Why why why?

[beyond]

I haven't got anything against farmers and know many good ones personally but there are some really unintelligent ones floating around the countryside lately who appear to be in a world of their own who think there sole purpose in life is to scare the crap out of any unsuspecting motorcyclists.

A few weeks back was pootling along some nice country back roads on me own as I had just finsished work and wanted a good run between domestic duties. Come around a blind right hander at a lot slower speed than normal (thankfully) and here's a young kid in the middle of the road on a four wheel drive motorbike waving his arms frantically looking like Marty Feldman after a night on caffeine.

I slam on the brakes doing a very good impression of a sports bike stoppie and managed to miss the kid and stop short a few inches short of the three leading cows. behind them is about 20 cows being herded along the road and Mrs Farmer brown at the back still waving away like I was doing 160kmh even though I was already stopped.

Now that could have been messy. :Oi:

Then last Saturday a quick spin in the country with a mate. Lovely bit of road, come over a nice rise with the front wheel lofting nicely in the air (only way to wheelie a 1400 at higher speeds) there on my side of the road, coming towards me with a girl on the front and a boy on the back is another farmer riding his four wheel drive motorbike with a dog trotting along his left side just inside the centre line on my side????? :Oi:

A rapid application of the brakes and a quick swerve has me scooting by as the farmer decides it's a good time to go off road quckly leaving his dog in the middle of the road looking bewildered as my rear tyre recedes into the distance. The dog stands there and realises another one of those two wheeled monsters is coming from behind, has a spastic and can't decide which way to run and nearly disappears under my mates bike.

Shit, won't these people learn that the road is not a cattle race to be used only for them? There's going to be some nasty accidents if these sort of people don't get a little clued up and take some safety precautions.

[MIXONE]

I've seen a car that hit a cow and wow what a mess.A motorcycle doesn't bear thinking about.
Good reactions dude!

[98tls]

Hear what your saying mate nearly came to grief awhile back on a little country road,coming into a lefthander at speed i saw the top 1/2 of the tractor and thought "no problem" :shutup:wrong as behind the tractor was an extremely wide set of discs which had the heartbeat rise for a second.Bottom line is i guess take it easy on backroads cause the cockys are not going to change there ways.With the ever increasing number of cow cockys comes the ever increasing amount of cow shite on the roads which can provide some interesting moments as well eh.

[Meekey_Mouse]

Rofl... Ever wondered why it's called a COUNTRY road? When riding on them you need to be aware of any animals (or turds... Very slippery) that could be loose... It's very common.
Sure farmers and such need to try do their best but if it's a far out country road you normally only have other farmers traveling on it and they know to expect stock at every turn.

Glad you or any one else didn't get hurt though :yes:

[beyond]

I've seen a car that hit a cow and wow what a mess.A motorcycle doesn't bear thinking about.
Good reactions dude!

Remember a guy at high school returning home one summer afternoon to Kawakawa bay on his bike and came around a nice sweeper at around 100kmh and smacked right into a large beefer who was at the front of a herd a farmer was leading. No one in front warning motorists. he flew through the air bounced off the top off another beefer, hit the ground and spent a few minutes lying amongst the cow pats and watching lots of hoofs clomping by just missing him.

Then he got up, farmer asks if he's alright. He was so the farmer wanders off with his herd. This guy goes to his bike which is totalled. Front wheel bent under the engine, everythings stuffed. he looks around for the dead cow and not even one of them is limping???? :gob:

[98tls]

When a young fella i had a CR250 framed XL350 powered Honda,no lights etc no problem as we lived waayyy out in the sticks,riding back up through the Hundalees to the cottage one night i see all these dark shapes on the road,must have passed a couple before :gob:realizing there farkin cows....pulled over and had a fag before carrying on slowly.

[CookMySock]

yeah I know itsa bitch, and I know we all do it, and I know that they should have someone further up the road, but the law isn't on your side on this one. You have to be able to stop.

DB

[mowgli]

Cocky's have moved stock across and along roads ever since there were roads. Match your riding to the visible road ahead and there's no problem. Sounds like that's exactly what happened when you met the cows - well done.

I happended upon a smallish mob of sheep a couple of weeks ago. I pulled over, killed the engine and watched the spectacle as they trotted past. The cocky came over and thanked me afterwards for killing the noise.

[BiK3RChiK]

I often go from the top of the Mamaku's down a country lane to Lake Rotorua and around the top of the lake heading towards Whakatane, and was reminded on many occasions that this is farming country!

Also, while driving my work vehicle about 10 years ago, I was coming home from Opotiki about 9.30 at night and came around a blind corner in the dark only to come face to face with a whole herd of cows! Upon impact, about 3 were killed instantly and 2 more had to be put down... and this was on a 'main road'.

So I guess, while in the country, caution is necessary. Expect the unexpected.

I'm glad you managed to avoid any collision, beyond...

[McJim]

A friend of mine hit a cow on SH22 two summers ago. Bike was dead, friend broke a collarbone and the cow sprinted of into the sunset. Could we find a farmer in the area prepared to admit it was his cow? Could we f*ck.

[awayatc]

bullbars on the bike?:2thumbsup

[MIXONE]

It wasn't that long ago that if you hit livestock on the road it was your fault and you had to pay the farmer!!!!!

[McDuck]

A friend of mine hit a cow on SH22 two summers ago. Bike was dead, friend broke a collarbone and the cow sprinted of into the sunset. Could we find a farmer in the area prepared to admit it was his cow? Could we f*ck.

One of dads employs hit a how a wee while ago, one of the last things the employee did before walking for help was grabbed the ear tag from the offending cow. The owner got in trouble. a bit.

[FJRider]

Congratulations, you gained MORE experience in your motorcycling history. Learn from it. So if you find yourself in similar deserted RURAL roads, EXPECT similar thing on the road...and be ready. City boys (and girls) often find this hard to understand.

[homer]

i have a rather suspision that the events occured by people from dairy farms ?
each occassion i ll guess to

[homer]

Congratulations, you gained MORE experience in your motorcycling history. Learn from it. So if you find yourself in similar deserted RURAL roads, EXPECT similar thing on the road...and be ready. City boys (and girls) often find this hard to understand.

not quite right there .
on the occasions mentioned there clearly in the wrong , should just run in to the cows or the bike and then you get a nice new bike
just scrub off enough speed first

[McDuck]

i have a rather suspision that the events occured by people from dairy farms ?
each occassion i ll guess to

I would be surprised, dairy farm crossings need (by law) to have flashing lights and signs marking the crossing etc. n

[homer]

no not quite
they need to all be an underpass
or they can pay to clean my car or my bike
so the shit dont melt the steel

[fliplid]

I would be surprised, dairy farm crossings need (by law) to have flashing lights and signs marking the crossing etc. n

And when did it being a legal requirement mean anything???

Expect the unexpected...oh, and avoid areas where there are animals liable to be crossing

[McDuck]

And when did it being a legal requirement mean anything???

Expect the unexpected...oh, and avoid areas where there are animals liable to be crossing

If a person is hurt at an unsigned crossing the farmer gets done by the cops.

[beyond]

avoid areas where there are animals liable to be crossing

LOL
Lock the bike up and leave it at home. We've got sheep, cows, steers, turkeys, possums, rats, weasels, stoats, cats, dogs, hawks, rabbits, hares, mice, frogs.... I've nearly come to grief with so many of them.

:)

[Renegade]

il think you will find that when doing cattle crossings they must be sign posted or have flag persons, i think its an OSH requirment, a lady i met hit a cow and if she had of been carrying a passenger in her car they would have been dead, the cow crushed the left A piller into the passenger head rest and yip the cow died, wish i was a butcher too, could have got it while it was fresh and filled the freezer.

Still got to be careful on the bike cos i reckon that it would hurt like a bastard if you hit a cow, even the cow pat left on the road is a potential danger, if trucks cant dump effluent farmers shouldnt be allowed either.

[ynot slow]

It's a bit like When in Rome.If in the country,and you see homesteads expect to see livestock,when further in backblocks you see not as many stock,but they may escape due to faulty fences/gates which the cockie hasn't seen or know about.
A few years ago my brother and I were coming back from Auckland,just about the Mokau/Awakino area on SH3, came accross about 4 bulls on the road,drove to next farm to advise farmer we had put them into a paddock,as we saw a gate pushed open,first farm noone home,went to next house and guy was happy,he had fixed the gate earlier in the day temporarilly.

[fliplid]

Only meant kinda like farm type beasties... Mind you, there was some stoopid viral joke thingy about someone being attacked by a squirrel.

yup- cow splats on the road are dangerous!

[McJim]

LOL
Lock the bike up and leave it at home. We've got sheep, cows, steers, turkeys, possums, rats, weasels, stoats, cats, dogs, hawks, rabbits, hares, mice, frogs.... I've nearly come to grief with so many of them.

:)

Yoy missed wild pigs....so did I....just. Out for a wee trip up the Awhitu Peninsula going to the Manukau Heads Lighthouse.

[Ixion]

Those roads were built for the farmers (and like as not paid for by their rates). They were built to facilitate farming. Which includes moving stock. Not to provide visiting motorcyclists with a race track

The farmers have the right of it. Their roads, we use them on their terms

Slow down. Dead simple. Stop and say howdy-do to Mr or Mrs Farmer. It's rural courtesy.

If you have to be a city slicker plonker then expect to come to grief. Best to stay in Parnell, really.

[beyond]

Yeah, but they managed to get all the best roads :woohoo:

[Ixion]

They were there first. There were farms (and stock) before motorcycles were invented.

[McJim]

They were there first. There were farms (and stock) before motorcycles were invented.

Not in New Zealand.....most of New Zealand was still undeveloped when Motorcycles were invented.:rofl:

[McDuck]

Those roads were built for the farmers (and like as not paid for by their rates). They were built to facilitate farming. Which includes moving stock. Not to provide visiting motorcyclists with a race track

The farmers have the right of it. Their roads, we use them on their terms

Slow down. Dead simple. Stop and say howdy-do to Mr or Mrs Farmer. It's rural courtesy.

If you have to be a city slicker plonker then expect to come to grief. Best to stay in Parnell, really.

They are maintained by the rates tho....

[Ixion]

Not in New Zealand.....most of New Zealand was still undeveloped when Motorcycles were invented.:rofl:

No indeed. Farming was thoroughly established in NZ by the turn of the century. With regular shipments of frozen meat to England, and cheese and butter.

[kevfromcoro]

When riding back from orks..i quite often take the back road trough Miranda....(no traffic..and a few twisties)
come around a corner and heres a heard of cows on the road,
no signs....just a boy on a quad........
well...this is a public road......
cowshit everywhere....
not his land..to do this without proper precautions...

[TimeOut]

Yoy missed wild pigs....so did I....just. Out for a wee trip up the Awhitu Peninsula going to the Manukau Heads Lighthouse.

Ya beat me, came across five (pigs) in the east cape don't know how I missed the last one or stayed upright but I did.

[FJRider]

If a person is hurt at an unsigned crossing the farmer gets done by the cops.

Then that person can explain to the cops when they arrive, why he could'nt stop within half the clear distance of road ahead. Dangerous driving ??? You prefer to let the judge choose WHO is at fault ??? GOOD LUCK !!!

[McDuck]

Then that person can explain to the cops when they arrive, why he could'nt stop within half the clear distance of road ahead. Dangerous driving ??? You prefer to let the judge choose WHO is at fault ??? GOOD LUCK !!!

I know this from experience, both parties are at falt. one for wandering stock the other for careless/failed to stop. With wandering stock the Far more serious charge.

[TOTO]

Poor Jacko knows all about what those bloody 4WD farm bikes :no:

[barty5]

WARNING THIS IS NOT FOR THOSE WITH WEAK STOMICKS:sick:

THIS IS WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN 4WD HITS A DEER
THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 12 SHHOTS BUT THIS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH I THINK

[scumdog]

I
Shit, won't these people learn that the road is not a cattle race to be used only for them? There's going to be some nasty accidents if these sort of people don't get a little clued up and take some safety precautions.

They'll probably learn the road is not a cattle-race at about the same time some motorcyclists realise the road ain't a race-track.

Bummer eh?

[Timber020]

I think in wales cows actually have the right of way on country roads, if you hit one you pay.

[98tls]

They'll probably learn the road is not a cattle-race at about the same time some motorcyclists realise the road ain't a race-track.

Bummer eh? Na mate i reckon lady luck will still be deciding motorcyclists fate forever,take farmers out of the equation altogether if you like but inexperiance and motorcycles will still find a place to gather.

[Number One]

My mate was taken out by a farmer who was driving with such a wide trailor on the back that he couldn't see out his mirrors.:2guns::angry2:

Did a u-turn into the side of him. Still waiting to get his bike completely fixed...was a damn Triumph (cha ching) and the farmers insurance company have dragged their heals at every point along the way.

Gets it all restored this weekend...YAY!

[PrincessBandit]

I think in wales cows actually have the right of way on country roads, if you hit one you pay.

Just imagine if it was whales. :blink: Oh, Wales, (my eyes are still watering from the pix in the R images in another post).
We all know to expect the unexpected on residential streets - even those that look deserted can be suddenly inhabited by flying cats, a kid that dashes out to retrieve a ball kicked across the road etc. Country roads are no different - our expectation that they're "deserted" often leads to a false sense of security or "gay abandon" to ride as if were the only living thing gracing the landscape. When you don't have a clear view of what lies ahead then riding style should be altered accordingly: the posts in this thread, and others, have borne that out with great clarity.

[Okey Dokey]

I have to agree with Ixion on this one. Expect rural hazards on rural roads. All the cockies I know take a great deal of care moving stock.

[Badjelly]

Shit, won't these people learn that the road is not a cattle race to be used only for them? There's going to be some nasty accidents if these sort of people don't get a little clued up and take some safety precautions.

Shit, won't you learn that if you go round corners in such a way that you can't stop safely in the distance you can see ahead (or half that--yes *half*--on a road without a centre line) then you're going too fast.

[ManDownUnder]

They'll probably learn the road is not a cattle-race ...

I submit for your learned consideration that the term "Cattle race" is both misleading and dangerous. The really annoying bit was finding out the buggers can only hit 18kph tops

[Ixion]

Hmph. In my experience the really annoying bit is being lapped by them.

[Jiminy]

come over a nice rise with the front wheel lofting nicely in the air (only way to wheelie a 1400 at higher speeds) there on my side of the road

So, if I well understand, you come over at speed doing a wheelie on a rise with no visibility on a road where you expect farmers, pigs and cow shit at every corner, and you blame someone else? If you can't see past that rise, it's a good time to slow down, me think ;)

[mowgli]

So, if I well understand, you come over at speed doing a wheelie on a rise with no visibility on a road where you expect farmers, pigs and cow shit at every corner, and you blame someone else? If you can't see past that rise, it's a good time to slow down, me think ;)

What? Acknowledge personal responsibility? That's blasphemy round here. Blame the government I say. We need a law that says we bikers can do whatever we want where ever we want to. A law that says it's always the other guy's fault. Yep, that would do it!

[jrandom]

... won't you learn that if you go round corners in such a way that you can't stop safely in the distance you can see ahead (or half that--yes *half*--on a road without a centre line)...

:blink:

:shutup:

:laugh:

[tri boy]

Pfft, hit a cow in India, and see what happens to ya:bash::2guns::Pokey::spanking::ar15::kick:
and thats if they are in a good mood.

[BarBender]

...The dog stands there and realises another one of those two wheeled monsters is coming from behind, has a spastic and can't decide which way to run and nearly disappears under my mates bike.

Always an interesting proposition deciding for the undecided.

[headlesschicken]

My mate was taken out by a farmer who was driving with such a wide trailor on the back that he couldn't see out his mirrors.:2guns::angry2:

Did a u-turn into the side of him.
Gets it all restored this weekend...YAY!

Ooh, here's a good idea. Lets ban contractors from the roads!! All this oversized machinery is dangerous if passed without due care. Sure the driver was in the wrong but i cant help but think there are things you can do to help minimize your chance of coming to grief...

As far as the generalisation of 'cow cockies having their stock on the road', the farmer should stick to the correct procedures or face the penalties. But the bottom line is the roads were built to service the farmers, not for you to ride on recklessly and then bitch about it when they are used for their intended purpose.

P.S we're somewhat limited in stopping them from shitting on the road as putting butt plugs in them all is too time consuming:lol:

edit: oops sorry number one didnt mean it to sound like the comments were directed at you

[glice]

situations like these need to be taken case by case. they arnt all dum farmers and they arnt all dum bikers.

I've only come across cows once on my bike and there was a car about 2-300m ahead waving us down, which was good.

[kevfromcoro]

Pfft, hit a cow in India, and see what happens to ya:bash::2guns::Pokey::spanking::ar15::kick:
and thats if they are in a good mood.

yeah..they are bit touchy about that...

[Bonez]

Congratulations, you gained MORE experience in your motorcycling history. Learn from it. So if you find yourself in similar deserted RURAL roads, EXPECT similar thing on the road...and be ready. City boys (and girls) often find this hard to understand.What he said.

[BarBender]

So, if I well understand, you come over at speed doing a wheelie on a rise with no visibility on a road where you expect farmers, pigs and cow shit at every corner, and you blame someone else? If you can't see past that rise, it's a good time to slow down, me think ;)

Its a public road. On that basis the very least anyone can expect is the other road user is travelling on their side of the road going up that same rise.

I was behind Paul when it happended. I've seen some shit in my time but that was farken stupid. His kids were on that quad.

[mowgli]

Its a public road. On that basis the very least anyone can expect is the other road user is travelling on their side of the road going up that same rise.

I was behind Paul when it happended. I've seen some shit in my time but that was farken stupid. His kids were on that quad.

WTF!! Expect other road users to be obeying the law? Doesn't seem like you were so why should they?

Edit: Re-reading the original post Paul did stop just in time albeit "just missing the kid"

[Horse]

I honestly thought the original post in this thread was a pisstake, sending up the typical arrogant "The road is MY god-damned private racetrack" biker attitude.

I have subsequently received enlightenment...

[avgas]

Rather than say something witty all I'm going to say is this:
Braking distance
You seem to learn it real easy growing up in the wops like i did, but others take some time :drool:

[FJRider]

I honestly thought the original post in this thread was a pisstake, sending up the typical arrogant "The road is MY god-damned private racetrack" biker attitude.

I have subsequently received enlightenment...

You were wrong the first time , but if you recieved enlightenment, SOME good came out of it...WAS IT GOOD ???

[FJRider]

I submit for your learned consideration that the term "Cattle race" is both misleading and dangerous. The really annoying bit was finding out the buggers can only hit 18kph tops

But weighing in at over half a tonne(gone metric), they take a bit to stop them.

[BarBender]

WTF!! Expect other road users to be obeying the law? Doesn't seem like you were so why should they?
Nice logic pal.


Edit: Re-reading the original post Paul did stop just in time albeit "just missing the kid"
You need to stay calm and take a deep breath jungle boy. Re-read the original post. There were 3 people on that quad and no where does it say he stopped.

[puddy]

Then last Saturday a quick spin in the country with a mate...................................... and nearly disappears under my mates bike.


I think you're looking in the wrong direction Paul! It's your mate's fault! Trust me, I know him, it's his fault! Ask DMNTD, he saw the whole thing!

[Swoop]

A friend of mine hit a cow on SH22 two summers ago. Bike was dead, friend broke a collarbone and the cow sprinted of into the sunset. Could we find a farmer in the area prepared to admit it was his cow? Could we f*ck.
So... if nobody owned the cow...

Click, click, BANG!!!

One dead cow and steak for dinner.

[martybabe]

You just gotta expect somat to go wrong every second your out there I guess.

Example: Trundling down a country road on a very low cruiser, nothing on the road except a white van almost stopped by the centre line signaling right.Nothing coming the other way so I assume he's turning into the nearby track and notice a fair old gap on the inside to get by. I'm half way along the van when a giant horses arse looms into view.I had no idea it was there,it was lower than the van and inline with it :crazy:

Fortunately I wasn't going very fast but I managed to screech the back tyre in a lock up panic stylie, the horse swings it's head round at the noise, I watched in wonder as the tail went up the giant rectum opened and shite exploded out as the horse bolted off like a fooking derby winner.

Of course from any one Else's view point it would have looked like I'd smacked the horse up the ass and the van driver was no exception.

Oh how we laughed as he explained that a right turn signal is the internationally recognised sign for loose horse and I explained that if he didn't pull his head back in it would be following the horse up the road.

I did a perfectly safe slow and legal manoeuvre how the hell was I to know dobin was chewing his ankle in front of the van and that's the point init,you just never know whats lurking out there,waiting to crap on ya.

[saltydog]

Farmers will throw stones at you if you fuck with their stock while on the road.
Farmers will always daudle, leave shit all over the place and not give a fuck about some speeding geezer on a 1400 flying past his 4-wheeler. As for his dogs, all they want is a free ride, a square meal and are always totally unpredictable.
I bet if you spilled into him you'd be the one nutting off.
Why why why?

[McJim]

So... if nobody owned the cow...

Click, click, BANG!!!

One dead cow and steak for dinner.

If I couldda, I wouldda. The bastard went bush.

[mowgli]

You need to stay calm and take a deep breath jungle boy. Re-read the original post. There were 3 people on that quad and no where does it say he stopped.
Fair cop. Stopped b4 cows. Missed quad. Dog clueless. Logic was good. Reading was crap :pinch:

[McJim]

Fair cop. Stopped b4 cows. Missed quad. Dog clueless. Logic was good. Reading was crap :pinch:

Having your sack cut open can seriously affect your ability to read stuff - I know, I bin there.

[beyond]

"The road is MY god-damned private racetrack"


Now that's got to be my problem :) Now I know better. Next time I'll expect a farmer with kids on board to be coming at me on my side of the road on a blind rise. Could be interesting even at 50kmh.

Or maybe next time it will be a kenworth B train on my side of the road on the other side of a blind rise but at least then I will see it coming because of it's height eh? :)

[Trudes]

Never run over a farmer's dog, because it will always be his best/favourite/most expensive dog.;)

[McDuck]

Never run over a farmer's dog, because it will always be his best/favourite/most expensive dog.;)

Just claim insurance....

[Jiminy]

I'm truly amazed how those farm dogs seem to ignore the road rules and wander on the wrong side of the road. Did the dog at least respect the speed limit?

Somehow, I don't really care if the farmer, his little family, his dogs and his cows are right or wrong. If they are sneaking behind a rise on my side of the road, I'll still get killed, no matter who will win the court case. That's why I ride defensively.

[Jantar]

I would be surprised, dairy farm crossings need (by law) to have flashing lights and signs marking the crossing etc. n
Really? :whistle:

[FJRider]

There are many riders who SHOULD have a guy in a vehicle, travelling ahead of them with flashing lights(blue and red), to warn ALL of their approach.