Racoons | GTAMotorcycle.com

Racoons

J

jeff96

Well-known member
So I was heading home from the Motosocial last night out on a quiet highway at around 11.

I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I hit the brakes, but I think it's more luck that that big bastard racoon managed to gallop past the front of my bike unscathed. I could have reached forward with my foot and touched him, it was that close.

When I hear of or have a close call I like to review how I might be safer and/or react better next time. Unfortuneately, I'm not sure if I would do anything differently.

The bad:
Night time. It's a higher risk time. I don't think the bike's lighting played a role, unless I had a spotlight pointing at the ditch.
Speeding. I was going about 100 in an 80.
Distraction. I was listening to a podcast. I'm not sure this contributed in this case as I saw him as he came in from my left, and I think I reacted about as fast as I could have.
No critter catchers. It was a quiet stretch of highway, and there was no one to follow who could run over the coon for me.

The good:
No alchohol. I've never ridden drunk, but 0 consumption is better.
I was paying attention.
I hit the brakes, but not enough to lose control. I don't think the ABS engaged, He was clear of me before I had decelerated much.
I was lucky. I don't want to rely on luck.

Has anyone here hit a coon? I'd like to think I could stay upright after a direct hit, but I'm not sure. Anyone got any other ideas besides lucky charms?
 
I've hit a rabbit with both wheels. He went left, I went right, he went right, I went left, he went left again and I was out of space. You want the bike straight up, shift your weight back and don't be on the brakes at the moment of impact (you want the wheel to roll over the critter, not get stuck on top and lock up).
 
I also had a cat and a rabbit run in front of me. I really would have regretted killing a cat, but the racoon is the only one that made me soil myself. I have a friend who hit a deer while riding his Harley. That was predictably messy for him involving surgery to his shoulder and a lengthy rehab. A coon though, makes you wonder...
 
The only thing I can think of is to slow down. I've come close to hitting a deer in the minivan. Saw it at the side of the road, and then bounce, it was two feet away in front of me, then gone. I hit the brakes as I saw it, or it would have been toast.

A raccoon has taken up residence in my pool house, and may have had babies, so the bloody things are everywhere. I think it was locked in, for a couple of days. I tried leaving the door open, but it went back inside the next day. Left it open again, and hoping it's gone. Neighbor gave me a live trap, but it looks way too small. I'll have to call some animal control company, just to make sure the babies are gone too.
 
Baggsy said:
I'll have to call some animal control company, just to make sure the babies are gone too.
Click to expand...

A friend had a raccoon living under their deck in Burlington. Legally the animal control company isn't allowed to relocate it so they were just making their way down the street kicking it out of places. The control guy figured that one raccoon was good for at least 20 jobs that year.
 
A racoon is just a speed bump, throttle on over it. Had a deer jump over me once that was a little scary. I had a bird fly into my front brake lever on the 401 that sucked. Buddy had a turkey vulcher ( think that's what there called) fly into his radiator, still alive but stuck in there, that was ugly. And a black bear eating road kill in the middle of the road near Jasper, had to wait about 45 min for him to move along.
 
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Hit a dog once on a Suzuki demo ride. I was riding a VL1500, the dog bolted across the front wheel.
Killed the dog dead and it took 3 of us to pick up the bike.
ATGATT.
 
Simple general rule of thumb.
If the animal fits on a dinner plate, run it over.
Raccoons can be much larger, so it really depends on the size of the animal.

Just remember, if you swerve to avoid and crash, without an offending animal carcass available at the scene of the accident, insurance will charge you with a single vehicle at fault crash. If you run the animal over and subsequently crash, insurance will cover, as you have proof of said animal.
 
My total so far:

Cat in Burlington

Prairie Chicken in S Dakota

Close call with deer in Virginia
 
BigEvilDoer said:
Simple general rule of thumb.
If the animal fits on a dinner plate, run it over.
Raccoons can be much larger, so it really depends on the size of the animal.

Just remember, if you swerve to avoid and crash, without an offending animal carcass available at the scene of the accident, insurance will charge you with a single vehicle at fault crash. If you run the animal over and subsequently crash, insurance will cover, as you have proof of said animal.
Click to expand...

Friend of friend thing. Someone swerved to avoid a dog and hit him head on in his cage. Crippled for life.
 
BigEvilDoer said:
Simple general rule of thumb.
If the animal fits on a dinner plate, run it over.
Click to expand...

On a bike, my default position is slow down and lean back almost independent of animal size. Even if you scoop it instead of going over it (say something like a large dog) if you are straight and don't get tossed out the front you should be able to safely stop. Even with a large dog, the bike/rider outweighs the dog by at least 5:1 (normally 10:1 or more). If the animal is large enough that it may hit me in the chest or head instead of the headlight obviously do whatever is possible to avoid that.
 
They're a Friggin pest. They should be hunted!
 
GreyGhost said:
....say something like a large dog.....
Click to expand...
Note the "dinner plate" size. A large dog won't fit on one. Something like a small terrier (i.e. Schnauzer, or maybe a French Bulldog for size) will. Run it over.
 
Baggsy said:
The only thing I can think of is to slow down. I've come close to hitting a deer in the minivan. Saw it at the side of the road, and then bounce, it was two feet away in front of me, then gone. I hit the brakes as I saw it, or it would have been toast.

A raccoon has taken up residence in my pool house, and may have had babies, so the bloody things are everywhere. I think it was locked in, for a couple of days. I tried leaving the door open, but it went back inside the next day. Left it open again, and hoping it's gone. Neighbor gave me a live trap, but it looks way too small. I'll have to call some animal control company, just to make sure the babies are gone too.
Click to expand...

Have you tried critter ridder? I was looking at it yesterday at Cdn Tire. Raccoon has been peeling back my lawn searching for grubs and other tasty snacks. Only reason I didn’t buy it is I have dogs and apparently the critter ridder will continue to work for a few months.

Just throwing it out there as it may be an option for ya.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
jeff96 said:
...
Has anyone here hit a coon? I'd like to think I could stay upright after a direct hit, but I'm not sure. Anyone got any other ideas besides lucky charms?
Click to expand...

I rode right over a groundhog once, got ready for the bump but I didn't even feel it :| poor little flat fellow.

A dog took me right out, he had enough inertia to turn the bars, he lived :grommit: but only because I couldn't run fast enough to catch him.

A friend of mine once rode right up the white line, of a skunk! ... don't try that!

oh ya :rolleyes: then there was that time I scooped a woodcock straight into my open face shield ... don't try that either!
 
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Robbo said:
Have you tried critter ridder? I was looking at it yesterday at Cdn Tire. Raccoon has been peeling back my lawn searching for grubs and other tasty snacks. Only reason I didn’t buy it is I have dogs and apparently the critter ridder will continue to work for a few months.

Just throwing it out there as it may be an option for ya.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Critter Ridder isn't the answer.The answer is to get rid of the grubs that they are looking for.I spray spring and fall with nematodes and haven't had a problem since my lawns were turned upside down yrs ago.
 
Wingboy said:
Critter Ridder isn't the answer.The answer is to get rid of the grubs that they are looking for.I spray spring and fall with nematodes and haven't had a problem since my lawns were turned upside down yrs ago.
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I have used just plain ol pepper to deter raccoons. Capsicum works better. Once they either sniff it or get it on their paws, they are gone. And yes nematodes for grubs among other things.

I hit a deer in WV and many close calls. Almost hit a bear in North Carolina. The dogs and their hunters were out in full force.
 
Raccoons? On the Caledon hill I had a full size buck jump in front of my bike at night while doing 100km/h. Missed him by only a few feet. Riding at night you have to be ready for it. I never am.
 
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