Motorcycles and Police

I have a quick question. Do you guys think that police officers tend to be more lenient towards those of us on bikes not driving like idiots as compared to cars? Maybe they appreciate that we can enjoy ourselves without endangering others and doing 140+ down the interstate?

Why I ask....


Before I laid my bike down I was on one of the largest highways in Missouri on my way to work. Tons of semi traffic as well as just a ton of people who speed. To keep people from running over you it is necessary to do 75-80 mph. It is a 60 but its not uncommon to have people doing 90+.

I was tucked in doing 80 and had a white impala follow me for around 10 miles at this speed. I even rolled it up to around 85 to pass a semi. (Who like to go atleast 75.

Anyway I kept thinking there is no way this is a cop. Well at one point I went to pass another semi and he cracked his siren for half a second. I slowed back down to 75 and he pulled up next to me and waved.... This is also before I had a plate on it.... Maybe I just got really lucky? Maybe he was seeing if I would try to run? So I am curious anyone else have any similar experiences?

 

Honestly I think it varies from different parts of the country, but I would have to say that in my experience law enforcement officers do treat responsible motorcycle riders differently than cars.

Are they supposed to? No. But I really think they do.

One instance:

One time I wasn't paying attention and a light turned red. The bike in front of me decided to make a very fast stop instead of go through the yellow. Luckily we were staggered and I didn't hit him (you know, the whole point of staggering), but I made a skidding stop and ended up in the middle of the intersection. Well, not staying there!

I make my way down the road and pull over to wait for my brother. When I look in the rear view mirror, there was a officer walking up to me. I had no idea he had been behind me and it was lucky I pulled over when I did haha.

The point of this story is that I had to "listen to his safety speech for a couple minutes in leu of a citation." This officer had apparently been a motorcycle patrolman for ten or something years. We ended up talking on the side of the road about general motorcycling in the area, bikes we've owned, places we like to ride to...

Like I said, should officers show a little mercy towards bikes? No.

Can they help it? Probably not >

 

Heh,

I just think he liked listening to your engine man. I've very loosely tried to keep up with some bikes for that reason.

 

+1 on that anytime I have a sport bike come up on me when I'm in my car the radio goes off and the windows go down!


Keep the answers coming!

 

Funny I do the opposite when a straight piped Harley comes up on me.

 

I do the exact same thing... I personally hate that sound. I love the sound of a super sport screaming though. Sounds like an f1 car almost.

 

I've sat next to those V-Rods with the open exhausts, and although I can't argue the big booming exhausts will likely save lives, they won't save ears.

I thought my MAC Header was loud, i can't even hear it revving next to a big HD, for reals.

 

Ya know, I kept thinking about that a few weeks ago when a guy with one of those was following my pickup onto I94. He managed to stay in my blind spot the whole damn way. I could hear him, but not see him. Annoying. And doubtful that it would help him nearly as much as backing up a couple of feet...

 

In any of the modern vehicles I drive for work with the windowns up and radio on (moderate volume) you still don't hear them until they are alongside

Personally I think the whole "loud pipes save lives" was something dreamed up by inconsiderate arseholes to justify having obnoxiously loud pipes

We have some bike police on our local forum, I'd say they tend towards a bit more lenience for riders, but don't expect any mercy if you're riding like a dick

 

+1 It is the people in their houses or front lawns that get the brunt of loud pipes IME. I would rather drive the quiet bike and not piss of the neighbors.

 

Quoted for truth. Hell, I don't even need to have the radio on to not hear them.

 

Sorry for straying off topic but I totally agree

The sad reality is that 9 times out 9 after a motorcycle accident you will hear the person who hit the bike say "I didn't see them."

I have NEVER heard anyone say " I didn't hear them".

 

9 times out of 10, you mean.

And of course it was dreamed up by them. But it's a valid point. I hate loud pipes as well, in general--when my exhaust had a leak in it and I went a few weeks with the sound, finally patching it felt like such a relief! Still, lots of research shows that the more obviously you stand out, the less likely you are to wreck--there's no reason that shouldn't apply to sound as well.

As far as no one saying "I didn't hear them," what does that prove? That people don't rely on sound as their primary sense? Doesn't mean it hasn't prevented wrecks; just no way of quantifying that sort of thing.

I digress.

When my uncle was talking to me about riding street bikes for the first time, he gave me several tips. One of them was pointing out that cops pretty much leave motorcyclists alone unless they're doing something stupid or asking for trouble; case in point, he has never had inspection in date on any of his motorcycles, and has yet to ever be pulled over.

I have found it to be true, at least in Texas. I don't even have an inspection sticker--and one time when I was stuck in a median in between a highway split and had three cops pulled up behind me while we were waiting for a tow truck, no one noticed that I had not gotten my registration in date (had just bought the bike) and didn't have inspection. I also generally speed just a little bit everywhere; never been pulled over or gotten any attention for it. I just don't do anything outlandish. I have sped past cops waiting in speed traps, but they just don't care.

I think part of it in that last case is that bikes are a lot harder to hit with a speed gun; they're trained to aim for the license plate, and it's difficult to hit a bike with a clear beam of light and be sure you hit it.

As for motorcycle cops, though, I think they either give you more slack or give you a lot less, varies by cop. Them I watch out for.

 

I have also found out from a cop that followed me into work, That your insurance will double when you get a ticket whether it be from a car or bike. I got a ticket in Nevada and sure enough my auto insurance stayed the same. My bike insurance doubled. The cop came into my work after he heard me blast down the street, ( some dummy at the prior corner tried to run me over, so I took off like rocket.) Never been actually pulled over yet on the bike. But like you all say only the stupid riders get pulled over.

 

I have never heard that however.... I have had all my tickets "fixed".

 

next time a open pipe Harley pulls up next to you roll down the window and point to the back wheel then put your hand to your face like your yelling but don't make any sound, he thinks your doing him a favor as you drive away and he tries to figure out what you said

 

On my way to work this morning there were two Harley's both straight pipd... however the funny part is one of them was doing around 80 in a 50 with a chrome "brain bucket" and a sons of anarchy sweat shirt.

Gave me a chuckle.

Anyone else with any times they got lucky with a leo or things they've noticed?

 

'Loud pipes lose rights and places to Ride'
Must be different in the states I cant tell you how many times I've been pulled over for a 'licence check' but it's never happened once in the car in over 25 years.
Asked a copper about it one day,he sighed and said the sad thing is probably 80% of the time he pulls a licence check they have warrants outstanding and or no licence.
Makes a certain amount of sense motorcyclists tend to be risk takers compared to the great beige majority.

 

Yep, quite different here. There is no "license check" without a stop for some violation first. Every stop must be made for a lawful reason. That means either A) the officer has probable cause that the driver has committed a civil infraction / traffic violation, or B) The officer has reasonable suspicion that the driver has committed a crime. Once a lawful stop has been made the driver is required to display a valid license, and the officer may check the driver's information for warrants or license status.

I know this backward and forward because I do it almost every day.

 

Hey Sabre, how do I get out of a ticket? Nah, just kidding, I know I'm hosed, guy lasered me doing 49 in a 35 over the Burnside Bridge in Portland. Sad thing was, it was in my car. I used to drive for a living, and raced around all the time all over the state, hard to keep a clean record. But for the last 4-5 years I was clean.

No more, dang it. I even told him "come on, man, I'm trying to keep my record clean here" haha, there was a speed trap, they pulled over me, then another cop pulled over, I was like "oh, man, am I going to jail?" but it turned out the other cop was pulling over the guy behind me. I pled "not guilty" out of principle, on the off chance he doesn't come to court. I always fight them, but I've rarely got out of anything except fixit tickets and one b.s. no insurance one.

Seriously, no way was I doing 49, where he was sitting I had to make a sharp turn onto the bridge, so I was almost stopped, so supposedly I got up to 50 before I was out of range of his gun? I was in no hurry, I honestly don't know what speed I was going, as I didn't look at speedo.

I have gotten out of some stuff for being on a bike. Motorcycle cop pulled me over when I had NO motorcycle endorsement (for down-under folks, at least in my state you don't get a separate license for bikes, just your car license with what's called an "endorsement" for riding bikes) Anyway, I was planning to take the test that day, was doing 69 in a 55 on my old Honda CB. He said "most people trailer their bikes to take the test" LOL, b.s. dude. But he let me off

I got off from way more tickets for being in the Marines, though, usually the cop knew my unit or even some of the same people, the USMC is a small world. But since I've been out so long, I don't try to play that card anymore