Hit a cow in Baja

[TUCKERS]

Originally Posted by thumperpilot

Opened this thread, saw that picture and thought, .

Glad you're doing OK.

.

Yeah that's my front end.....and look my brand new wave rotors......650 miles and then whammo!

[BobLoblaw]

kind of strange you made the post on Jan 31, 2013 since I rode through Guerro Negro that very day and got gas at the PEMEX north of town.

Today on my way to La Paz I was smoking along that straight stretch south of Ciudad Constitucion , came over a slight rise before a bridge, 4 cows 2 on the bridge and 2 just before. Lots of heavy braking and passed them at 25mph.

I remember that poor guy Clayton that hit the donkey and his sad story. Glad to see you survived

[TUCKERS]

Yep. See a cow....STOP...I noticed the cop that took me to the ER almost stopped when he got even close to a cow. It's funny becuase we have blown by many cows and way up north in USA, Canada and Alaska, Bears, Moose, Goats and etc.....no more...slow WAY down or STOP.

[mung]

So you were going 66 when you hit.You said you saw it 100 feet away.If you had just turned the throttle off with no brakes applied you were going at least 75. If you did hit the brakes at all to get down to 66 you were doing at least 80. Why so fast on a back road? Why looking down at 80 plus anywhere but especially in Baja? These roads are beautiful but a lapse of attention for a moment can be deadly.Glad you survived this round.

[PirateJohn]

Originally Posted by slowoldguy

Including Texas.

Texas has tons of deer, huge wild hogs, and I almost hit a flock of wild turkeys a few weeks ago. Between the Hill Country and the major roads in Northern Mexico you are probably better off in Mexico.

[TUCKERS]

Originally Posted by mung

So you were going 66 when you hit.You said you saw it 100 feet away.If you had just turned the throttle off with no brakes applied you were going at least 75. If you did hit the brakes at all to get down to 66 you were doing at least 80. Why so fast on a back road? Why looking down at 80 plus anywhere but especially in Baja? These roads are beautiful but a lapse of attention for a moment can be deadly.Glad you survived this round.

Active log on Garmin Nuvi GPS shows 66mph for the last couple of miles. We had a plan to get to the next motel in Guerro Negro by 4.30pm (before dark) and decided to run out a tank of gas (205 miles to the Pemex) without stopping and doing 70mph but no more. Some places we did much less as it is a curvy mountain road until you get closer to GN. I didn't shut off the gas, I didn't touch my brakes, I didn't sit up and create wind resistance. I saw a cow and hit it, no reaction time with the speed and distance involved. GPS actually is delayed a tad, so the speed would be pretty darn accurate. That whole day we did less than 300 miles from a late departure (stopping for breakfast at Mama Espinozas..one hour?) then riding 204 miles non stop to crash site. So you do the math 204 miles in about four hours or maybe five hours...non stop.....so a pretty low average speed. There are times when you want to do a HUNDRED.......there are times when you can only do fifteen. We never went over 70mph all day as per GPS log. I have the log still on my computer. I'll try and post it. Also shows elevation at time opf crash and elevation of resting bike (fifty feet lower!) Bike went in the ditch I stayed on the blacktop.
The 100 feet is approx, could be more or less. Do you know how long it takes to travel 100 feet at 66mph? Do the math. Your reaction time is non existent, it's not there, gone.
It's not a back road, it's the main road, in places it's the only road. It's pretty well paved and constructed and maintained. Have you been there? It's just marvelous. Some of the best riding in the Whole World.

[BlueDaksi]

One trip to Baja California Sur I hit a pig. Another trip down there I hit a goat. Fortunately both times I was driving a Mazda B2200 pickup. I've come close to hitting horses and cows there several times. I'm glad that it didn't turn out worse for you and that your riding partners avoided the flying debris.

[mung]

My point on the main road comment is that for a main road it is a mediocre road at best and very dangerous the vast majority of the time.Have I been there ? Seattle to Cabo every year for 2-3 months in the winter starting in 1974 through 84. Many dirt bike trips and now usually go 2 or 3 times a year.Not bragging. I am very lucky that I am able to travel as much as I do.My experience [as minimal as it is] has taught me that people that talk about time,speed or distance relative to Baja usually end up with problems. Baja is a place to relax,drive way slower than you normally would,and just enjoy at a slower pace than normal. Cheers to Baja !

[TUCKERS]

Originally Posted by mung

My point on the main road comment is that for a main road it is a mediocre road at best and very dangerous the vast majority of the time.Have I been there ? Seattle to Cabo every year for 2-3 months in the winter starting in 1974 through 84. Many dirt bike trips and now usually go 2 or 3 times a year.Not bragging. I am very lucky that I am able to travel as much as I do.My experience [as minimal as it is] has taught me that people that talk about time,speed or distance relative to Baja usually end up with problems. Baja is a place to relax,drive way slower than you normally would,and just enjoy at a slower pace than normal. Cheers to Baja !

It's a very good road mostly and very safe the vast majority of the time.

I talked about time speed, distance to tell the complete story, nothing hidden.

We RODE, not drove 650 miles of black top from home to the accident scene in three days, that's pretty relaxed on a high speed motorcycle like the 1150GS.

We enjoyed it tremendously, at a much slower pace than normal (USA?).

We go a lot. We live 120 miles from Tijuana. We are going tommorow in fact. Our dentist is in Mexicali.

You got me all wrong man. You don't know me.

Thanks for telling me off. At 63 years young and fifty years of riding then having a huge biff that's just what I need, a preacher.

At 30mph the outcome could have been worse, who knows, I could be smashed instead of a flying rag doll.

It's a dumb animal, it had a drink, turned around, staggered out of it's watering hole and stopped in the road for a piss....cost that little lass her life....sooner or later she was destined for the pot anyway....I hate cows.

[David13]

I rode last April to Cabo from here. Returning just north of Catavina I stopped to put on my rain pants. A girl in a Toyota 4 Runner was stopped, her front smashed in.
What did you hit I says. A vaca. Two actually. And there is one of them. With huge horns.
Standing there looking at us. Her truck didn't run but she insisted someone was coming to help her.
Earlier the day before I saw a dead one laying by the side of the road, just north of Mulege.
But like someone else said they are everywhere. I saw a dead one in Utah last year, and I always see a bunch of live ones on Caliente/Bodfish.
I have come within inches of hitting deer, dogs, cows, bulls, and a car or two, and more.
Sooner or later my number will come up.
dc

[TUCKERS]

Originally Posted by David13

I rode last April to Cabo from here. Returning just north of Catavina I stopped to put on my rain pants. A girl in a Toyota 4 Runner was stopped, her front smashed in.
What did you hit I says. A vaca. Two actually. And there is one of them. With huge horns.
Standing there looking at us. Her truck didn't run but she insisted someone was coming to help her.
Earlier the day before I saw a dead one laying by the side of the road, just north of Mulege.
But like someone else said they are everywhere. I saw a dead one in Utah last year, and I always see a bunch of live ones on Caliente/Bodfish.
I have come within inches of hitting deer, dogs, cows, bulls, and a car or two, and more.
Sooner or later my number will come up.
dc

BODFISH! I love that road. Have you seen it on a map? It looks like a STRAIGHT shortcut to the main road. That road is WAY scarier than the main road in Baja....WAY........I love it! That type of technical riding is right up my alley.
Yeah, you go to the ER in Guerro Negro and they just nod and say Las Vacas, even all the people in the waiting room...tut tut tut, shake thier heads and say Las Vacas. I've always been pretty darn good about it, but this one got me, or I got her!

[SocalRob]

James,

Glad to see you are in good spirits. What replacement bike are you looking at?

[Apxgrndr]

Wow, you are one lucky guy, this reminds me of the moose I came within a couple feet of up on the Icefields parkway a couple of years ago, still gives me goosebumps when I think about it. I swear I could've reached out and slapped him on the nose, came out of nowhere.

Heal up quick!

[TUCKERS]

Originally Posted by SocalRob

James,

Glad to see you are in good spirits. What replacement bike are you looking at?

I'd like a BMW R1200GS, BUT.....I will have to save up some money first! The loss of the Rockster was major.

Colleen still has her 1150GS and she has a 1994 R1100RSL I can borrow, but it's kinda old for what we do.

We both also have Suzuki DR650's, which we will use for Mexico in future trips, but not much good for USA freeways.

I actually rode Colleen's Yamaha TW200 to Lake Elsinore on Sunday to sell it!...whoo hooo..that bike is something on the freeway . Trying to raise some cash. I also have my 1975 Honda TL250 on Ebay (said I'd NEVER sell it) and I already sold MY TW200. I've been selling GS and R stuff I have sitting around, bags, exhaust and etc. Two or three more months should get me somewhat straight $, then I'll start looking in earnest.

[mung]

James- not telling you off at all.I am just using the info you provided.Post 1[We were averaging 70 for 204 miles] [I looked down.I looked around.I looked up and COW ].l looked down is a minimum of one second,I looked around is another second and I looked up is part of another second.You were not looking at the road for around 3 seconds. 66 mph is about 100 feet per second.You went at least the length of a football field without looking at the road.That is my point.