2 weeks in a row now, on my early Sunday morning ride I have come close by inches to having big *** Turkey Vultures fly right into my front wheel at speed. And yes, they are very large birds the size of a big Turkey with huge wings .

Just imagine, you see a couple of them feasting on road kill in the middle of your lane on a 2 lane road ahead. . Typically they stay with the kill right until you get on them, and then fly off to the left or the right side of the road right before you reach them. Generally they fly off to the side of the road, so I usually slow a bit and go to the left of them by a couple of feet depending upon traffic coming the other way.

So, @ 50MPH, you slow a bit when you see them and Choose which way to go with your swerve depending on the situation. But the last 2 weeks both birds flew off across the road right in front of me, barely missing flying into my front wheel.

All you can do is watch it happen, regulate speed with the throttle trying to miss them and hang on hoping for the best. One of these times I'm gonna have a bloody feathery mess or worse.

 

Man you're lucky! I hit one in a truck a few years back. It broke the entire windshield. Imagine what it would do if it hit your bike or your body!

We've had a lot of them in our area lately and messin' up people's roof by roosting there. Apparently their poop is very acidic and eats away at shingles and their talons can cut thru shingles and damage the roofing boards. As a scavenger bird they are a protected species and it's a big fine if you're caught shooting them. Me and my neighbors have agreed to look the other way if we see each other with rifles in the front yard!

 

most of the vulture/buzzards around here will take off once they hear a bike coming. I'd hate to hit one of those

 

Had an owl take out the passenger glass and right side mirror and frame when I was driving 18-wheels through Arizona one night years ago....had to pull over to change the drawers........

 

Full Moon mornings are usually the worst for Vultures on the road due to lots of critters roaming the night getting hit by cars.. I probably passed a dozen Vultures feasts just this morning.

Some of the time they do fly off before you get on top of them..
But sometimes I guess whatever they are eating is too good to leave until the last second.

 

Had a hawk with a snake in it's talons come up from the ditch line while the wife and I were doing 65 on a rural road. Missed the top of the windshield by about two feet. It was a beautiful sight to see though it did startle me. Wish I'd had a video camera strapped to my head.

 

If I can I will slow down to a crawl until I get by.

 

Had a buzzard come off of road kill at the last moment one time. It's *** clipped the windshield and then bounced off of my helmet. That was too much interaction for me. I now slow down and give them big nasty birds time to make up there minds about flying off. I honestly know what a buzzards whistle looks like. TMI

 

I ride through a golf course on my way to and from work every day, the road is a big "S" curve that cuts the golf course in half with tunnels running below the road for the golfers.
Monday afternoon I had a big red tailed hawk take off on the right side of me and fly across the road barely missing him, had I not ducked I believe I'd have scratches in my new Skull Crush from his talons......beautiful bird, I'd hate like hell to injure it, but I wouldn't want him knocking me off my Harley either.....

 

man if you have all that time to make your mind up why woulden`t you slow to a crawl