A buddy of mine at work got pulled over a couple days ago. He works afternoon shift and had stayed over a couple hours so left work around 1:30am. He rides a brand new black R1. Cop says the reason he got pulled over was because he was acting suspicious. He was doing 44mph in a 45mph zone. Then the nice officer, after determining that my friend was neither a bike thief or drunk, wanted to talk about bikes for 20 minutes. Hmmmm, that's just wrong[:'(]

So just a friendly warning from the chainman -- don't do 44mph in a 45mph zone at 2am in the morning. It's suspicious ....

 

LOL! We just can't win sometimes.

 

About a 2 years or so ago, my friend was riding with a couple of guys down this great "Bikers Road" came around a corner and there where a whole lot of bikes, cop cars doing random breath & license test, and the RTA (Roads & Traffic Authority) sort of like cops but with bigger ego's doing tests on illegal pipes (in this state even a legal pipe has to display the Db rating or its "illegal') and testing the petrol to see if anyone was using "Leaded petrol" and any other illegal modifications, it took nearly two hours before that got through, anyone that dared to complain was threatened with immediate arrest. He said that they even went over the bikes to see if anyone had removed the "stickers" like "unleaded petrol only" from their bikes. Apparently they hit a lot of people with fines.

 

I got tagged in my el camino, for 52 in a 50, what??? ended up talk'n to the cop at my "shop" for 45min., about his dad being a flat tracker, "back in the day". Go w/ the flow... now, i've got another buddy on the local PD, I'm sure worth a free good will, "get out of jail card" !!!!!!!!!! Somewhere between "dad's" race'n days, and look'n at my ducati... he forgot 'bout the ticket!!!!!!!! It's up to us, to present the oppertunitys, for the best case scenerios, to humbly accept grace, or to exstend it, as the oppertunity allows. Works for me !!!!!!!!
Clean and free, Ripp'n

 

I think the cops stereo type me when I am on my CBR. After I have been stopped and take off my helmet, they get a look at my 60 year old face, things seem to calm down. I can actually be doing something wrong on my Harley and not even get looked at.

 

I had JUST picked up my brand new F4i two months ago in Minneapolis and my buddy was following me because I needed to drop it off and get somewhere else. Anyway, my buddy was following pretty close and we were on residential streets and we passed a cop and he pulls a u-turn to get behind my buddy (which I didn't see). Next thing I know, I look in my mirror and there is the cop! He didn't pull me over because I was riding perfectly, but my buddy said the cop had passed him and nearly clipped my back tire to get behind me and follow me for a little bit. Sorry to all those good peace officers out there, but I hate cops.

 

Rippn,
I like your attitude. I, too, think we have to do what we can to represent the whole motorcycle community in as possitive of a light as possible. Somethimes there is just going to be a jerk that pulls you over, and they are using a sportbike rider as an easy mark. Then, there are others that may let you go with just a warning. Cops are the same as us, some are nice, some are fair, some have a stick somewhere, and some are miserable jerks who may enjoy blowing a guys day.
Speaking of which, I went to have dinner at the pub where my wife works, and my buddy came over to me and said a cop just let him off. He had been drinking for a few hours (he was drunk), and was getting ready to pull out of the pub's driveway when a cop flashed his lights at my friend. When the cop talked to Kirk for a few minutes, he said that he didn't recommend Kirk drive away. The cop let him go back, park the car, and call a friend. I can't think of too many cops who would give up writing a DUI. That's a revenue maker. I understand that if the keys are in your ignition, and you are impaired, you can get written.

 

Is it illegal to take stickers off your own bike?! I took almost all of mine off except the one that tells me the tire pressure just so I can remember.

Mike

 

I got followed for about 10km... right from my driveway - through a 60km/h zone (doing 62) - through a 70km/h zone (doing 73) and the second I hit the 50 km/h zone the lights came on... I couldn't believe it. I was slowing down to 50 (doing maybe 56) and he pulled me over.

He turned out to be a she. She said I pulled you over because you were going slow. Slow? I was doing the speed limit.

Takes the licence/papers.

Comes back and then says she pulled me over because it wasn't in the database? WTF... it had to be I'd had it a few years and paid tag fees not long before.

It was odd... really think I got pulled over for being a biker - but as it was relatively painless I didn't care as much as I would have...

 

I've given up a number of DUI arrests because of people I've seen stumbling out of a 7-11 or Wawa, them getting behind the wheel, and me pulling up to offer a friendly suggestion they find a ride. Only once has someone been stupid enough to not take me up on my offer. I think its chintzy policing to camp out at bars or be a sneak though I can't say all police officers share my viewpoint. Another thing I have to consider is that if I allow someone, who I believe is impaired, to drive away and they get into an accident ---> I can be held liable.

I can't speak for all states but yes, its generally considered that if you are impaired and in control of the vehicle (behind the wheel, keys in ignition) you are DUI. If you are in an accident and I have probable cause to believe you were driving (but didn't actually see you behind the wheel) you can still be arrested.