What will happen if a motorcycle hits a raccoon at high speed?

Question

My husband and I were having a pondering session about if a motorcyclist hit a squirrel whet would happen and he said that the squirrel would get squiched and not much else. So then I asked him if a cyclist hit a raccoon and he said that the cyclist would not wipe out and I am convinced that a raccoon would make the bike and the biker flip and completely wipe out. Please help us with this delama (sp). I think that the bike would loos comlete control and either flip wheels over head or wobble uncontrolably, and he says that he would just keep on going. I reference this at speeds of about 45-65 mph.

Answer 1

if he was ready for impact, and he knew exactly what NOT to do, he might manage to keep the bike up. i know of a rider in warren hog who managed to keep her road king up after hitting a large opposum at 50 mph. she said she had to fight like hell not to lose the bike. its a 50/50 chance. nothing is 100% certain.

Answer 2

A raccoon would not flip motorcycle. However a person might hit the brake too hard and flip the motorcycle also the braking might cause the cyclist to lose control at the point of impact. . If the cyclist continued on at speed the poor raccoon would be killed, but the rider would be fine.
Remember raccoon are like human mainly water ands will squish under pressure.

Answer 3

A dead coon will be about the only damage excluding the possibility of you needing clean underwear. The biggest thing I've hit was an average sized dog, probably 60 pounds. I was cresting a hill, here came the dog and the only thing I had time for was to clench the grips. The result was just a thump and my passenger didn't even know what happened, she just thought it was a big bump in the road. If you were putting around slowly a dog might cause a problem. At speed the centrifugal action of the wheels turning tends to keep them upright and straight but you don't have that at very slow speeds.

Answer 4

Hitting a raccoon would be like hitting a cat. If you don't swerve you'd probably come through it okay. Swerving to avoid contact and then hitting the animal might cause you to lose control. Avoid hitting dogs, deer, hogs, horses and cows. And skunks are bad news too. Motorcycles aren't designed to take on that sort of abuse. I know the riders aren't either. Of course cycle operators should keep their eyes moving all the time to be on the lookout for critters on the pavement or along the side of the road. I had wo memorable experiences. I spotted a skunk and braked to avoid it. I came to a stop right behind it, and yes, it flipped its tail and sprayed me. The other was having a dragon fly caught under the face mask of my helmet at 60 mph. That got downright exciting for a while.

Answer 5

Depends on rider skill and preparedness. Many years ago I hit a small shepherd mix ( probably about 40 lbs.) at about 60 mph. The dog ran out in front of me from a ditch and all I had time for was to sit back and yank up on the bars. Went over the dog, didn't lose control, but it was bumpy. Don't know what happened to the dog. This dog was a little bigger than most of the coons I've seen but probably a good comparison.

Answer 6

I really don't know. But considering that a raccoon is at least as high as a speed bump, and you are generally not traveling 45 mph over a speed bump, I would say chances are pretty good that you would whip out.

Even though I can tell you for certain what happens when a motorcylce hit a raccoon, I can tell you what happens when I hit one in my car. I hear and feel a bump :P

Answer 7

A Raccoon is a pretty good sized chunk to hit. I've seen a dog hit on a car put a fender into a tire, disabling the car. I'd bet on the raccoon being dead or near dead and the biker going for a slide. If he was dressed the way I see a lot of them out there, he'd be looking at severe road rash from head to toe.

Answer 8

It would all depend on the Riders Skill of Handling the Bike ,Most of the time the rider would panic and hit the brake and swerve to miss him which would cause the biker to lose control ,Your best bet would be to hit it straight on then plug your nose until you get to a water hose ,The worst I have hit was a Mattress lying in the middle of the interstate

Answer 9

it will just be a large bump if you go straight over it & dont get all out of shape trying to avoid it. i've ran over dogs a couple of times in the past & never had any damage.but they ran straight across the road & i hit them square both times 1 I only hit with the back tire still dont know how that happened, might be different if they were hit at an angle. or if you were going slow & never had much forward momentum.
next time your pondering go to a tow in lot & look at some cars & trucks that were totaled by hitting a deer. that will help keep you alert when riding at night & also keep your imagination busy.
happy pondering.

Answer 10

im pretty sure that the racoon would make the bike lose control and possibly flip over. Racoons are too large and heavy to just be squished. Squirells on the other hand would probable just get crunched. The only way to really find out is by doing it. But i wouldnt reccomend that.

Answer 11

Roadkill, but I think the bike would keep going.

I asked a coworker who also rides motorcycles and she said it would flip/wipe out.

I asked a friend who rides with me every weekend. He said mush too. He said that the combined weight of 850 for the motorcycle + his weight + my weight. That the raccoon would only be a spot on the pavement.

So I voting 2 for mush and 1 for flip/wipe out.