Ever ride your motorcycle into a swarm of bees?

[Rick Lee]

Not 20 min. after I was discussing this topic with some guys at a biker hangout over lunch, it happened to me. Luckily, I was wearing full gear and had my visor down.



I was doing about 60 mph in high winds on N. Scottsdale Rd. when suddenly it felt and sounded like someone had thrown a shovelful of gravel at my face. I knew what it was and and there was nothing I could do. I tried to stay frozen, so I'd not rub any of the bees I was sure were in my collar. A mile later I was able to pull over in a parking lot. I peeled everything off and there were several of live bees still crawling on me. But not one sting! Too bad for all those guys behind me on Harleys, wearing t-shirts and no helmets.

[JavaBrewer]

I had a bee fly into my helmet when the faceshield was 1/2 down. I had to calmly pull over and remove the helmet. No sting which was good as I was 20 minutes from town. Did I mention I'm also very allergic to bee sting...last time I got stung I went into anaphylactic shock and ended up in the hospital for 1/2 the day.

[nostatic]

I rode my mountain bike through a swarm of ladybugs once. Massive swarm - it was breeding season or something up in the mountains. I actually almost choked - luckily I was able to pull my bandana up quickly so I could breathe. It was crazy.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by dmoolenaar

I had a bee fly into my helmet when the faceshield was 1/2 down. I had to calmly pull over and remove the helmet. .

Had the same thing happen. Only I didnt not camly pull over. I pulled over and dumped the bike in the grass, and proceeded to tear my helmet off in a panic.

[fingpilot]

Lets see.....

Up the sleeve of the jacket.

Down the open shirt.

Bounced off of the mirror, then down the back of the shirt.

BonB swatted one on back of helmet, then fell down back of shirt.

Up pantleg on kicked out pegs.

You name it, have just about taken one anywhere they could get in.

[KevinP73]

I caught a june bug in a half open visor one time. The lil bugger went about half way around the inside of the helmet and was still kicken once I finally got the helmet off.

[syncroid]

Never bees but I got hit in the face one night by a syphinx (sp) moth right as I lifted my visor to rub my face. Darn near knocked me off my bike. The inside of my helmut looked like someone threw up in it.

[HardDrive]

I don't mind bees, but velociraptors are a pisser.

[DasBoot]

I was driving (car) in a fairly remote canyon once and realized I was about to drive through a black cloud of bugs (didn't know they were bees at the time). Rolled up my windows quickly and SPLAT, they started pelting the windshield. No harm, as I had the windows up in time. Unfortunately, in my rearview mirror, closing fast, was a couple of tourists in a convertible Chrysler Sebring...with the top down.

I didn't stick around to see what happened to them.

[curlesw]

Drove to Scottsdale, AZ from San Diego a couple of weeks ago...motorcycle (R1200RT) looked just like that except I had butterflies. Must have killed about 100, front was COVERED with them.

Wayne

[john walker's workshop]

bumblebee hanging on my sideburn stinging the crap out of me. helmet went flying before i got the bike stopped.

[Mr_Wizard]

No bees but was Kamikazed by a bird on two separate occasions.

[941MXVET]

It wasn't me, but every so many years in certain places around northern Nevada there is a "great tarantula migration". On 2 separate occasions I've known riders who have ridden through a moving mass of tarantulas.

That would FREAK me out to NO end!!!!

[stomachmonkey]

Gypsy moth caterpillar to the bridge of the nose.

Felt like it broke my face.

[sailchef]

941MXVET , No way!

In 1979 I was heading down from Flagstaff to Pheonix on my bike halfway thru a cross country trip and ran into the exact same thing.

100's of tarantulas sunning themselves on the highway. Had no clue what they were so I stopped to check it out. THEY CAN JUMP. I never left a spot so fast in my life.

I had pretty much forgotten about that, but "in the day" I must have told that story a hundred times.

RickLee --Don't mean to hyjack your thread but I always thought that had been an illusion of my immagination. (if you know what I mean)

[LeeH]

My wife drove through a swarm recently. Her car was covered in bees. Glad she was in her car and not on her bike.

I had a bee bounce off my chest and into my helmet. It ended up walking across the inside of my face-shield. I popped the visor and leaned my head back, but still stopped rather quickly to make sure it was gone. I did get stung on the neck once by something while riding... don't know what. I just reached up to scratch an itch and felt sting. It didn't really bother me that much, but the swelling was impressive.

[Rick Lee]

This reminds me of a story in Neil Peart's last book about him getting bitten and stung in mid-song while playing the drums at a concert in FL. Seems the pyrotechnics had shaken a lot of living things loose from way up in the rafters and they rained down on the guys on stage. From then on, when they played in places like that, they'd light off the pyrotechnics a few times at soundcheck to burn up and shake loose whatever was up there so it didn't happen during the show. They have a video clip of this on their website.

[jeffgrant]

I was just finishing off a spirited ride in high school with a bunch of friends, was just slowing it down, sat up, popped up the visor to get some air, and ran into a June bug.

Hit me square right between the eyes, hard enough to cut me.

It felt like it was a bird, and I was stunned for a couple of seconds. Damn near took me out.

My buddies thought it was pretty funny though.

[deathpunk dan]

The very 1st long ride I ever went on years ago with my FZR400...it was labor day weekend I was in NW RI/central MA. One hand on my hip, cruising along at about 60 on a nice long straight, I noticed a wasp crawling across the inside of my Arai helmet visor. I very calmly (ha), slowed down, lowered my head, flipped open the visor, and he flew away.

Scared the crap out of me.

[afterburn 549]

Yup they all sting one way or the other ! either with the real deal or just the "smack"