Ran over a dead Kangaroo last Friday

[Tony Mac]

I was riding my bike home from work as I do on  a  Friday.
I have a choice of 3 ways to get home.
1. the shortest way (35 Klms)
2. the longest way (55 Klms)
3 the inbetweeny way (40 Klms)

It was the inbetweeny way that I chose this week and 3/4 of the way home it was getting towards Dusk. Kangaroo Hour!
My headlight beam suddenly showed a large Kangaroo sprawled across the road I tried to swerve around it but must have run over its head or neck.
Any way after the bump that nearly had me over the front, I slowed right down to make sure things were OK. They were, so very carefully putted on home. Watching out for the rest of its family along the way.
When I got home and looked down at the side of the bike it was quite clear that the poor Kangaroo must have only been killed moments before I hit it again. My chin fairing was covered with blood and guts, the toe of my right boot had fur on it and the RH exhaust had cooked Kangaroo guts and fur almost all the way along. That's the closest I want to get to any wildlife while riding so I think I will take option 1 when riding home in the future or at least until the days get a bit longer.


Be Good.
Tony Mac

[Troyskie]

Mate, we have a gazillion roos around my place. Many friends come to stay and see them (city slickers). But 'by furry jumping lunatics' they are death for bikes . I really question riding here at night, and as you said, dusk & dawn are nasty times.
I rode an FJ (RIP to that girl  ) Perth to Sydney & decided to push on, just another 100K's before stopping for the night. Wow was that a mistake. I came flying into a gully and as the headlight lit up the gully, a mob of reds was camped right on the road. Good ending, but it scared the motivation for a fast night dash well away & I followed a road train into the next town to camp.

[roverfj1200]

Better a dead one than a big nasty hopping rat at screen height ,,

Good it worked out well...

[FJmonkey]

Happy to hear you kept the sticky side down, even it means the sticky parts of a dead roo as well.... I know about the pucker moment when you realize you cannot avoid an object on the bike and have ride it out. Guts and hair to wash off is much better than other possible endings.. Happy for you mate.

[Arnie]

Shame you didn't realize how fresh it was earlier.
You could have trussed it onto the pillon seat and had roo steaks and burgers (marinated in frozen berries) for the next couple of weeks. :-) Yum

Even better that you can tell the tail/tale.   

[Mark Olson]

Glad ya made it out alive ... at least they don't have horns .. Over here we worry about deer .

[oldktmdude]

   Tony, glad to hear you got through it almost unmarked. The Tuena roadworks was good training for you to be able to stay upright. Well done mate.
                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                    Regards, Pete.