SuzukiSavage.com - THE BIGGEST INSECT

AL_DOWN_UNDER

Ex Member

THE BIGGEST INSECT
08/07/04 at 01:04:13

WHATS THE BIGGEST INSECT YOU HAVE INCOUNTED WHILE PUTT PUTTING ALONG . WELL SEVERAL YEARS AGO I HIT A CHRISTMAS BEATLE RIGHT IN THE EYE WITH NO SUNNY ON AT AROUND 70 MPH OR 110 KPH. QUIT FRIGHTING AS IT WAS ABOUT 50mm LONG AND 15mm WIDE . AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I HIT A VERY LARGE GRASSHOPPER STRAIGHT INTO THE FACE AS I WEAR A OPEN FACE IT WAS VERY MESSY AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT YELLOW STUFF INSIDE THERE BODY DONT TASTE VERY NICE. AND TODAY A GREAT RIDE TO BYRON BAY JUST COMMING INTO TOWN AT AROUND 90 KPH AND HIT A BEE HE SPLATTED ONTO MY NECK AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO STING ME ON THE THROAT JUST BEFORE HE DIED. LUCKY THERE WERE SOME LADIES AROUND TO PULL THE STING OUT. SO AS I WRIGHT THIS TO YOU I HAVE A VERY LARGE LUMP ON THE FRONT OF MY NECK . JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THIS WITH YOU. Lips Sealed

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Savage_Greg

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #1 - 08/07/04 at 03:52:01

Yep. I've had stinging bugs down the shirt front and back, and stuck to my legs. Went through an interesting thing with a wasp that got into my helmet a couple years ago. I ripped off and broke and really good pair of glasses trying to get him out....of course, the spouse following was wondering what the heck I was doing. After I stopped, removed the helmet and looked inside, I went and got my glasses. Total loss. Oh well. Then I put my helmet back on and got stung....still don't know where he was hiding cause he then flew off after the second helmet removal.

The biggest bug was a Luna moth that I caught in the mouth. Can you spell big, green and juicy? I don't know what speed it was but it was enough to spread it pretty thin Undecided

Now that I'm older, being "cool" isn't as imprtant as "clean". Full face and windshield are the way I ride.

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Gitarzan

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #2 - 08/07/04 at 06:38:09

One day I was toodling along on a Honda Dream 305 on a business artery in a city residential area. There was a cage in front of me. All of a sudden my left arm was on fire, I thought the guy up front tossed a cigarette and that it nailed me. I looked and nope... it was a frigging HORNET poking me just below my t-shirt sleeve. Dang it, it hurt. It felt like someone was drilling a hole in my arm with a red hot drill bit.

I pulled into a Wendy's and had to beg the girl for some ice. "Not without a purchase, Sir." Finally to she gave me a courtesy cup of ice and I placed it over the spot. Not much relief, but a little better.

I rode home, about 9 miles, with only my right arm. My left arm was folded up to hold the ice over the sting. I carefully used my left arm to get it rolling in first and the rest of the way home, I shifted without clutching (that bike did have an exceptional well made and smoothhhh transmission) and managed to never come to a full stop the entire way.

I still have the scar. It happened, I estimate in 1980.

Life sized image:

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2001 Cherry Red and Ivory Yamaha VStar 1100

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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT Reply #3 - 08/07/04 at 07:40:29 If THAT is "Life Size", then I can only imagine that you are somewhat cramped on a Savage
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cphilip

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #4 - 08/07/04 at 08:11:25

Took a Dragon Fly to the chest a few weeks back. He managed to make it over the windshield and pop me good right smack in the middle of the chest.

The wildest story I ever heard, reported to be true, was a guy that hit a Mallard Duck going about 60 mph.... Square in the chest. Seems he was crossing a lake that had a road across the middle of it and a duck was flying from one side of the road to the other... and they met at the halfway point. He was completely knock off the bike as could be imagined and did suffer injuries but not life threatening. However the Duck was not as lucky. His wounds were fatal. Talk about timing...

The other day I was riding along and a Morning Dove took off from the road edge and as he came into my line of travel decided to freak out and try and fly up the road to excape me by traveling the same way as I was.... well... it seems the maximum speed of a Dove is about 40 mph.... he stayed about a foot ahead of me for a looooooong ways down the road. I estimate a half mile or so...At one point, and much to the amuzement of my fellow riders following me, I was able to reach up with my clutch hand and almost pluck him out of the air. I never was able to do so and finaly he got smart and pealed off to the left. I was left with just a story to tell and no dinner...

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Pat B Ex Member	Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT Reply #5 - 08/08/04 at 06:50:20 Well, I don't think that anyone can top the duck, but it's not a bug. A couple of weeks back I got hit by a June bug. It's a beetle that's about a 1"-1.5" long. Sucker went around my windshield, and hit my shoulder going about 65 mph. Not something I want to try again.
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sunny

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #6 - 08/09/04 at 10:10:01

june bugs? i hit those suckers all the time. they are almost as hard as gravel, but gravel doesn't disintegrate on impact at higher speeds.

the bad thing about them is when you aren't going fast enough to kill them.
i took one to the collar bone at thirty mph one evening. unbeknownst to me it survived the impact and crawled up my shirt into my full face helmet. i didn't feel it until it was just brushing against my left cheek as it only was hanging onto the foam on the inside of the helmet...

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flatblack rat - 97

sun_rat

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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT Reply #7 - 08/09/04 at 13:27:59 Just think what was going through the poor June Bug's mind. He was probably scared to death
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Gitarzan

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #8 - 08/09/04 at 14:35:51

Bug story...

About 2 months ago, mid June I walked outsde and just sat on my bike. I don't have a garage, so it lives on a covered patio. Where the bike sits, it's moderately dark at night as it's about 20 feet from a porch light.

I sat there and noticed a blinking light on the bracket that holds the clutch lever. I sat there for a few seconds, looking at it, wondering to myself, "What the whale is that light? I don't remember any light there!"

I reached up to touch it and it flew away. It was a firefly... Roll Eyes

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2001 Cherry Red and Ivory Yamaha VStar 1100

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Savage_Greg

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #9 - 08/10/04 at 02:29:37

Gitarzan wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:

Bug story...

About 2 months ago, mid June I walked outsde and just sat on my bike. I don't have a garage, so it lives on a covered patio. Where the bike sits, it's moderately dark at night as it's about 20 feet from a porch light.

I sat there and noticed a blinking light on the bracket that holds the clutch lever. I sat there for a few seconds, looking at it, wondering to myself, "What the whale is that light? I don't remember any light there!"

I reached up to touch it and it flew away. It was a firefly... Roll Eyes

Almost sounds like a chemically enhanced moment. Away, away, away, away.... Roll Eyes

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Susan

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #10 - 08/10/04 at 05:04:59

Animal close encounter stories:

Here in the woods of Eastern PA we have a lot of deer. I had one just stand in the road ahead of me last night. Came to a stop and watched her meander around for a few minutes. Started to get worried a car would hit me while I was waiting for the deer! Tongue

More scary -- last week I was riding along and had one jump out of a ditch and race alongside me like she was trying to outrun the bike. I was so startled it took me a few seconds to realize I needed to stop in case she jumped out in front of me.

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Susan
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jendesigner

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #11 - 08/10/04 at 08:04:27

It may have not been the biggest insect I encountered but I got sting by a bee while riding the other day. It went past my jacket and down the back of my shirt. I pulled over verrrry quickly and pulled off the jacket. It was stuck in my back. I pour the bottle of water I had with me down my back. Of course my first aid kit I carry was in my other bag. Not a fun time.

As far as bugs, riding at night is always interesting because you can see them before they splat on the face mask.

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Jen

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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT Reply #12 - 08/10/04 at 14:32:57 Yeah, deer are a very real challenge, but I've been lucky. I do have a friend that hit a deer a couple months ago on a 1200 Bandit at about 1:00 AM. He stayed on it too . His fender was messed up and there was deer fur stuck in his tire, fairing and radiator when I saw it the next day.... I still don't know how he kept it up.
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Mr 650

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Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT
Reply #13 - 08/22/04 at 11:36:05

About 1984, We (Al & me) were headed out for a ride. It was summer & hot. We were still in town doing the stop & go thing, mostly 35mph through that part of town so I had my sunlasses on, 8) w/ my visor up on my new, color coordinated, full-face Aria to get some air into the unvented thing (until we got out of town and up to cruising speed). My buddy was up head and as we rolled up to the next stop, a bug flew into my helmet. He was now stopped and I rolled next to him and asked hey man do you see a bug on my liner?
He sez 'Holy S***, don't move! Shocked

You got the biggest bumblebee in the world in there w/ you man!
I asked where?!, Can I get my helmet off?
He sez, Hell NO, you will piss him off! Don't do anything!
About that time the bee was recovering from the impact into my side padding and starts to CRAWL ACROSS BOTH EYES! 1st left to right and then back across my right eye, (sort of confused?). By now Al chuckled, and I got both eyes closed as this DAM* BIG yellow & black BEE is dancing on my face, I start to reach up and he sez DON"T DO IT, JUST WAIT! YOU"LL PISS HIM OFF! WAIT!?!, I sez...So I do.
The bee walked around my forehead back across the L. eye and I am cussin and just waiting for this thing to sting me on the eyelid. By now Al was in stitches, wishing for his camera and laughing at the situation as I sit there on my GS, idleing, sometimes eyes shut, sometimes cross-eyed as the bug ran around. Roll Eyes

Thankfully,we were not in traffic, the big ol' bee crawled off my eye on to my nose, got his bearings and flew out of my helmet. But I just knew my ride was done if he stung me and I would have to ride home w/ one eye swollen shut. I never rode w/ the visor all the way up after that.

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SilverBlue '01,K&N,Snorklectomy,125mm NOS carb, 1/2 spacer & 155, 'Trapp, NC flyscreen, Suzy GelSeat, Osram H4
later..putt. Putt, PUtt, PUTT! 8)
HelmetLawsSuck

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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: THE BIGGEST INSECT Reply #14 - 08/23/04 at 02:07:35 That is a visual....and as a bystander, I too would have thought that somewhat amusing. Get the camera......well, at least the ending justified the amusement.
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