Passes & Canyons Blog

Chickens must have reasons why they cross roads, we just don't want them doing so in front of us on our bikes.

So with the snow and cold weather just about one of the weirdest things you might have seen on the road lately was a motorcycle. No, I haven’t seen any in at least a week, have you? But the weather is warming up, our road is starting to show through the ice, and it looks like there will be riding to do this weekend.

Meanwhile, it’s time for another edition of what’s the weirdest stuff you’ve encountered on the road, courtesy of a thread from the Adventure Riders forum. Let’s not waste time.

• Here’s a new one, from today’s ride. I was motoring along home on a two lane highway and see what appears to be a short tree branch in my lane up ahead. I change lane position enough to miss it, and look down as I pass it. WTF? It’s a disembodied deer foreleg, perfectly intact and not missing any hair, from the hoof up to the knee. No deer carcass anywhere in sight, no grease spot or blood patch anywhere.
• The rider in front of me by about 15 feet did not put his hard box on right. That BMW pannier fell off right in front of me and I swerved so fast, I almost high sided. We were going about 70 miles an hour. Make sure they are snapped in place, folks.
• Years ago, riding down a back alley, only going about 15 mph, a little robin flew into my right coat pocket. I stopped and tried to find him, but couldn’t see a thing. Next thing I knew, the little guy popped out and flew off. It was the strangest thing.
• Hit a yellow jacket that landed just below my helmet. It didn’t die and quickly climbed into my helmet and proceeded to sting me. NOT fun.
• A house. First time on a bike (1973) on a Honda 50. Throttle stuck and I slammed right into my folks’ house. Rear tire dug up Mom’s flowers. They weren’t home and I wasn’t allowed to ever ride motorcycles. They never found out.
• I did deliberately run over a Barbie Doll that was lying in the street in my neighborhood, the head actually popped off and rolled under a parked car, leaving the headless doll body alone in the street for lookers by to ponder…”WHY?” – it was almost performance art…..
• I hit a police car with an angry policman in it. He took my bike and me to jail. Long time ago.
• I hit a large pine cone that was rolling across a bend in the road on a windy day. As it was moving I kind of target fixated on it, resulting in front wheel going over it whilst I was slightly leant over in the bend – very interesting “rodeo” moment not exactly sure how I stayed on the bike – especially as I had not been riding long at the time.
• Rode the the rotting carcass of a hog this week on the way to work. Somehow, by no fault of my own, none of the guts got on me. Thank goodness, that thing stunk!
• I intercepted a pinecone’s fall to earth with my face @ about 45mph.

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OK, enough for now. More to follow, sooner or later.

Biker Quote for Today

In your helmet, no one can hear you scream.