Wild Request but it's Worth a Try
 

I plan on riding my Hurricane or SilverWing to Work on the days that are not forecast for rain storms. My one way distance is 46 miles, so about 100 miles round trip with a trip to the store or where ever.. per day.

My Concern... 3/4 of my travel is through a rural area and lot's of deer .. out & about. I travel from Bonifay, FL to Ft. Rucker, AL. In November, I hit a buck deer at 60 MPH and wiped out my 2001 Dodge Ram Pickup. The deer was hit dead center and took everything out from the >> bumper back, oil cooler, a/c condenser, after-cooler, radiator and fan, hood and grill (totaled). I had a few (hitting deer) near misses and then the big one.

Now, my little brain say's.. I will have a good chance to do this again... hit a deer at 60 or less MPH. What will happen.. will I lose control and crash, or be killed or seriously injured by a 150 to 100 lb. deer. This like hanging a 150/ 100 sand bag out there and hitting it at 60 MPH. Now, I leave for work at 8:30 to arrive at work ar 10 PM (3rd shift), so it's night time driving. I come home at 6 AM and all day light and not a big deer threat during the day.

My thought's... thinking of turning one of the (Hurricane or SilverWing) bikes into a trike. I'd do this to give me the stability I may need with hitting a deer.

Here's the Wild Design Part.. I'm thinking of adding a -- Deflector Bar (shield) that would deflect the deer >> Up & Over >> when I hit it. This bar would be like a roll cage and come up from the sub frame of the trike. These Rails will go forward and then go upward at the front of the bike to build a deflector shield system. Yes, it will look dumb and I'd like to be able to remove it (shield part) with just a few bolts and stow it. It may have the look of a VW sand dune buggy or the look of the Spec. Ops. rides that the Seals use. It will not require the machine gun installation for the deer, against the law I think).

What I do Know.. I will ride my bike's to work. Yes, I will hit a deer (high risk) and pay the price.. will I get killed or serious injury.. all depends on my luck. Now, I've used up all my 9 lives as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and other (killing fields) places. I'm 64 now and ain't much for healing up and have some health issues as well. I've been riding since I was 15 and just trying to cut down on the (un-necessary) crashing & healing side of things.

So, Gentleman.. what ideas have you (deer deflector shield) that will roll a deer up & over at 60 MPH on the Hurricane or Silverwing when it's set up in (removal) a trike set up (like a VW sand buggy ?).

Thank You,

Avery

(HighFly27)

for the effort involved and the lack of resale value, it sounds like a street legal buggy would be the better route. it'd hardly be a motorcycle anymore, anyway.

Perhaps a drive into - Trike Design & Quick Hook Up is a Better Way.

I'm not concerned about resale or any of that.. just trying to stay alive when going through a risky area at night with lot's of deer.

I don't want a trike deal when I gong other places, so it's > In & Out of the Trike hook up, perhaps 15 minutes or less of hook up time. When I need it... I'm Biking through the Deer Danger Area and Not at High Risk.

I would suggest just driving a truck to work. Save the bike for the nice days where you can enjoy it to it's fullest!

hitting a deer ? truck V bike hell the truck wins every time. keep the bike for sunny days its a no brainer

A trike can't maneuver like a bike. Stopping distance is much longer. I'd take my chances on the bike. I have missed deer on a bike where I would have hit them in a car or truck. You have better vision on the bike and can see the deer early and respond sooner.

hurricane trike idea?
 

Hey:

Well I have a few thoughts on this 1st, one is buy a monster truck, the other is leave earlier and slow down comes to mind and drive a 2 wheeled motorcycle.
IMHO pay more attention and look farther down the road or slow down. This is based on, I work a night shift on post, 12hrs shifts x 7 days a week. I drive about the same miles (50) one way, thru a wildlife reserve area where I too have hit a big 8 point deer (approx 195lbs) in my Malibu SS and did about the same damage as your truck, but was going a good rate of speed and broke the deer in half, He would have been fine if he would not have stopped directly in my path. I have also got a Fox, a Bobcat, numerous Possums/Raccoons, and the worst has been a large Cottonmouth Snake which bit my new rear tire on my CBX self exterminating itself and leaving me stranded in the hot and humid swampy area. (I now carry more than a couple of tire plugs/rubber patches) This is also a wild Bear/Boar reserve I drive thru and hopefully I never meet either of them, on the road. All of the above could not have been avoided with the way I used to drive, now I drive much smarter and wiser than when I was younger, when most of those above encounters happened.
I agree with TBT, I think your chances are much better for accident avoidance on a bike than in a 4 wheel vehicle as all of the above except the suicidal snake have been in one. I drive my CBR, CBX, F1Z and Saab alternately now by the week no matter the weather since Jan and find that critter misses are much easier on the bikes than in the wider cages. I think that a trike, as they handle worse most any bike or sports car would be a step in the wrong direction. I rather take my chances in the wild any day, than put up with the real dangers of the road, people in Toyotas on cell phones, the other half of my daily journey, Good Luck.

Dub

I too ride county roads to and from work and deer are an ever present concern.
Eyes open, head on a swivel and be ready to brake at all times.
Even if you had to do a low side drop it would be better than a collision even with the best rail you could fabricate.

Not bad suggestions,

However, I totaled my 01 Dodge Pick up in Nov., 2011 by hitting a 8 pt. buck. He came from rgt. to left and was a brown blurr. I got my foot on the brake but not applied before the impact. The 150 lb. buck pushed the bumber in 1 1/2 ft. & everything else to the fan.

During my life time, totaled 2 other cars and damaged a 3rd.

I always consider the odds and try to turn them in my favor (always). I've been in risky business most of my life (helo pilot, logger, truck driver, farmer).

Now, I'd love to go to work most of the time on my bike and save ton of money on traveling a 100 miles a day and smile a lot.. coming & going.

I don't think it's an impossible task to install a shield that tough enough to deflect a deer over the top of me.. and keep me from taking a straight shot in the chest.

I thought about a trike design and forward cage installed to deflect the deer up & over me. Perhaps a Cam-an deal with a forward front end and a deflector shield built on it. Mabe a add on mount to the Hurricane frame and build a deflector shield on to it. Remember, I don't want to have the bike take the full impact... just deflect it up & over.. so the angle has to be fairly steep.. say 45 degrees.

Also, what if this all works out and I come up with something that really works well. It may save my life and all the bragging rights of making it and installing it. Yea, I don't think it will be a real pretty invention.. it just needs to work. I'd like to be able to un-pin it and return the bike to it's stock form. Also, think of the folks that have hit deer and died or had serious injury.. it's all over (or was almost over) for them.

Yep, I have other rides to go to work, 02 Chevy Convertible (28 MPG) and the Repaired 01 Dodge (20 MPG) pick up. The Hurricane with deer (shield) catcher installed should be a do-able deal at 38 MPG. Also, the conversation spin-off for a one-of-a-kind bike.. should be more smiles then I could count.

Avery

(HighFly27)

econoline or similar with 44 inch tires and cangaroo bumper? ;)

http://www.4x4offroads.com/image-fil...d-f-350-46.jpg