Airbozo
05-13-2011, 10:48 AM
I was on my way to work cruising about 50mph through the mountain twisties when I came around a corner and there she was. A very large doe who had just popped out of the brush on the right side of the road. As I grabbed for the brake, our eyes locked and I knew in that instant she was going to bolt in front of me.
She turned and leaped right into my path and in what seemed like 10 minutes several things flashed through my mind. The first one was CBDR. Something I learned way back when I was in the Navy. The second things was "Wow, she is beautiful", then: "This going to hurt". Instinct took over and I flashed back to the motorcycle safety course thinking over and over that I had a chance to miss her if I could keep it straight while I punished my brakes.
I managed to put a death grip on my front brake lever without locking up the tire. At the same time, I slightly shifted my weight backwards and stepped on the rear brake pedal. Still trying not to lock it up.
We made eye contact again and the terrified look on her face made me feel sad that I was going to hurt her and kind of pissed that she jumped my way. Didn't she hear me coming? Did she have to pause ever so slightly, making it that much harder to avoid her? Push right, lean right, go right, I heard in my mind like she was telling me what to do.
My front tire was chattering on the verge of locking up and I can feel my back tire letting go as I ease up on the pedal. The rear tire took hold again and I upped the pressure on the front brake, hoping that my new Metzler's were ready for some serious strain. I could now hear the front tire complaining and for an instant I thought "that's it, I am going to wake up in the hospital". She paused again and changed direction slightly.
I could feel my front end flex from the strain of the brakes and trying to pull off a quick turn. I saw my current path was going to take me into a rather large redwood tree if I couldn't stop in time or somehow miss the doe in time to head left. Killed by a deer or face plant into a redwood at 40... Not much of a choice. Again, she changed direction like a red rat on fourth of July. This time she tried to get out of my way and as she was mid leap my front tire made contact with her rear left hind quarters. Barely. Just enough to make me flinch and lock up the front end.
I released the front brake quickly and pushed left and as I brushed past her our eyes locked again and I knew this was not my day to go down. I stepped off the rear pedal and pushed a little harder left knowing I still had to avoid running off the road. As I was hard leaning left, I saw the doe make a final leap up and out of the road. Good she was still moving and it really was only a slight bump and not just wishful thinking.
I still had to avoid running off the road... A little more pressure on the left side handlebar. My kick stand was chattering on the pavement reminding me I only had another inch to lean so I took it. The kickstand was not chattering anymore, it was in full scrape mode as I was crossing the white line seeing that this spot in the road had almost no room past the line. I felt the rear end start to slip on the paint of the line and then catch as the tire crossed the line onto pavement then back across the line again into my lane.
I did it! I hit a deer and came out unscathed! (OK I only slightly bumped her rear leg)
My first though was DAMN THAT BITCH!, then a feeling of gratitude that she went airborne just as I touched her.
Two things saved me from a trip to the hospital; My dual front brakes and the motorcycle safety course.
Excuse me while I go clean my shorts....
She turned and leaped right into my path and in what seemed like 10 minutes several things flashed through my mind. The first one was CBDR. Something I learned way back when I was in the Navy. The second things was "Wow, she is beautiful", then: "This going to hurt". Instinct took over and I flashed back to the motorcycle safety course thinking over and over that I had a chance to miss her if I could keep it straight while I punished my brakes.
I managed to put a death grip on my front brake lever without locking up the tire. At the same time, I slightly shifted my weight backwards and stepped on the rear brake pedal. Still trying not to lock it up.
We made eye contact again and the terrified look on her face made me feel sad that I was going to hurt her and kind of pissed that she jumped my way. Didn't she hear me coming? Did she have to pause ever so slightly, making it that much harder to avoid her? Push right, lean right, go right, I heard in my mind like she was telling me what to do.
My front tire was chattering on the verge of locking up and I can feel my back tire letting go as I ease up on the pedal. The rear tire took hold again and I upped the pressure on the front brake, hoping that my new Metzler's were ready for some serious strain. I could now hear the front tire complaining and for an instant I thought "that's it, I am going to wake up in the hospital". She paused again and changed direction slightly.
I could feel my front end flex from the strain of the brakes and trying to pull off a quick turn. I saw my current path was going to take me into a rather large redwood tree if I couldn't stop in time or somehow miss the doe in time to head left. Killed by a deer or face plant into a redwood at 40... Not much of a choice. Again, she changed direction like a red rat on fourth of July. This time she tried to get out of my way and as she was mid leap my front tire made contact with her rear left hind quarters. Barely. Just enough to make me flinch and lock up the front end.
I released the front brake quickly and pushed left and as I brushed past her our eyes locked again and I knew this was not my day to go down. I stepped off the rear pedal and pushed a little harder left knowing I still had to avoid running off the road. As I was hard leaning left, I saw the doe make a final leap up and out of the road. Good she was still moving and it really was only a slight bump and not just wishful thinking.
I still had to avoid running off the road... A little more pressure on the left side handlebar. My kick stand was chattering on the pavement reminding me I only had another inch to lean so I took it. The kickstand was not chattering anymore, it was in full scrape mode as I was crossing the white line seeing that this spot in the road had almost no room past the line. I felt the rear end start to slip on the paint of the line and then catch as the tire crossed the line onto pavement then back across the line again into my lane.
I did it! I hit a deer and came out unscathed! (OK I only slightly bumped her rear leg)
My first though was DAMN THAT BITCH!, then a feeling of gratitude that she went airborne just as I touched her.
Two things saved me from a trip to the hospital; My dual front brakes and the motorcycle safety course.
Excuse me while I go clean my shorts....