Deer Damage

I hit a 8-10 point buck on Saturday, came over a hill deer standing in my lane. Braked hard went to left lane and deer ran into me, slowed to maybe 25-30 hard hit on right side. I was so lucky almost when in ditch on left side thank somebody +++ road was straight used all of it never went down. Happens so fast hard to remember all the details. Deer my right leg knee a little sore, not to bad.

Bike has some damage. I think i bent the front STAY, the bracket that mounts headlights and mirrors. Mirrors are at different levels something bent.

Right plastic part behind battery cracked and small bracket broken..Dent in R muffler a few scratches.. Knocked my top case off its rashed really bad but still intact,put it back on and road home slowly. Bike was ok bars are straight nothing seems bent other than front. no cracks in headlights or fairing. 2005 Not turning it in to INS.Co.

Old bike have a $1000 deduc. DEER !!!

LAST nice day this year and !!!!!

Damn...That's scary stuff!

But the great news, you not only walked away, but you were able to ride home and tell us about it! You're okay. You can replace either the broken pieces or replace the machine. You on the other hand is more difficult.

Glad you're OK, Bikes can be repaired.

Finger nails aren't blue, still breathing. All is well. Glad you are okay.

Fingernails don't start turning blue unless the seat you sucked up your ass doesn't get pulled out pronto .

Good to hear you're ok. I echo the others above- bikes can be fixed, you not so much.

Always a fear of mine living in PA. Glad you were able to walk/ride away!

I hit one back in 2002 on my Buell. It hurt.

Glad you were able to walk away from that - could have been much worse. It's that time of the year again when those four legged pests are going nuts, not thinking of anything but mating. Good luck with getting your bike repaired/replaced.

Very scary shite indeed. I had a similar encounter with a deer in Idaho last August. It happens so quickly that it's over before you can absorb what happened. Thank heavens you are uninjured.

Keep in mind, that a wildlife strike is covered under Comprehensive. not collision. You may have a lower deductible, and it should not affect your rates. I recommend you contact your insurance. If they total the bike, which is likely, you have a lot of repair or replace options that you will never have again.

Thanks but I think my comp. is at $1000 too I'll check. Bike is nowhere near totaled unless there is a lot of hidden damage.

Head light and body panels are not broken, nose twisted a little up and right . Panel above battery cracked. Frame around battery probably took most of impact, its pretty strong there.

Top case ok rashed I can live with that. dent in muffler very small.

Thanks for info.

Glad you're OK. I had a deer hit me a couple of weeks ago on my way into work, but I was in the cage, not on the bike.

mech 1 twa said:

Bike is nowhere near totaled unless there is a lot of hidden damage.

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Wayne - extrememarine - center-punched a deer the Friday of EOM weekend. He kept the bike up and was able to ride around for the rest of the meet, and rode home. But there was enough damage that the bike was still totaled.

If your nose is twisted (I assume you mean the nose of the bike and not your nose), there's stuff broken in there that, most likely, is enough to total it.

TomInPA said:

Keep in mind, that a wildlife strike is covered under Comprehensive. not collision. You may have a lower deductible, and it should not affect your rates. I recommend you contact your insurance. If they total the bike, which is likely, you have a lot of repair or replace options that you will never have again.

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+1 on this. It will not hurt to discuss your options with your agent.

Once you do not make the claim you don't have any options.

PS - I've BTDT. That adrenaline rush when you don't crash and die is amazing.

mech 1 twa said:

Thanks but I think my comp. is at $1000 too I'll check. Bike is nowhere near totaled unless there is a lot of hidden damage.Head light and body panels are not broken, nose twisted a little up and right . Panel above battery cracked. Frame around battery probably took most of impact, its pretty strong there.

Top case ok rashed I can live with that. dent in muffler very small.

Thanks for info.

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Let's go with the assumption a comprehensive claim will not affect your rates. Your deductible will be subtracted from the claim, and you will have the option to pursue repairs in any way you see fit. The amount of damages will be based on replacement costs and labor using OEM parts and labor at your dealer's rate. if your front frame, body panel, and muffler are replaced and top case is repaired, I guarantee, you will have plenty left over, after subtracting the deductible, to do repairs with used parts. Your bike is now worth less than it was on Friday. You can fix it, or not, but you are paying to insure the bike, and choose to have a high deductible which will reduce your claim. I am not promoting insurance fraud, just use what you paid for to make yourself whole.

Comp. is at $1k too. I'm pretty sure just front stay is tweaked. $ 300 part new, used?? none on EBAY. I didn't hit it center mostly to right side. Battery box on EBAY $25-50

Windshield works, headlights ok, no cracks in plastic tabs. No damage on front fender, forks. Its hard to see any damage at all unless you really look. I can see gap between mirrors and windshield about 1/4 inch different side to side.

I always planned to repair it myself anyway ,done this when someone broke into wife's car a few years ago. Comp. claim then just not so high.

Went the cheap way on Ins. If I went down I knew it would be totaled. 12 year old bike. ???

Thanks for good advice. Not sure yet.

Adrenaline Rush. WOW 2 seconds Deer is running at me. OH S--- . Impact. Its like time stops and then restarts, I'm heading for ditch. Took top case off but never hit anything but my leg.

Wish i could see a video of that.

I had a large whitetail run right in front of me in the car on Saturday. It was on a winding road through woods and on a pretty steep hill, but I saw him and hit the brakes. The ABS was chattering and I heard the tires complain as the buck ran from right to left in my path. I got it slowed enough that contact was not a problem, and the buck wheeled and looked right at me from a pull-off at the edge of a ravine.

It's that time of year. Glad you got away with one. Too close! Glad I don't do your laundry.

I stared down an 8 pointer in the driveway this morning. Dam thing wouldn't move. After I stopped the bike I rev'd the engine a few times and it decided it wasn't going to win this battle and ran off. Like others have said this is prime time for dear. They get real stupid and there is only one thing they are after. Doesn't matter to them what's in the way.

Be careful out there folks,

Dave

Glad to hear you didn't drop the bike...good save

You had your guardian angel riding on the back! I am glad to hear you were not injured in the Deer strike. Damage done will not be fully known until you strip off all the tupperware and get a good peak inside. It may surprise you at what was broke inside. If the bike is totaled you would get money back from insurance to put towards another bike. Just listen to the collective wisdom here and check into the claim. After all you have paid for being covered!

I pulled the right panel next to cluster off after work to have a look see . Can't find anything cracked-broken anywhere. Good. Looked at it from every angle, only found a scuff on right turn signal lens. I think it caught right mirror at base and twisted it from there. FZ-1 mirror but its not broken.. Front stay bolts to main frame at steering head, wouldn't take a lot to bend it.

Don't want to total this bike just put newer engine in last spring. Can't afford to replace it at this time. I'll fix it. $400 . and a day of work.

PA. is a great place to live, very diverse areas. I can be in 6 states within 100 miles. NY. NJ. MD. VA. DE. MD.

Sullivan Co. is the best.. Worlds End St. Park. Many great roads, big Woods. I loved to explore up there on my Dual sport. dirt roads, woods roads.

Rounded a corner and found a mama black bear standing in road with 2 cubs skidded to a stop 50 feet away. OH s---. Revved it. I Guess loud pipes do save lives. She took off up the hill.