Deer T Boned

[sweetip2000]

I was riding my hog through woodstck ny to my first day of work after a long unemployed winter. I am a painter by trade. I had a painter try out for interior trim and got the job to do the entire interior. I was offered top pay and it was during the time when this plandemic was hot in June.

The house was off the GPS and located in these winding narrow mountain roads. I drove those roads 2 times in my Toyota. I new the roads by memory so I felt comfortable taking the bike. It was a cool summer morning June 4th.
I did not need to bring any tools with me. Everything I needed was there for me at the job to work with.

I have been riding street bikes since 1979. Most of the riding I have done however is off road trail riding and some motocross. When riding deep into trails off road my father told me if you see big game babies like bear deer etc slow it down cause the mom might be near.

I was riding my 2008 Harley 1200 SportsterC. I saw a baby deer on far right of road grazing. The speed limit increased from 45 to 55. I slowed down and got into the far left lane. No cars anywhere. I was the only one on the road.I checked my speed 40 MPH. I saw the head of a doe peering through swamp brush almost 45 degrees to my left and just at the time I saw her out she came with my horn on. No time to react to get the front end down. She was less than 5 feet in front of me and I new I was going to hit her on the side.

I braced myself for the impact. I figured at 40 MPH I will just T Bone her dump the bike and use her as a cushion to to stop. Well damn was I in for a big surprise. I heard a big thud like hitting a big freakin wall of meat. Next thing I know everything went black.

I ended up in a helicopter taken to Trauma 1 unit in Albany NY. I had a really bad broken leg compartmental fracture on the tibia and fibia broken ribs and a broken clavicle.

When I woke up there was metal rod outside my leg drilled into my bone. I have had some bad injuries riding off road but this was the worst in all my years of riding. I never could imagine so much damage would happen going just 40 MPH.

The state troopers called for EMS and saved me from loosing my leg. I will be able to walk again but it will take time.
I think what my dad told me might have saved my life. If I was going 60 or faster I don't think I would be here right now. I never thought this would ever happen to me in all my years of riding but it was the off road experience that saved me.

If you have never drove a motorcycle on the road there is nothing else like it but I recommend that you don't and stick to off road riding. I don't know if I will ride it again but I do know that I will repaint a custom finish on the tins pearl flake and candy and give it my all to put her back together again and keep the bike as my very last road bike.

I will need help replacing some of the oem parts as some of the bolts holding things like foot pegs snapped and a bolt holding the rear shock bent.

I need help taking off all the tins so if you are near central NY and can help out an old Harley guy I will pay you for helping me out as I will be wrenching in a wheel chair for now. I might ride again but it wont be for a while. I really need to get better and recover.

I will post pics of the hog damage and tell me if you can make it out here to NY. I can feed you and give you a place to sleep if needed for the time it takes to repair and I will order the OEM parts.

3z and 8tz I will always be riding my 86 250SX that is for sure.

[knappyfeet]

God bless you man....

This year to yosemite our group of 4 bikes almost hit deers 3 times........ironically twice by me when I was mid pack and once to the guy leading which was so close it looked like he actually did nail it. I use to haul ass in the back roads but not any more and especially not in the high mountians ........I now poke along like an old man in a Prius. They LITERALLY pop out from nowhere I've learned......and the best defence against hitting one is slower speeds.

Heal up soon buddy........and get that sporty fixed. I use to have an 08 and I loved it.

[ATC King]

Get well and get back on a bike, even if only off road. Riding bikes for that long, they're a part of your life and not riding one anymore is like you lost part of it. There is a sense of freedom that comes from riding a motorcycle that isn't easy to explain to someone who's never rode.

As far as animal strikes go, there's plenty potential for those off road too. Sometimes there's nothing that can be done, people are just broadsided by running animals. Anything with hooves can lose it's footing on pavement too, and try to get out of the way, but just falls down (seen that happen).

Dogs running into the road are a bigger problem than deer around here.

40mph is fast. That's like being knocked off of a very fast horse at full speed. It's also much more noticeable how fast that is if doing it while riding a bicycle. A pedestrian hit by a car going 40mph has only a 10% chance of survival. Full on highway speeds are lethal, but it's evident from most people's driving they're blissfully unaware and also think it'll never happen to them.

Here's What Humans Might Look Like If We Had Evolved to Survive Car Crashes: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...e-car-crashes/

Trauma, is a good, single word to described vehicle crashes. My experience was with a car driver, and I was a little nervous about getting back on the road because of it, but I really didn't consider I had another option, because I like riding so much and have been doing it for so long. I too rebuilt the bike I crashed on and still ride it. I kept all the busted parts for a reminder.

If I'm ever to the point of physically not being able to ride before dying, I'll hope I've befriended someone with a sidecar.

To you, for getting better and back to where you want.

[El Camexican]

Wow, glad to hear you survived it buddy. God must still think you have some use down here.

Hate to be the one to tell you, but you WILL ride again. It’s an addiction, passion, disease, whatever you want to call it. Some people fall the first time and never ride again, but after riding as long as you have I know how this plays out.

Take care of yourself, do what the doc says, eat right, stay hydrated and avoid the booze and sugars till the bones heal. I wish I could help with the bike, hopefully someone steps up and does you a solid.

May your recovery be as swift and painless as possible

[sweetip2000]

Hey thanks for all the kind words guys. I am learning how to walk with one crutch now and cant stand too long in one place. I think you guys are right. I think I will ride again if I can recover enough to use this right leg. So I pulled all the tins off the bike and most all of the body work is done.
One thing I noticed today is it looks like the front forks got bent from the impact of hitting the deer. When I look down the forks from above the handle bars it looks kinda funky. Is there a way I can tell if my forks are bent ? I just installed a new front rotor and brake pads and there is no rubbing from the rotor. I can post some pics. I hope I can afford to fix this. I have been with out a job since last winter. I was supposed to start this interior project painting and hit that deer. If you can walk me through this I would be grateful. This is a 2008 Harley Sportser 1200C. It has the stock front end and a 19 inch tire. The front end is a Showa 39MM. Thanks again for the replies and encouragement. I am still in a lot of pain but will do a custom pearl and flake finish with 3 coats of clear on crutches.

[ATC King]

I have been with out a job since last winter.

Hang in there.

I've been unemployed since last year, but not for a lack of trying. Earlier this year I had a day-long job tryout, very competitive, and I didn't get one of the open positions. I really wanted it too. A crapload of applications since, but nada. Got a letter from one of them last week that I didn't get it. Many I never hear from one way or the other. Filling out so many applications is actually depressing.

Stay busy doing something you like, work on the bike, and be happy with every vertical day.

[knappyfeet]

When I look down the forks from above the handle bars it looks kinda funky. Is there a way I can tell if my forks are bent ?

I'm going to asume that with al the damage to yourself and your bike your forks may be toast.

However thinking optimistic.........sometimes on a fall the forks can get moved up in the triple making it look crooked or out a wack. The simplest way to clear that up if there's no fork damage is to remove the wheel and loosen the pinch bolts up in the triple. For lack of a better term sometimes once loosened it pops staight or a fork tube pops up a little.....just adjust and re-tighten. Of course going through all that it just takes a little more time to remove a tube and put a straight edge to it or a dial indicator to check runout and see if it's actually bent. A slightly bent tube off road is not the end of the world but on road it can be unsafe.

A lot of used forks complete are on ebay......not horribly expensive if you need it.

Good luck

[ATC King]

Hey man, just checking in. How are you doing?

[ATC King]

How are you doing?

Winter is setting in and motorcycle riding may be done for you, regardless, I'm genuinely concerned about your mental health. Being a motorcycle rider and not able to ride because of injury can be difficult to deal with.

Are you occupying your time with repairs?

[ATC King]

C'mon man.

Seriously, are you making it OK? As a motorcycle rider, I know what that means in person's life.

[ATC King]

Does anyone know sweetip2000 and how he's doing?

[ATC King]

I'd like to know something sweetip2000.

There was a US KLR rider that made a South American trip, and everything didn't work out OK. That's what's worrying me.

[wild200x]

I'd like to know something sweetip2000.

There was a US KLR rider that made a South American trip, and everything didn't work out OK. That's what's worrying me.

just read this. missed it in the past as I was not here. Now all the sudden I am worried about a fellow triker. even tough we are talking street bikes here. Praying to hear from this guy!! Anyone??

[sweetip2000]

Hey man I am sorry I did not reply. Please don't take it personally. I have been on some really heavy pain meds. I am having a difficult recovery. I am able to walk for a short time then have to sit down. The doc said I will most likely always be this way and my leg is mostly all titanium. It is really heavy and I will most likely be in pain all the time however I have decided to ride again but only with a trike not a motorcycle. I really apologize for not getting back to you so soon but I have been pretty doped up so please excuse me. I did a custom pearl flake job on the harley and there was a lot of body work but it is done. Thank you for your concern and I hope you get this message. Thanks.

[sweetip2000]

I'm going to asume that with al the damage to yourself and your bike your forks may be toast.

However thinking optimistic.........sometimes on a fall the forks can get moved up in the triple making it look crooked or out a wack. The simplest way to clear that up if there's no fork damage is to remove the wheel and loosen the pinch bolts up in the triple. For lack of a better term sometimes once loosened it pops staight or a fork tube pops up a little.....just adjust and re-tighten. Of course going through all that it just takes a little more time to remove a tube and put a straight edge to it or a dial indicator to check runout and see if it's actually bent. A slightly bent tube off road is not the end of the world but on road it can be unsafe.

A lot of used forks complete are on ebay......not horribly expensive if you need it.

Good luck

Thanks for the advice. Both the stops on the lower tree got snapped off on impact. Those forks went right into the side of the deer. It was the biggest female I have ever seen. It smelled like a horsey on impact then everything went black.