!! :wonderlan

[Phil R]

I share my twisty roads with an abundance of critters including bunnies, woodchucks, turkeys and deer, and find that the best technique is to apply maximum braking and maintain a straight course. I may not stop in time, but I will make contact at the slowest possible speed. More often than not, the critter moves before I get there. I do not swerve or lock up my brakes! Practice makes perfect!(Well, almost). In the case of little critters, I release the brakes when I arrive at the critter in anticipation of running over him/her.

[bullittt]

very good advise ................keep the sunny side up! :tour

[cantolina]

A motorcycle passenger was killed last night on a road I ride everyday. I guess she was a passenger on her boyfriends CBR600 F4 when a opossum ran out in front of them. The police said the rider locked the brakes and "slid" and the girl was thrown from the bike into a mailbox. The rider was treated and released. I guess he high sided. The paper didn't mention speed but it's posted as 45 mph and I assume they both had helmets since they are required here.
I've never hit anything like that. I've had to brake hard a couple of times in the last few weeks for deer but with something like a possum or a 'coon wouldn't it be best to get on the throttle and get your weight back a little and just hit'em as straight as possible?

I rolled over a pretty big 'coon the other night...one of four in the road after a turn...

No way I'd even BOTHER trying to stop for the likes of them....I MIGHT have tried to swerve, but with four of em, I decided if I was gonna hit one, it would be dead-on, not in a swerve.....

Dammit...I hate hearing about riders losing it, but a PASSENGER? That sucks even worse...