Windshield cleaning - the hidden dangers of not cleaning

[zldrider]

The Windshield Cleaning thread reminded me of a problem that occurs on a longer trip that is caused by bug guts.

I'm talking about those pesky little Yellow Jackets that are attracted to all the bug guts on your bike at gas stops and the like.

So far, over the ten+ years that I've been doing endurance rides and long trips, I've just ignored them or shut my helmet visor to keep them out of my helmet.

But surely, some of you have had some run-in's with these pesky critters that were NOT so trouble free.

How about telling us about them? There might be some rare gems in there.

I know I have a few dealing with Mosquitoes but, that's for another time.

[yellow_line_fever]

Hit a bee at maybe 80 mph with jacket done up, shield down on full face helmet between my jacket and helmet.
I was last seen down on the tank of my Triumph Bonnie slowing down and pulled to the side of the road. Stand down and took ten minutes while a friend looked at me thinking I was crasy.
Funny every bug seems to hit you in slow motion but this is the one hit hard.

Funny also a bee got into my helmet ( full Bell helmet ) while at a traffic light, I was in first gear on a hill ( cop to the left of me ) frt. brake on both feet down tried to swat with right hand -- rolled backwards --- tried to use my left hand = cop thought I was about to run until the bee flew off and I settled down.

Windshields that are adjustable sure come in handy especially when you pass by a "Honey For Sale - 500 feet ahead Sign".

[zldrider]

I've had both happen when I was a young teenager:

1. Bumblebee hits my forehead while I'm going about 60 mph and it almost knocked me out. This was back in the 70's when I was a teenager just learning to ride with only a 3/4 face helmet and a pair of sunglasses on. I soon bought a bubble shield that snapped over the face after that.
2. A Bee flew inside my helmet by my ear as I was riding down the road going about 40 mph. I've never stopped so fast in my life. Jumped off the bike almost before it stopped moving while simultaneously throwing off my helmet and swatting at my ears. Miraculously, I didn't get stung.

Haven't had that happen since I've been wearing a full face helmet (or flip-up). Although, I've had lots of mighty big bugs splat all over the visor.

[The Reg]

Yep....ghot a bee sting in the L/H side of the neck once.....people couldn't understand why this crazy biker would suddenly pull over - leap off the bike and start doing a crazy dance!!!!

[Deano]

Last spring my wife and I were leading a couples Sunday ride through the green pea fields of NE Or when she started doing a real dance back there. Not your normal position change, more like "I got a serious burr in my saddle" type of dance. She's knocking the bike around quite bit. I started to ask her what the heck going on and I hear......"STOP NOW". By the time I get the bike stopped, she's got her right foot across the pillion and she yellin "BEE!" In no time at all, she rips her jacket off, throws her sweater and has t-shirt bunched up around her neck. She's spinning around in her bra crying "get it off....get it off". Of course by now the bee is gone and all I see is the 16 ft wide pea combine that's slowing down to check out the .show She ended up with 4 or 5 stings,. But they weren't near as red as her face when the combine blew the air horn.

[Deano]

A few years back, maybe 2003 or so, a group of us take a ride up to Glacier NP. There are 2 of us on ST1300's and the rest are on cruisers. It's late June and the heat is just starting to kick in. We stop at a little mom&pop near Hot Springs for a cool down (MT HWY 28). I do my best to maintain ATGATT, but everybody else strips down to t-shirts and leather vests. Soon we're flying along at near a buck on this long straight stretch and the temp is over a 100. A couple of the cruiser ahead of me, roll into what looks like a thin fog bank. These two suddenly try to drop their entire bodies behind the little headlight that serves as a fairing on their cruisers. They then come to the quickest stop in history. I tuck in behind the ST's windshield as I get closer to the "fog" and soon realize it's a swarm grasshoppers. These 2 guys are covered in green crap. They have bloody impacts all over their faces, in their ears, covering their sunglasses and stuck in the hair left exposed by the half-helmets.
They all had windshields, jackets and full face helmets the next time went through that valley.

[maura]

Originally Posted by Deano

Last spring my wife and I were leading a couples Sunday ride through the green pea fields of NE Or when she started doing a real dance back there. Not your normal position change, more like "I got a serious burr in my saddle" type of dance. She's knocking the bike around quite bit. I started to ask her what the heck going on and I hear......"STOP NOW". By the time I get the bike stopped, she's got her right foot across the pillion and she yellin "BEE!" In no time at all, she rips her jacket off, throws her sweater and has t-shirt bunched up around her neck. She's spinning around in her bra crying "get it off....get it off". Of course by now the bee is gone and all I see is the 16 ft wide pea combine that's slowing down to check out the .show She ended up with 4 or 5 stings,. But they weren't near as red as her face when the combine blew the air horn.

That is a pretty funny story Deano
Hope she has no permanent scars

[zldrider]

Yes, I think Deano gets extra points.

Too funny.

[Marshal_Mercer]

Originally Posted by zldrider

The Windshield Cleaning thread reminded me of a problem that occurs on a longer trip that is caused by bug guts.

I'm talking about those pesky little Yellow Jackets that are attracted to all the bug guts on your bike at gas stops and the like.

If these are the critters that I am thinking of, they are actually flies. They just look like yellow jackets.

The easiest way to differentiate the fly from the wasp is to look at the abdomen or the wings. Wasps abdomens are segmented. Fly's are not, but marking may appear as though they are. Flys have stuby, rounded wings. Wasps have slender, pointed wings.

Marshal

[Marshal_Mercer]

Originally Posted by zldrider

The Windshield Cleaning thread reminded me of a problem that occurs on a longer trip that is caused by bug guts.

I'm talking about those pesky little Yellow Jackets that are attracted to all the bug guts on your bike at gas stops and the like.

If these are the critters that you are thinking of, they are actually flies. They just look like yellow jackets.

The easiest way to differentiate the fly from the wasp is to look at the abdomen or the wings. Wasp's abdomens are segmented. Fly's are not, but marking may appear as though they are. Flys have stuby, rounded wings. Wasps have slender, pointed wings.

Marshal