BMW GT vs Deer, or I fought the deer and the...

Well, my GT days are over, at least for now. I hit a deer in Utah a couple of weeks ago, and it is official, the bike is totaled!






It was a sad end to a bike that had finally become reliable. I'm not ruling out another one, but I'm gonna shop around a LOT first!

I'm a VERY lucky boy!

No, I mean I gotz MAD skillz!

Either way, I rode it about another 8 miles before it finally ran outta water and was gonna run out of oil, so I stopped.



Final minutes were with about 124,500 miles the odometer.

I'll try to put together a better ride tale in the future...

WTF!!!?? :eek1

Are you ok??

Better a dead deer and bike than rider. Glad you're OK!

Impressive picture. I have the same ride, great bike. Hope you are well.

Thanks Y'all!

I got out of it without a scratch or bruise! I am beyond lucky!
The insurance has already paid me for the bike.

So I'm out shopping today!

Sorry to see the damage to your bike but happy to read that you came away unscathed!!

I had an encounter with a kudu (african antelope) 7 weeks ago during a Sunday morning solo ride from Windhoek in Namibia and came away with some steelwork inside my arm. I haven't ridden since.

http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=4ctet0bvmhoo75sbi7ijs4efv7&topic=106330.0

DAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMNNN!!!!

Awesome pictures! Glad we only got coyotes and they're uncommon.

Wow. Chunks of venison hanging there. Good thing no chunks of you.

My Brutha

After getting the call that you were down I can't tell ya how good it felt to see you standing and in good spirits when we arrived.

I sure hope we get to ride together again soon.



I think it looked better after a couple days.

Benecia,

Really glad to read that you're OK!!

So I'm curious - what is the story here? Just ran in front of you or did you have some time to slow down or try to maneuver around? Would love to hear if you had a strategy...as silly as that might sound.

I've heard a couple people say just do your best to slow down and its best to NOT try to maneuver unless you're really sure you can pull it off. Which we all know its not like you have a few minutes to ponder the outcome! I've also heard just aim for dead center of the deer and cut the bugger in half.

A great end to a great bike (see your odometer). I'm glad that you are ok but what is a better end to a bike than an adv bloodshed

He did indeed cut the bugger in half, you should see the rest of the pictures!

Hawk

Good save. I used to think deer were no big deal. Too many bikers taken out by them, Moose too in AK.

Maybe if you rode more you could have avoided the deer.:eek1 124,000 miles. Get a job.

I wondered! I've hit and seen remains of hit deer, field-dressed and butchered deer and by the amount of guts and glory all over that bmw, it looked as though he did in fact take a saw to that critter.

can't remember which side was which but you could tell by looking at the bike which side got the heart and which side got the intestines

did they take the bike off of you when they totalled it out or did they just give you a check and tell you to get rid of it yourself?

It's all a matter of perspective.
Looking at the pics, seems you managed to keep it straight up until the moment of impact and not "lay'er down"...I'd say you do have "mad skills"...
Only thing I'm left wondering, is just how much speed you WEREN'T ABLE TO SCRUB OFF, after the ABS kicked in which might have resulted in even less damage.


All the "mad skillz" or awareness in the world can't prevent every accident but, can help you come out better than if you had no skills at all.

None of us who constantly extoll our skills are saying we are perfect and IT can't happen to us. We're just trying to get the point across that you can deal a whole lot better with fate and sometimes change it, when you have an ace up your sleeve.
(we know our clock can run out too)

Needless to say, your jab at us (if that's what "mad skillz" was about), and the results of your accident (if not for your "mad skillz", you might have fared much worse)...contradict each other.

F.W.I.W. I'm glad you came out ok. (the bike is replaceable)

Now go play the lottery and heal up!

The real question is did you go back and field dress what was left of the deal so you could have venison later.

So did you?

Glad you're ok.

Suppose someone or something was watching over ya? Atta boy for riding away..... Curious to know if you accelerated right before impact or?

Glad to hear you were not hurt in your deer strike. I wasn't so lucky last year when a deer landed on my back and put me in the hospital for a week totalling my Ducati in the process.

Good luck with your new bike search.

Rick G

My ride out to Torrey ( A BMW Sport Touring.com biannual event)September was one for the books.

Since most of yo from here weren't there, and since I can't seem to find the time to write up a proper long winded version, here is a short version:

I started in the early afternoon after working the night before. I figured on getting a good start from somewhere closer on Thursday and arriving Thursday afternoon.

So I found myself on the east side of the Sierras in Bridgeport as it was getting dark. I got a room, a bite to eat and collapsed into bed. One of the wonderful things about my schedule is being in a constant state of sleep deprivation. So I'd been up plenty long enough that I slept nice and late the next morning. So much for an early start.

So I left about 4 hours later than I had hoped...

As I was crossing the desert (trying to make up some time) I came across a familiar looking GS:



Paul (Old Fart)

This was in the afternoon, and I debated stopping for the night, but decided I'd press on. While pumping gas Paul passed by, so I decided I'd stop and say hello. He was getting a room (in Caliente, Nv.) and when I told him I was pressing on, he looked at me for a long pause, and said, "Very well, but be careful." I knew exactly what he was thinking, and it was tempting to get a room also, and have a nice relaxing dinner with Paul. However, I felt since I was so close, and WIDE awake, I decided to press on.







As it got dark and I was grabbing gas and food in Cedar City, I decided to ignore my GPS and take a longer way around, since I thought that would be the shortest exposure to deer country. Well, it was a plan anyway...

I stopped one last time In Richfield for gas and to put another layer on. It was getting chilly.

So on 24, just about 30 miles from Torrey, out came 3 deer, crossing from right to left. I didn't swerve, heck I'm not sure I could have anyway! I hit the deer square in the middle, twice in about .01 seconds, and then through my oil/blood covered visor realized, I was not only dragging it, but was getting pushed towards the right edge of the road. I actually gave it a little gas, and once the deer rolled under the bike and I came back down, the bike seemed perfectly controllable. (We paced it off, and I drug the deer about 180 feet) However, the ABS light was already flashing. I tried the brakes, and did a few, VERY gentle swerves, and decided in light of being in the middle of nowhere, to press on.

The next light was the water temp light. Press on.

The next light was the oil waring light. Press on.

Next the temp went to 0, and I knew I was out of water in the radiator, so I decided to stop on a hill, hoping my phone would work. I was also within walking distance of Koosharem by now. Overall, I went about 8 miles after striking the deer.

I will hold off posting pictures of the deer, as I think these are bad enough. (If you honestly feel the need to see more pics, the gallery can be found: Here .)










I could not have been any luckier! There are about a 1000 ways this did not work out with a happy ending!

So, hopefully this is a good reminder for folks to LISTEN to that little voice when it says stop! Tired/deer/dehydrated/etc. the results can be the same, and you can't always take another swing at getting it right!

As usual, folks from the BMWST board were amazing in both the rescue and awesome offers and suggestions of how to get me home! Special shout out to Eddddddddddd!


I was very happy with the way Progressive insurance treated me and I had a check in my hand in just a little over 2 weeks!







So without further ado, ADV folks meet Bambi...

Bambi, meet the board:



2011 Triumph Sprint GT