Roo Strike

[Travmoto]

Originally Posted by Precis

That big, huh? I thought they grew bigger up there

Well I didn't want to turn it into a fishing story lol

[HumanOne]

Originally Posted by Travmoto

Best tactic I found was to continue at your same speed and direction, they usually try to avoid you at the last moment, but if you swerve or slow down you confuse them.

They say that Kangaroos have very poor peripheral vision and whereas you think they've seen you - in most cases they most likely haven't.

They are rumoured to have more 'tunnel-like' vision and need to be looking directly at you.

I work Outback and in the Flinders and generally they travel in packs of 3 - Mum and the Kid then Dad is usually some way off. When I see one leap in front of me now I always wait for the other 2 to show up.

Sometimes you just can't avoid them - they're bounding along and you haven't spotted them.

Always be wary of vegetation that is close to the edge of tracks as they also like sleeping under bushes and getting up last minute as you come along.

It's good to have an implement (axe, etc) so you can put any you've hit out their misery straight away too. The Wedgies and Crows will take care of the rest - in a very short space of time

[Sebastionbear]

I hit one at 1 AM on the DR750 a few kilometres outside of Cobar at 80 kp/h in a slight fog. I had slowed from 110 when the fog descended and had already seen a few, mostly bounding from the right hand side of the road to the left.

The f&#%er that got me came from the left!

Hit the front wheel slightly then spun down the LHS of the bike ripping my foot from the footpeg and smashing the sidecover.

Didn't drop it and rode slowly on saying a prayer or two to the Patron Saint of Gross Stupidity when I decided to do a pannier check!

Yup, ripped right off. Back tracked and found it in the scrub and with lots of 100 mph tape and cable ties fixed it for the remainder of the journey to the Adelaide Hills.

I will agree that they have tunnel vision. The one I hit was fixated on my front wheel!

Cheers, Craig

[Precis]

So far i've missed all the roos around our place, though the little swamp wallabies are bloody quick - and hard to spot, being small and mostly black.

I had a kudu (a F$#@ing big antelope) jump over me once; he just brushed the top-box, which was enough to set of a 100m (or it felt like it) tank-slap on the Guzzi.
In Namibia, most vehicles travel with the interior lights on at night - kudu will jump over what they can see.

[BurnieM]

A few years ago riding thru Washington state;
'Deer migration path next 30 miles'

then a couple of hundred yards further on;
'Road kill to date 144'
This was in October
.

[Dakar Dan]

Plenty of deer in the hills down here. Not exactly elk but they're quick, until they stop in the middle of the road and just stare-and-dare ya. Emu's also dart out really quickly and there is always at least another one or two behind. Had a hare bounding along at almost 60km/h next to me the other day. Reminded me of that scene in Snatch, where they're out coursing greyhounds.

[gateman]

Something to consider with the state of the seasons as Humanone said.
After the good times these roos start getting an eye desease (mozzie bourn) and have no vision at all. They starve and behave far more eraticly. Even at a stand still they are just as likly to turn back onto you as move away.

[masterbrewer]

Thank goodness for the fabulous brakes of the TDM ............ saved me a few times.

Mind you since using Shoo Roo whistles, I am quite surprised how many milliseconds they give me.

The roos seem to sit up ....... look around ......& say "what the f*ck is that" before moving off at ya.

Hope I haven't jinxed myself now as I'm heading to the Flinders next week & I hear they are really bad at the moment .

[Megathumper]

[UncleGra]

Its funny how they'll run across the road in front of ya ...when they could run the other way....if I was a roo I would run the other way...yeah..

inc

edit...I mean hop..yeah hop..

[Sebastionbear]

Originally Posted by Megathumper

Where on earth did the radiator end up?

[V8R]

whats up skip? ;)

[Happy Snapper]

Originally Posted by Sebastionbear

Where on earth did the radiator end up?

That's actually not a roo.. it is a deer of similar in Europe.

Happy Snapper

[mcfear]

Originally Posted by Happy Snapper

That's actually not a roo.. it is a deer of similar in Europe.

Happy Snapper

none the less, where did the rad end up????

[gsjam]

A interesting point A inmate made after a right off with a roo on his gs1200 was as you get closer the shadows start moving around them making them think something behind them As for me not at all or very carefully at night in roo prone areas