Motorcycle Views

Wild Motorcycle Tales

Here's a great story from Kjohn. Got your own story? Send it to me.

At One Fell Swoop

After reading the story about the guy hitting a robin, I can relate.

I had just got my first motorcycle, a 1979 Yamaha XS650 Special II. It was a great deal and came with a Slipstream fairing -- the kind with the legs to deflect air from your legs. I had just got on the superslab and was accelerating, about 70 mph.

Up ahead, I saw a small flock of birds that had just landed in the breakdown lane. The noise of my bike must have spooked them, because as I drew near, they all took off, heading away from the road. Well, not all.

I watched in surreal fascination as one of the big grackles suddenly turned and swooped back in a long, elliptic curve and smashed directly into the right leg of my fairing.

The bike gave a mighty jerk to the right, but I held on as the bird and part of the fairing smacked my knee and slid along my thigh. As both were passing, I reached out and grabbed the chunk of fairing. I immediately pulled over to get my composure back. There I stood on the side of I89, feathers stuck to my ripped paints and bleeding leg, with cagers staring wide-eyed at the spectacle.

I glued that windshield leg back on and thanked my lucky stars it wasn't a wild turkey! -- Kjohn

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