Close Encounter Of The 3rd Kind

[WIZARDOFOZONE]

I must have passed or been passed by dozens of Police cars since the very first build,but today really has helped me realize that just slow easy no nonsense motorbiking should result in being left alone on these machines. Today couldn't have been a more perfect example of a test to see if they really care or not ... Tweeked the Stallion extra special and was trying it out on a back country road normally devoid of traffic in general let alone Police Cruisers. My typical speed preferemce is about 26 mph, but I had to see if a few test tweeks I had done mattered at all and was cranked to 33mph as I turned a bend on the most desolate piece of wasteland on the whole 4 mile strip of road ... and smack into a radar setup I have never seen done here in Novato ever in my 12 years here ... A parked cruiser, then a manned chase cruiser, and an officer on foot almost a foot onto the road standing behind a radar gun on a tripod, .... now that's something I havn't seen in ANY state on the map ... A car was behind me and this cop and tripod was smack in the bike lane wth the officer stooped into this thing like he was hunting for Red October ... I swung around him and back into the bike lane with the following car still a good distance back .... Wasn't speeding because this is a 35mph stretch of road,but my point is he certainly knew I passed him at 33mph on a bicycle, had instant signaling ability to send the chaser, and the ol engine was certainly dramatic enough in the passing that any one of those things could have easily resulted in a stop or warning of some kind ... But nothing happened. I saw the chase car driver look at me was about all ... makes me feel that if catching me in a pants down situation that tightly with no problem, then normal sane bicycling with the appropriate 'token' peddeling and courtesies should suffice in the future.

 

[Alaskavan]

Cool. I bet that encounter surprised you as much as it did them.

 

[Scottm]

It's funny, this mind set we have that the cops are out to get us. They're regular folks like us, some just get an attitude with the badge and gun and give the rest a bad image.
I'm glad you had such a cool encounter. I've had quite a few myself.

 

[Jim H]

They're not regular folks like us though I have known some cool cops... I rolled through a 25mph zone at 11 mph, engine on but pedaling, and the cop laughed and yelled 11mph; I laughed as well...

 

[dbigkahunna]

I think a lot of issues come up when you are making a motor assisted bicycle act like a motorcycle. If traffic is heavy and you are hitting a 20 MPH bike lane at 30, you might get Leo's attention. If you are on a country road or highway with a speed limit of 70 and you are hitting a blistering 34MPH, the cops will not give you a second glance. And police are people and it is a job. 10% view it as a calling, 10% are basicly incompetent and 80% show up every day and do their job until quitting time. Pretty much like any job and workforce in the world.

 

[WIZARDOFOZONE]

It's funny, this mind set we have that the cops are out to get us. They're regular folks like us, some just get an attitude with the badge and gun and give the rest a bad image.
I'm glad you had such a cool encounter. I've had quite a few myself.

Actually, truth be told,I can't speak for anyone else here but for me it's not because I think they are out to get us as much as it's that I'm not totally convinced that they SHOULDN'T be out to get us ! .... back in the day when everyone on the planet thought that motorcyclists just HAD to be up to no good and that those 'infernal' 2 wheeled contraptions were dangerous, we kind of knew they were all paranoid, and moreover we certainly knew the cycles were built to do what they did then and do now .... but motored bikes to me, ...are different ... you kind of EXPECT retribution from somewhere when your using a 'fishing rod as a bullwhip, a pane of glass as a tobaggon,' or a bicycle as a motorcycle ... Truthfully, I'd have problems with these myself if I were a cop,especially when I mentally review the high number of dangerous moments I've had since becoming acquainted with these 2 motors since only June,and none of the incidents were based on frivolity,speed, or purposeful imature actions.

I really believe that if they ever really sit down to write specific laws for the assembled type of motor assisted bicycle,that is, vehicles that were originally JUST bicycles we'll see rules like NO COASTER BRAKE BICYCLES, NO EXTREME WIDTH HANDLEBARS, and specific Tire design and/or tread specs.

 

[Alaskavan]

I've got to agree with you Wiz. And there will probably be licencing issues, etc. And I can agree with the need for them. There are a lot of people in "general population" that would be scary on a motored bike. Most of the people in this forum have either ridden motorcycles, or bicycles at a high level. I deffinately would not encourage kids to try to ride like I do. I would encourage them to ride, and to learn to ride responsibly. Not like me.

 

[WIZARDOFOZONE]

Yah, I think you've summed it up perfectly Alaska, and ScottM has made me realize that its a personal feeling of GUILT that makes me wait for the Police hammer to drop because I'm feeling that I'm doing something a little out of ....(what the heck was that 70's term?) .... oh yeh, what the 'General Establishment ' thinks is 'normal' ...

 

[andyinchville1]

Big...only problem with doing 34 on a highway with speeds of 65+ MPH is you'd probably get a ticket for just being on the highway with a bike in the first place...at least in VA no bikes allowed on or near highways....Of course one could claim that it was a motored bike but that opens up another can of worms (min speed on highways is 45, licensing etc...)...
At least in VA I would try to stay off the highways with our bikes....better safe than sorry...or at least not ticketed! ;-)

Andrew

 

[Large Filipino]

I wave at cops. They just give me a dirty look. But they don't bother me. It's cool like that. But then I'm pretty fat and I think that they think that I need this engine.