Kris the Wonder Bread guy vs. deer

[Breadman]

   I made contact with one of the two deer I came upon this morning.

   I've been monitoring my fuel consumption closely of late.  I'm tired of reading FJRForum posts of guys getting 45-55 mpg when I get 35-39 each tank.  I have severely altered my riding style in an attempt to achieve these crazy high numbers.  

   So there I was, minding my own business while riding down Woods Road, when I decided to "scroll through" my dash readout figures to check mpg.  I glanced up from my dash to find not one, but two doe (late adolescent, if not adult) standing just left of the double yellow looking at me.  I saw them seeing me and rolled off the throttle.  I reacted as if there was no danger.  Suddenly, one doe took off sprinting right alongside me at 38 mph.  I remember thinking, "If she breaks right, I'm screwed".  Sure enough, she broke right.  By this time I was applying both brakes-hard.  I felt my bike run into the rat ever so slightly as it crossed my lane.  My front wheel never did veer off course and I rode off unscathed.  Didn't look back after I saw the deer run off into the trees and brush in someone's yard.  I proceeded to work and delivered the bread to the fine Wonder customers of Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, and Franklin.  
   
   Sorry for the mundane ending.  That deer would have messed up my day had we really collided.  Its head was higher than my mirror.  I can still hear the clippety-clop of its hooves on the asphalt.
   
   I checked my front end when I arrived at work-no fur or damage.  Dry skivvies, too!  

[Sport-Touring]

[FZ1 Matt]

woah that sucks. Glad you're ok and the bike's ok. That was a close one

[RedCBRRider]

Glad you're OK Kris.  Rule number one of riding... Don't hit shit.  Rule number two... Don't speed where the cops are.  Rule number three... See rule number one.

[mxvet57]

shit it's that time of the year. wounder (no pun intended) if he was runing from a hunter?
 other than that glad you didn't make contact with it. i like venisen but not that way.

[Mark Milanowski]

Glad your encounter ended the way it did.

Too bad you didn't steer it toward my yard. I have a tree stand back there where I sit patiently waiting for deer to step in range.

There is this guy I know who hunts deer with his car. Even when the deer is 100 yds out in a field, if you get it walking then trotting then running along side in the same direction of travel, the deer will get sucked into your path. If you pace the deer and slow slightly as he gets close, the deer will try to cut accross.

33 mph is the optimum speed to kill the deer and not mangle the meat too much.

[RickC1957]

Just adding my 2cents worth....any reported mileage figures on ANY forum...including here...are pure BS Unless I'm filling the bike and riding it, all MPG figures are useless Yes anyone, can hop on a bike ride it 200 miles at 42MPH in 6th and claim great mileage

[Breadman]

   That's just it, Rick.  I've found those numbers are easy to achieve.  I have to use almost no throttle, and get 'er into top gear ASAP on every road with a speed limit of 40 or higher.   Once in 5th, a steady hand is all it takes-along with pulling the clutch in as I approach each stop or intersection where a turn is required.
   
   I tucked down tight on the tank at 45 mph in 5th gear to get an instantaneous reading of 64.7 mpg at one point.

   I was able to get an average mpg of around 50 or 51 with mixed urban and rural riding.

   Great gas milage--it's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there!!!  
   
   

[Ears]

Kris -
for the 20,100 miles I've got on Blu, quick figures shows my average for all those miles to be 43.718 mpg. This is for the life of Blu. I've gotten anywhere from the lowside of 38 mpg to the high side of 51 mpg. Average is about 41-44 mpg.
Make sure your tire pressure is where it should be... that will kill your gas mileage.

      Vicki

[olderigetfasteriam]

Just adding my 2cents worth....any reported mileage figures on ANY forum...including here...are pure BS Unless I'm filling the bike and riding it, all MPG figures are useless Yes anyone, can hop on a bike ride it 200 miles at 42MPH in 6th and claim great mileage

Then I guess according to the above you are full of B.S..

[Breadman]

Wouldn't be the first time.

[Brightrider]

Glad you're OK, Kris...This area is getting over-run with the forest vermin.  Be careful on Sunnyslope approaching College at ANY time of day or night.

[RedCBRRider]

Kris, FWIW I get about 43 MPG with mine.

[HipGnosis]

Kris;
Glad things ended Okay for you and your bike!
 

 If you pace the deer and slow slightly as he gets close, the deer will try to cut accross.

That's kinda un-nerving!  Ya slow and they cut across?  Who is NOT going to slow if there's a deer THAT close?!?  I know I sure did when one of em flew out of the bushes and ran along my side of the road for a bit.
But I'll try to remember this info... and try to down shift a cpl gears so it'll at least sound like I'm speeding up...

[greench440]

Glad you emerged relatively unscathed.  I get 42-44mpg regardless of riding style.  Our recent triple digit jaunt across southeastern oregon resulted in 41 mpg over 140 miles.

[Breadman]

Was remembering this incident as I had a couple of run-ins on a Southwest Wisconsin ride three Sundays ago. I've been pretty lucky when it comes to deer, overall. I nearly hit a German Shepherd also just east of fort Atkinson on the same ride where I had the encounter with about an eight-point buck recently.  Prubert was fairly close behind me and saw one of the points off the bucks rack break off in my luggage rack as it crossed my path near the rear wheel!

[Blue is Best]