K11 Owners Group

[Saltcreek]

I was doing about 60 on a state two lane this morning when I saw a deer standing in my lane about 200 feet ahead. I new I had time to stop so I did a controlled brake to a stop. No one coming up behind me but I got really worried when the deer walked into the oncoming traffic and I was stuck where I was because I had stopped without downshifting and I was sitting there in fifth gear. Probably could have handled that better. Everything turned out ok.

I think about deer a lot while riding. I hit one years ago in a Saturn. He was on the hood when I first saw him. Thought about putting one of those deer whistles on the fender but then read this:

http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/deerw.html

What do you think?
_________________
Jim

1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold
2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium

[Mystic Red]

They don't work. I have intelligent friends who have them and there is no convincing them. I relate them to those plug thing that are supposed to rid the house of mice or the the one that repels mosquitoes. Try to sell those in Alaska! You did a fine job in handling that deer encounter. In an emergency stop you can't always think about down shifting. Two thumbs up!
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Scott Hespelt, '94 K11LT
K11 OG #466

[jpberens1994K1100RS]

Total waste of $.

We have some BIG whitetail deer in WI. I've seen totaled by deer SUV's with the whistles still in place.

My dad lives 300 miles north of me, he had da whistles on his truck the first year he retired up there. Yup, you guessed it. Smacked a big doe
first fall. Almost winged the buck chasing her too!

I've come scary close to some, almost nicked a bear once, smacked a Possum dead nuts. Just like hitting a ten pound ball of crisco, put me off the road in a nice soft meadow. I was lucky, and just muddy.

They aren't real expensive, I just know they don't work at scaring the deer.
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1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

[quadrabrick]

My experience is that they don't work. I live on an island with a very healthy deer population. When I started biking again here, I was totally unnerved by the prospect of hitting a deer. Last year, when I brought my K11 back from Ottawa, I put 2 deer whistles on the bike. I ran into other bikers in campgrounds and rest areas who swore by them and realted their anecdotal proof. Then, I started to relax a bit and observe the actions of the many deer I saw on the roads as I drove across Canada. I observed that most of them just stood and watched. Few ran away. I was told the whistle would scare them away, not freeze them. I saw no evidence of either. I certainly put more faith in my scanning and reaction abilities than I do in those deer whistles now. At least they were cheap.
Brent
_________________
'93 K1100 LT
'80 Honda CX500 Custom (8000 kil.)

www.pbase.com/henryimages

[owrstrich]

http://www.xp3hornet.com/faq.shtml

moto version...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LIRTZO?ie=UTF8&tag=maninahur-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001LIRTZO

big rig version...

http://www.amazon.com/Hornet-Interstate-Electronic-Sonic-Avoidance/dp/B000ANMTCY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1241153102&sr=1-5


j o
_________________
yeeeeeehaaaaaaa...

[SugarHillCTD]

Jim,

Infomercials, testimonials and "I think it works" just does not cut it in my line of work.

Any time the actual facts are needed we need to go to the experts. INDEPENDENT studies done by people with some good stuff after their name: PhD, P.E., etc... and published in refereed journals.

(Sorry Billy Mays.....)

That being said- take a look at a couple of studies I found.

1)This is only an abstract, but damning anyway.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713903938~db=all

2)This study is a mere 263 pages of pdf file. Much of it concerns the much larger topic of deer-vehicle crashes but check out pages 46 and 47. The test vehicle was better WITHOUT any devices!
http://www.deercrash.com/toolbox/finalreport.pdf
Sure there are other results in this particular study that lean either way, but most are statistically insignificant.


HOWEVER, check this out.
http://www.google.com/patents?id=8dURAAAAEBAJ

Interesting. Now if I can only find MOOSE WHISTLES.

John
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John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[Saltcreek]

I was inclined to put one on under the "can't hurt" theory but having read a little probably won't bother. It's good to see others are working on this problem, John.

I did have them on a 78 Chevy half ton I drove for about 15 years without hitting a deer. Neither was I struck by lightning during that time. Hmmm...
_________________
Jim

1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold
2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium

[duckbubbles]

Yak all you want- My K100/1100RS
Had deer whistles- didn't hit deer.
Took deer whistles off- hit deer.
Put them back on- haven't hit deer.
No very scientific, but I've killed four deer with vehicles, 3 on bikes.
It has made me kind of skittish about riding lately.
My ST has gotten two of them.

Frank
_________________
85 K100/1100RS, 321,000 miles, 25 years
96 Ducati 900SS/SP, sold it
05 R1200ST, 35,000 miles, 5 years
400,000 BMW miles

[endoman100]

Don't work at all.
Lot's of deer here in Fl.
Nothing works..
_________________
In the words of the stones
Time Is On My Side
Yes It Is
1993 K1100RS

[Mystic Red]

[SugarHillCTD]

[hirschhs]

my daily ride of 65m goes through badger country. Every day I see a new corpse on the side of the road, especially this time of year. They may not be deer but they're big and solid and stupid enough to be a menace for cars and bikes. Thinking of hanging a badger tail off the front fender to warn them not to mess with me...
_________________
Cheers, Steve H _______________________________________
K-less in Bucks
2001 ST1100A

1994 Yamaha 600 Diversion 'Hers'
2006 Kawasaki Z750s 'Hers'

[HoosierStu]

Deer whistles don't work. A quick internet search will confirm this. I looked into it myself. Worse than not working, they probably give you a false sense of security.
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"Still can't find 6th gear" 94 K1100LT

[acftfliehr]

I have never spoke with a deer that says the whistles don't work!