Squirrel!!

[minemich]

I had myself quite the scare a couple days ago.. I was out riding the other day, there's this one spot around my area with a bunch of nice windy's and lots of nice forestry.. I was in a nice long turn at about 75km/h when i spotted a squirrel sitting right in the middle of my tire track.. I didnt really panic because i was sure he would move out of the way.. Seems he was a brave little squirrel, i kept my speed and got to about 1 ft with him when i noticed he wasent moving.. Thats when i started to panic a little, there was no way i was hitting the brakes, and it was a pretty tight turn to lean up and aviod him.. So i kept going and fortunatly at the last second he bolted away, but i still managed to run his tail over... I think he was alright though..

Any better advice for such a situation??

[rldguy]

The only advice I can think of is to start taking action earlier and not assume that the squirrel will move. Wild animals are the only thing more unpredictable than a cager.

[YamahaFan]

send the squirrel to MSF class. If he refuses .. well, next time just stay away from him instead of trying to run him over

[minemich]

Thats true, i suppose if i had more experience i could have safely let off the gas and leaned up a little. I was a hesitant to do this tough because it was a tight turn.. I didnt want to hit the curb.

[minemich]

Originally Posted by YamahaFan

send the squirrel to MSF class. If he refuses .. well, next time just stay away from him instead of trying to run him over

Whats MSF class? And by no means was i trying to run him over.

[ArGyLe64]

We all know you were trying to hit that nasty little rodent that kills drivers and starts grass fires.

[YamahaFan]

MSF = Motorcycle Safety Fundamental - the basic rider course.
And it's a joke - I know you weren't trying to run him over . Just slow down, swerve away from the wild thing

[minemich]

Originally Posted by ArGyLe64

We all know you were trying to hit that nasty little rodent that kills drivers and starts grass fires.

Lol, i think if i had run him over and got into his "bodily juices" it would have created a nice slick for my front tire.. And he would have ended up doing a number on me.

[daw840]

I can't imagine a squirrel causing a MC to go down, but I guess stranger things have happened.

[Trouthunter]

Originally Posted by daw840

I can't imagine a squirrel causing a MC to go down, but I guess stranger things have happened.

But if there are enough of them, and they are little badass angry squirrels, they'll knock your bike over in the parking lot while you're inside a restaurant having lunch.

Little *******s.

[internationalballer]

Originally Posted by Trouthunter

But if there are enough of them, and they are little badass angry squirrels, they'll knock your bike over in the parking lot while you're inside a restaurant having lunch.

Little *******s.

Yeah those little *******s are on the juice, they got the roid rage. You better watch your back minemich, I bet a few of his buddies fallowed you home.

Seriously though, when it comes to a small cridder like that though its better to under react then to over react, and maybe look into a MSF course.

[InfiniteMiles]

They scare me in my car, the ones out here by campus will dart out of the road at the first site of you, then double back when you get close. Little suicidal things.

[speed.shredder19]

"WE HAVE A DEAL!!"

- George Costanza

[FOM]

I hate when they decide to make a nest inside your car and eat the spark plug wires...the turds!

So what do you do about an owl that decides your helmet is food?? One "attacked" my husband on our first ride together, kind of freaky....I was behind him a got to watch the whole show, of course I just slowed down just in case my husband went down, would hate to run over his tail!

[Chuck289]

Throttle is your friend, put your weight on the pegs, hit the gas to lighten the front. You'll effortlessly glide right over the little bugger

[daw840]

Originally Posted by Chuck289

Throttle is your friend, put your weight on the pegs, hit the gas to lighten the front. You'll effortlessly glide right over the little bugger

How well will this work in a sharp turn though?

[wutzcrack3n]

Originally Posted by InfiniteMiles

They scare me in my car, the ones out here by campus will dart out of the road at the first site of you, then double back when you get close. Little suicidal things.

lol ya they do,
can't understand why they do that,like a danger sense goes off that tells them
danger danger turn around go back.

[Chuck289]

Originally Posted by daw840

How well will this work in a sharp turn though?

Lol it was more of a dual sporting joke. But for a turn? I dunno, hit the gas, drift through the turn and hope your can nail em with the rear tire?

[internationalballer]

Or stop and throw a hand grenade at it......Its normal for people to ride around with hand grenades right?

[chaindad]

Ummmm.....imo....swerving to avoid a small animal could cause more problems than hittin them.....I've seen a friend run over a squirrel before....just a little thump....heh....

[iamjustifyd]

Originally Posted by chaindad

Ummmm.....imo....swerving to avoid a small animal could cause more problems than hittin them.....I've seen a friend run over a squirrel before....just a little thump....heh....

That's what my MSF instructor said too..a little bump. In a sharp turn..maybe try to slow as much as you and pray!!! I would probably be very upset if I hit one!!

[iamgumby]

Squirrels. Natures little speed bumps. Be smooth. Hold your line line. Let it wiggle and it'll recover itself. Be glad it wasn't a 42" diamondback.

[daddymikey1975]

Originally Posted by iamjustifyd

That's what my MSF instructor said too..a little bump. In a sharp turn..maybe try to slow as much as you and pray!!! I would probably be very upset if I hit one!!

same principle applies with deer in the cage.. it has been said that just hitting them is much less dangerous than attempting to swerve to miss cuz there's a whole different set of dangers and mishaps than can happen.

this in no way implies that any of us are TRYING to hit these furry creatures, however if we're the ones in control of our vehicle, we must return home safe.

(I too would feel bad if I injured one, but in the end, my family would be awfully upset if a squirrel spoiled my ride and landed me in the hospital.. just my .02)

[Cue-Ball]

I will look at this from a slightly different angle. If you were so hard into the corner that you couldn't lighten the throttle and straiten up to let the little bugger get out of the way or avoid him, you were going to fast.

What if you rounded the corner and there was a wreck, or a tree in the road, or a box that fell of a truck etc? Ride for the problems as they sill surely present themselves.

[Chuck A]

I had one living in my outdoor patio, i tyhink he was a male gigolo, he would bring his friends, and hang out until i would get within a foot from him, then he would move, he made holes in my screens, because he was trapped, and ran right through them, finally i started putting moth balls all over the area, i see him once in a while, they are nasty and destructive vermits

[Badlands-4-2]

I met a guy who had a squirrel hit him! He was on a pedal bike and the squirrel ran into the side of his bike and got caught in the spokes of his front wheel. The rodent was fine, but it scared the guy to death.

[ArGyLe64]

We had a squirrel here in Oklahoma City touch two power lines at the same time, fall to the ground, start running with it's tail on fire and start a 50 acre grass fire.

[Chuck A]

Originally Posted by ArGyLe64

We had a squirrel here in Oklahoma City touch two power lines at the same time, fall to the ground, start running with it's tail on fire and start a 50 acre grass fire.

wow

[minemich]

Originally Posted by internationalballer

Yeah those little *******s are on the juice, they got the roid rage. You better watch your back minemich, I bet a few of his buddies fallowed you home.

Seriously though, when it comes to a small cridder like that though its better to under react then to over react, and maybe look into a MSF course.

HAHA, yea i bet. I took the canadian equivalent to the MSF course. Before i got my full license i took a 3 day course.. So i got a bit of training with that kind of stuff..

Ps: Yesterday i went back to the same area and saw a dead squirrel in the exact same spot Was it me??

[minemich]

Originally Posted by Cue-Ball

I will look at this from a slightly different angle. If you were so hard into the corner that you couldn't lighten the throttle and straiten up to let the little bugger get out of the way or avoid him, you were going to fast.

What if you rounded the corner and there was a wreck, or a tree in the road, or a box that fell of a truck etc? Ride for the problems as they sill surely present themselves.

Well the thing is that its a very nice long turn, so i can see if there is any large obstruction in front of me.. But a little squirrel was a little harder to see from a distance..

[internationalballer]

Originally Posted by minemich

Ps: Yesterday i went back to the same area and saw a dead squirrel in the exact same spot Was it me??

If it was, H from CSI Miami will know and be on your ass, I bet he can get a perfect match of the tred prints from your tires.

[minemich]

Originally Posted by internationalballer

If it was, H from CSI Miami will know and be on your ass, I bet he can get a perfect match of the tred prints from your tires.

Lol, i hate that show with a passion.. Let them come find me in their hummer, dressed in their sunday best.. Ill never let those "genuine CSI's" catch me.

[InfiniteMiles]

Funny story.

My mom trying to convince me toe sell my bike and stop riding told me a story about an uncle I never knew rode a motorcycle who, was riding along and hit a squirrel during a turn, lost control, fell off the bike and flew into a tree. He apparently swore off riding for good.

[iamjustifyd]

He should've kept riding and just stayed away from squirrels

[daddymikey1975]

Originally Posted by iamjustifyd

He should've kept riding and just stayed away from squirrels

my thoughts exactly

[Trouthunter]

Originally Posted by iamjustifyd

He should've kept riding and just stayed away from squirrels

...or trees.

[iamjustifyd]

I'm coming home today from putting gas in my truck (Toyota Tacoma, extended cab...love it!!) and a kamikaze squirrel runs out in front of me. I think they are on a mission to do in as many of us as they can.

+ YouTube Video

[daddymikey1975]

Originally Posted by iamjustifyd

I'm coming home today from putting gas in my truck (Toyota Tacoma, extended cab...love it!!) and a kamikaze squirrel runs out in front of me. I think they are on a mission to do in as many of us as they can.

Ironic as it were.. there's HALF a squirrel (dont ask for pics LOL) in my driveway.. MY wife noticed a stray cat's lunch just laying there.. kinda gross.. however, that's one less furry bugger that i'll have to worry about changing his mind in front of me out there

[gentleman4561]

I would slow down and gently apply brakes

[Trouthunter]

threads like this are why I want a machine gun mounted on the front fender. I could clear a squirrel right off the road in front of me.

I promise I'd never use it on that #@%^&*&^*%^&^ who just cut in front of me in traffic, or turned left in front of me or pulled out of a parking space in front of me or, or, or...