raccoon motorcycle

loadedthorn · 09-06-2007, 10:37 PM

That's what I thought when I went down tonight. I hit a raccoon. Actually, I braked and was about to miss it, but my front wheel caught the back end of it and somehow that was just enough to send me down on the left side. Interestingly enough, my right side suffered the injury so I don't really know what happened. I think just some scrapes and bruises, cause it was a pretty low speed (25mph maybe) wreck.

Left footpeg broke off, and the left front fairing bent down to prevent my handlebars from turning right. So I had to have my neighbor (who owns a 24 hour towing business thank you Jesus) come get me.

I'll post pictures tomorrow, but it looks like the frame is bent slightly through the tail section. Does this ruin any chance I have of selling the bike? It's not worth it for me to fix, so I'll probably be parting it out soon.

You know, hit a raccoon in a car and you just hear a bump. I think it'll be a while before I get another bike.

LITEITUP · 09-07-2007, 5:26 PM

Sucks to hear. Dont sell it. Fix it enough to get it on the track or the road, it doesnt need to look perfect to ride. Why do you say itll be a while before you get another bike? Are you quitting? Giving up?

nedro · 09-07-2007, 5:35 PM

My best friend from the age of 17 was a tow truck driver. He has since moved out of the area, but...
All I can say is that having a tow truck at your disposal is so much more valueable than any sorry @$$ed 911 system.

pmlavigne · 09-24-2007, 6:49 AM

Hitting a small animal at speed can hurt like hell at the least and be fatal at most- so here's the drill. If you have one of these critters run in front of you do NOT hit the brakes- nail the throttle. This will lighten the front end and minimize the chance of a low side and will give you enough momentum to power through the animal, keeping the bike going straight and upright. I know very well that this method is way easier said than done. Our instinct is to brake or ride around it. And I know first hand how a raccoon appears instantly in your headlight, giving you very little time to react. This is one reason why I refuse to ride in the country late at night. And by the way, this method does not apply to moose, deer, bears, cows, horses etc. for obvious reasons.

Twincam · 09-28-2007, 4:41 PM

Originally Posted by pmlavigne

Hitting a small animal at speed can hurt like hell at the least and be fatal at most- so here's the drill. If you have one of these critters run in front of you do NOT hit the brakes- nail the throttle. This will lighten the front end and minimize the chance of a low side and will give you enough momentum to power through the animal, keeping the bike going straight and upright. I know very well that this method is way easier said than done. Our instinct is to brake or ride around it. And I know first hand how a raccoon appears instantly in your headlight, giving you very little time to react. This is one reason why I refuse to ride in the country late at night. And by the way, this method does not apply to moose, deer, bears, cows, horses etc. for obvious reasons.

Haha, i think we would need abit more momentum to power through a moose, deer, bears, cows or horses... Might add some spikes and a scoop on the front..

jgercken · 11-06-2007, 6:33 PM

I hit a possum crossing a highway once. I didn't have time to avoid it so I just maintained speed and direction hitting it square on. There wasn't any blood anywhere to speak of but there was a deafening crunch that echoed in my head for miles. I shouldn't like to repeat the event anytime soon.

pizzaboy · 11-06-2007, 6:59 PM

Did you at least find him and make him into dinner ??

longbreakdown · 11-06-2007, 7:50 PM

That does suck dude, but don't give up. Get back on the iron horse.

Liteone-74 · 11-06-2007, 8:37 PM

Small critters can be a pain. i've gotten one taby, three rabbits, and a bunch of mice. so far not gone down. Probably because, like jgercken said, don't hit the brakes.

Have Blue · 12-26-2007, 12:15 PM

Awww you havent lived until you've been alligator jumping. :-)

CBR929RE · 12-26-2007, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by Twincam

Haha, i think we would need abit more momentum to power through a moose, deer, bears, cows or horses... Might add some spikes and a scoop on the front..

I'm gonna go with a giant razor sharp blade. slice that bitch in half.

one summer I worked on Martha's Vineyard driving a bus. when we asked this one guy why he always drove with the bike rack down even if he wasn't carrying a bike he said "if I hit a deer I'm cutting that f*cker in half"

don't give up riding. if its just the subframe thats bent you can still ride it.

tymeshare · 12-31-2007, 3:43 AM

that sucks to hear...but subs are easy to staighten(aluminium..YEAHHH!)...and plastic?..who needs it?...pegs and clip-ons are a dime a dozen on e-bay...don't think that this doesn't happen to everyone..eventually...I hit a bird one tyme and it went through my windshield and hit me in the chin at something over a hundred mph(taught me to stay away from knock-off windscreens).

rvt1000 · 01-18-2008, 3:53 PM

raccoon fur can sell for good money...should've kept the bugger to pay off your deductible!

Twincam · 01-18-2008, 4:46 PM

Haha, i dont think he was thinking about that at the time..

What does racoon taste like?

-Z- · 01-19-2008, 9:15 AM

Man, sucks to hear that. Hopefully everything concerning the bike works out and you're up and riding soon again.

Until then, here are a couple of ideas for what to do with the raccoon.

Put a raccoon symbol on the side of the bike! Like wild west gunslingers putting notches in their handles or fighter pilots who paint silhouettes on their fighter's sides.

Or you could just cut it's tail off and attach it to the back of the bike, or even your helmet!

Have a buddy who took a wild turkey to the chest one time this summer. Feathers everywhere! Craziest part is that I was in the front and the only way I didn't hit the turkey is because he did some crazy Matrix/Jet Li style backflip right over me!