Hit a deer with the Goldwing while pulling a trailer

[jasonv]

A few days ago I was on I90 just west of Wall SD. Wife riding behind me. Loaded Aluma trailer in tow.

Traffic was running at 85 mph as was I. Going up the hill campers started to slow down and people pull to the left lane and are passing the campers. I am in the left lane and a pickup pulling a camper pulls left in front of me. Not a big deal but it did result in my following to close. I slowed down to 80 and I was 2 car lengths behind him- it was to close!

The pickup pulling the camper in front of me straddled a dead deer on the road. I didn't see it coming at all. Just suddenly it spit out from under the camper. All I saw was a red body, it must have got rolled under vehicles a couple times because all the hide was off it.

I didn't have time to react. Front wheel hit the deer and up an over we went. It was kind of an Evil Knievel scenario. I did get a glimpse of the airborne trailer as it came down on the road, it did not bounce, just gave a wiggle and got back to being towed.

Got stopped and the underside of the bike, trailer hitch, and trailer bottom and sides were covered with raw meat. Looked like someone was making jerky. My pants legs and the tread on my shoes were full of raw meat.

The only damage was the trailer wiring harness pulled apart where it connects at the hitch. I hooked up the lights and away we went. Have looked it over and can find no broken plastic or anything.

Lessons learned.
1. Back off- the millisecond saved by being too close is not worth a crash or death.
2. The Goldwing is a tough beast as is the Aluma trailer.
3. The little gremlin guardian angel bell dangling under my bike did its job and channeled some good spirits our way.

[offcenter]

Wow! You were very lucky!
I never follow close behind anything for exactly that reason.
You never know what's going to appear from under the car ahead of you.

[Andy Cote]

Very lucky. I'm always concerned for both rude lane changes and debris. Deer and tire carcasses are a common thing in my area.

[musso]

Once upon a time, on a winding road, I found myself riding on an unforgettable journey alongside a couple of close friends.

As we rode through the meandering road. Suddenly, a majestic herd of deer was before us. In a heartbeat, our idyllic ride was transformed into a moment of suspense.

Our hearts skipped a beat as one of the deer collided with our path. The impact reverberated through the air, momentarily suspending time itself. Astonishingly, the agile creature swiftly regained its composure, bounding away from danger. Deer just appear from nowhere and disappear into the wilderness.

In the wake, my friend's instincts guided him to halt our journey along the roadside. With great concern etched across his face, he ensured that the BMW GS, had weathered the encounter unscathed. Miraculously, not a single piece of plastic was shattered, and a sigh of relief washed over us as we comprehended the magnitude of our luck.

We resumed our expedition, making our way towards the nearest town. Our eyes remained vigilant, scanning every detail, when a subtle glimmer caught our attention. Drawn closer, we discovered a minuscule leak in the radiator, responsible for cooling the oil nestled just above the front tire.

In that moment, a wave of bewilderment washed over us, for it seemed unfathomable that my friend emerged from the incident unscathed and the motorcycle remained unwavering in its course. It was a testament to the remarkable design and engineering prowess of the BMW, gracefully balancing power and stability within its mere 450-pound.

To this day, the memory of that winding road, the crossing deer, and the unyielding resilience of the BMW GS lingers within me.

[earlsmith]

In 1977, my wife and I along with 3 other bikes took a trip to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Canada. We were traveling the Old St. Peters Rd. which is very scenic. We were coming upon a house, which I could see a man on his roof installing new shingles. I was in the lead traveling at about 60 mph. As we got closer to the house, out of nowhere a dog came running from the front yard of the house right towards me. It happened so quick, I had no time to react. Didn't touch the brakes or let off on the throttle. The dog was on a mission, to bite the front tire of my bike. He lunged towards the wheel and then suddenly the bike went into a full vibration from the front wheel to the back taillight. I got the bike stopped and we all pulled over to the side of the road. The engine roll bar had hit the dog and killed him dead. It laying in the middle of the road, I walked up to it to see if it was still alive. I looked up at the man on the roof and asked if that was his dog, to which he said yes. I apologized for hitting his dog. He never stopped shingling and replied, not your fault, the dog had it coming and wished us a pleasant rest of our journey. He then shouted down to his son who was on the ground, go get the dog and bury it. Once the wife had regained her composure, we were off to what ended up to be a fantastic trip.

[GLRT]

It was the dinger for sure

[77Goldwing]

In the mid-70s I was following a pair of my buddies on a 1972 CB750, me solo on my 1973 CB450, over the Lincoln Gap in Vermont. As I recall, this was a few miles of loose rock and darn tough to maintain control. As we departed the Gap on a farm road, my buddy was in the lead when a fat woodchuck darted on front of him. Both tires went up and over the woodchuck, leaving a much thinner center, and I swerved to avoid it. We circled back to confirm it was dead and went on our way.

[Bike...and Dennis]

Over my half million motorcycle miles there have been several encounters with various beasts. A few dogs, a couple of which didn't make it, and a couple dead cats as well. A javelina, who survived I think, and three or four close calls with deer, including a connect with a running fawn last June, in Nebraska while returning from South Dakota. No damage to the bike. In fact the only hit that caused any real damage to the bike was a German Shepard, which died in the collision.
I've read about many riders who weren't so lucky.

[offcenter]

Waaay back in 1970, I had a nice Honda CB-350 to which I had added a sturdy set of chromed crash bars.
As I headed out on a ride, down a narrow local street with cars parked on both sides, a big Collie dog (think Lassie) came charging out between the parked cars at me. He missed. I thought nothing of it and kept going. A while later, coming home, I was now coming back up the same street.
This time, the Collie's aim was better. I was moving about 30 mph. Somehow, the Collie missed getting hit by the crash bars, barely! Instead, the front of my shin caught the Collie right in the side of the face at 30 mph!
The impact took the dog right off of his feet. I remember seeing his feet go by above my head as he did a snap roll, just like an aerobatic airplane! The dog came down in the street behind me and took off into the nearest back yard with an unearthly howl that I could hear over the engine of the bike.
I don't know if he lived or not, but he was moving at high speed the last time I saw him.
If he had been just half of a second faster, the crash bars would have gotten him in the side of the head. I doubt he would have survived that kind of impact.
As it was, he left the impression of the side of his jaw with all those big teeth in the front of my shin. That hurt for a week!
One thing I'm sure of is that he never chased another motorcycle after that!!

[hoband]

So glad to hear you came away safe, very scary experience. Gotta love the Goldwing.

[Limpy45]

Summer before, I am cruising north bound on ND #1 just north of junction with Hwy 200. Topped a hill about 60 mph and a dead deer in the middle of my lane. I am on my 1999 GL1500 SE towing my Aspen Classic camper. I had time to swerve so the bike missed the deer carcass but the trailer caught it. The Classic has the "basement" so is only about 6 inches off the road, made a good THUMP and small tug on the whole bike /trailer unit. I stopped a ways up the road and inspected for damage, small red spot on the basement of the camper. Got caught in a small rain shower a few miles farther that managed to wash off the evidence! Darn! No proof! I have had many close calls with deer over the years on the bikes but this was the closest.