Adventures of Nana Chou - Cow Creek Road

Well, deep subject coming here!

After riding Sandy Point Road yesterday, and even after the time change the sun was still up. So, being Cow Creek Road was near us, off to ride Cow Creek Road we did go ride. Now this ride is the perfect example of what in and out of the shadows can do to the brain. Yes, the brain has to interpret the signals being sent to it by the eyes in just a split second for us motorcycle riders to get the muscles to react properly.

Remember all of this happened in a split second. Watch the video first and see if you can see what unusual happened!

[video=youtube;bxyKJHTIm-4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxyKJHTIm-4&feature=youtu.be[/video]

My brain had to make a split second decision. All of a sudden laying right in front of me in the middle of the roadway was a large size dead Doberman doggy. Now my brain has to sort out my decision options as to what to do, and react in less than a second.



Option 1: Change Nana Chou’s current course violently to avoid the caucus of the large sized dead Doberman doggy.

Option 2: Hold Nana Chou's current course and hit the large sized dead Doberman doggy straight on.

Now the Doberman doggy is already dead, and when your dead your dead. So, being as I could not make the poor dead doggy double dead, I quickly decided on Option 2. Nana Chou hit the dead doggy caucus, and - bump - both tires went quickly over the caucus.

But, had the doggy been alive would I have chosen Option 1 in that split second. Would that resolute had been as favorable? Would it have been two live mammals, or two dead caucuses?

Wow that was quick! About 4:15 into the video.

It is amazing how the brain makes these events slow down so we can make a discussion.

You know what is weird about that photo? Not one trace of blood. I'm not trying to be strange but usually when I come across something that big hit in the road there is a pretty big mess.

I run across fresh road kill almost daily. I tell myself they are usually laying in the tire track location so when I'm on the back roads I tend to ride in the center. That would be a bad idea in this situation since that thing is huge. Who would expect to see a full grown large dog in the middle of the road? Not me.

It is funny how you can have the piece of mind to weigh options in a split second. You were up on it in a flash.

Vehicle bumper can hit dog high on back breaking spine but no blood. Unfortunately I have seen it happen.

What amazes me is the fact you didn't crash. Did you slide back in the seat or stand on the pegs ? I would think the impact from an object that size ,on a 17" front wheel, would have put you over the handle bars. How fast were you traveling when the incident occurred ? Sure glad it went well !

A situation like this happens so fast and you have to react to your decision on what to do then and now. I was traveling around 70 mph.

This is the second time in my 55 years of riding motorcycles I have had this happen. The first time I was on a 15 minute old 1996 white Honda Goldwing GL1500. The dog was a large light brown retriever chasing a squirrel across a roadway in Santa Fe, Texas. That dog was alive and I decided to hit that dog straight on also. The impact killed the dog. The lower cowling on my Honda Goldwing was shattered. But once again I went - Bump - straight over the dog. The lady who owned the dog was nice enough to come out of her house and curse at me. I did tell her quickly that it was not my fault, the dog's fault, or the squirrel's fault that her doggy was dead. The fault laid squarely on her shoulders for not having the dog in a fenced area, or tethered. Asked her if see was going to buy me a new lower cowling, and she ran into the house crying. So, back to the shop I went. Got a chrome lower cowling off the display wall. And my new Goldwing now had a new chrome lower cowling.

This time I had a Hepco & Becker Skid Plate on my bike, so no damage to Nana Chou.

Old Can Ride said:

A situation like this happens so fast and you have to react to your decision on what to do then and now. I was traveling around 70 mph.

This is the second time in my 55 years of riding motorcycles I have had this happen. The first time I was on a 15 minute old 1996 white Honda Goldwing GL1500. The dog was a large light brown retriever chasing a squirrel across a roadway in Santa Fe, Texas. That dog was alive and I decided to hit that dog straight on also. The impact killed the dog. The lower cowling on my Honda Goldwing was shattered. But once again I went - Bump - straight over the dog. The lady who owned the dog was nice enough to come out of her house and curse at me. I did tell her quickly that it was not my fault, the dog's fault, or the squirrel's fault that her doggy was dead. The fault laid squarely on her shoulders for not having the dog in a fenced area, or tethered. Asked her if see was going to buy me a new lower cowling, and she ran into the house crying. So, back to the shop I went. Got a chrome lower cowling off the display wall. And my new Goldwing now had a new chrome lower cowling.

This time I had a Hepco & Becker Skid Plate on my bike, so no damage to Nana Chou.

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Well glad it didn't cause you to loose control or damage the bike. That would be quite surprising to come up on at 70mph. I have been lucky over the years and only had to evade squirrels, skunks, possums, and armadillos.

Skunks will stink up your ride. Squirrels and possums not a big problem. Hard shell of armadillo can throw you.