Winged grenades

[Jimmy C.]

 Great. There's a forum for topics like this.

What's the biggest insect that's ever slammed into your face while on a ride?

My trophy had a wing span of about an inch and a half. It looked like a rock when I glanced up from my speedo, and it hit me so hard in the cheek, that my flesh rippled all the way to the back of my ears. it stung like hell, but I kept on riding for a couple of hours anyway.
When I got home, my girlfriend asked me if I ate a hot dog.
I asked her why, and she began to explain that there was mustard on my face. I went into the washroom, and there was a monstrous yellow-colored dry splat starting on my face and ending in the top of my sideburns. I thought the bug bounced off my face, but I guess it exploded.
It wouldn't even scrub off; I had to shave it off with my safety razor. Damn bumblebees.


P.S. if you're real nice, I'll tell you about the time a bird smacked into my chest!

[h2olawyer]

Wow - shave the bug off your face - that's great!  8)

Not sure of size but I've had a couple June Bugs hit my face shield.  Sounds like a firecracker going off right next to you!  Those things are very hard shelled & maybe 1/2 inch in diameter.

May not be quality but does quantity count?  Got into a large swarm of very small flies once, too.  Had to stop about every mile or two to clean the face shield.   So thick they would entirely cover the face shield in no time.  Helmet looked awful!  Went on for about 5 miles.  Stopped to clean 4 times in that span.  I've heard that flying ants can be even worse.

The above reasons (and safety) are why I never ride with less than a full face helmet, shield fully closed.  Don't like the unexpected protien!

H2O

[Jimmy C.]

Ah, yes. The swarms.
another nasty reason for a face shield, is the old mosquito-up-the-nose. I usually have to STOP the bike for those ones.
Yeah, maybe I'll get a face shield. I've only had a few bugs hit me, but I'm sure the entemological A-bombs are waiting. Aside from big bugs, the "winged warrior" chain jumps right to low-flying waterfowl.
Maybe I'll get a fairing and a windshield too.

[h2olawyer]

We've also had grasshopper infestations the last few years.  Luckily, I haven't been caught up in one of those swarms.  Hope I don't, either!

Tell us about the waterfowl!

H2O

[Walt_M.]

When I first saw the title of this post, I immediately thought it was about exploding Hondas! lol.

[Mutt]

North Carolina has a lot of post nuclear mutant bugs! Fortunately/unfortunately the biggest living thing I've run over is a small suicidal rabbit.

The worst bugs are in Florida during love bug season! Make sure you wear a full face helmet and carry some wet wipes in your saddle bags. The only clear spots on some trucks and cars are the headlights and windshield wiper areas. I liked San Diego, no bugs at all!

Mutt

[h2olawyer]

When I first saw the title of this post, I immediately thought it was about exploding Hondas! lol.

:D

I can't bad mouth those "wings" until tomorrow night - the MSF course I'm (finally) taking has assigned a Honda 250 Nighthawk to me for the weekend.  Sure is an easy bike to maneuver at slow speeds!  Just need to remember FINE-C (MSF grads will hopefully remember this) - it has a normal gravity petcock that must be turned off & on at the appropriate times.  Get to ride in a HOT parking lot all day Sunday.  Just did 1/2 day this morning & it was already 100 degrees when we finished @ noon!   :o  Brutal.

H2O

[MotorPlow]

I had a couple of near misses this past week.  I almost hit a family of (One big and two baby) skunks and on the same ride, I almost hit a large bat.

[Walt_M.]

My favorite near miss was a chicken(rooster?) in 1971! I was riding my RT1B on a country road when I was approaching a house with chickens in the front yard, I slowed to about 30 mph and one of the flock panicked and flew across my path! I missed it but can you imagine a 3-4 pound bird in the face/chest at 30 mph? I will never forget it!

[Jimmy C.]

I scared a bunch of Canada Geese near my local park, and they flew across the road in an angled formation. I smoked the last one, and I had to twist my body so the goose would "roll" across my chest, instead of "smacking" it.
Those geese are slow, heavy, and vindictive. I didn't kill the bird, but I could've sworn it tried to chase me down.

Feathers galore...

[ps2/bikevision]

well heading to my weekly bike meet i got my first confirmed butterfly. wings spread out and all smached on the visior. and all about a block from hooters, where we were all meeting. i rolled into the lot with this giant butterfly all over my visior and the first thing my buddy says before he snaps a pic was how long it was on there for.

i bet that pic shows up and the next meet framed.

[hfarley]

Hey H2O!

F-Fuel
I-Ignition
N-Neutral
E-Engine Cut-off
C-Clutch/choke


How did I do?
-Heather

[h2olawyer]

Heather -

Great memory!  Exactly right.  It kept me from forgetting to turn on the fuel on that Honda all weekend.  One of the instructors forgot before demonstrating a maneuver & started sputtering in a bad spot.  We got a big laugh out of it & all yelled F I N E- C at him.  He took the ribbing in good humor.   ;D

H2O

[Rick G]

I was riding in Oregon  in the spring  and had my visor open on the first  notch, a large bug, full of green  goo  hit my visor on the edge and most of the goo was applied to my face. My grand son was reall amused  at my attempts to remove the stuff!

[silicon_toad2000]

I watched a mate of mine take a seagull on the chest at 150kmph. He said it hurt like hell and rekons if it hit his head he wouldn't be here. By the time we got to the closest pub he could see the funny side to it (damn funny to watch from behind), grudgingly but he could see the funny side.

[h2olawyer]

Bet the feathers really flew!  Glad he wasn't seriuosly hurt.

H2O

[silicon_toad2000]

yeah, it was like one of those scenes in the teen movies where the chicks at their pyjama party have a pillow fight, feathers everywhere. I think it flew across in front of him, i'd hate to think what would have happened if it was beak first.