Traffic cops and sportbikes

[Gixxervan1000]

Im from San Antonio, TX. I bought my first sportbike while in the air force serving in FL. There, I had no problems with police, not at all. But since coming home to SA, It has gotten pretty bad.

So you hear a lot of talk about cops having a general distaste for all sportbike riders. People saying they're getting pulled over for BS reasons, getting BS tickets, getting hassled for no reason...etc etc. I myself have been pulled over numerous times in my two years of being back home, my most recent being yesterday morning. Personally, I have only had two occasions where I was stopped and I feel I was treated unfairly, but even more occasions when I was let off with a warning. So I got to wondering...and my questions are pretty much two fold:

1. Does there actually lie, any animosity or distaste towards people who ride sportbikes? Or is there something more to it? If so, where does this attitude spawn from specifically?

2. Do you lump all sportbike riders in a single group or are you aware that in the sportbiking community, there are many different groups, each having a different attitude when they ride?

[03BlackChevy]

heh, you sound young as you say sportbiking lol, if your talking about crotchrockets, they're motorcycles, and most of the idiots on the crotchrocket type either want an aching back, or speed... so heh you choose..

now get you a real cruiser and just lay back and actually enjoy the wind/sun/view rather then speeding and having an aching back. :D

[Samuel]

1. Depends on the individual LEO. Anti sportbike attitudes can stem from something as stupid as simply disliking any/all motorcycles not made by Harley Davidson or it can be as justifiable as repeatedly dealing with a lot of the idiots and aholes who ride sportbikes.

2. No, yes. I've been riding sportbikes since 89. Also worked at a Honda/Kawi dealership for 3 years so I am pretty familiar with all the different types of people who ride sportbikes. Unfortunately, there are FAR too many irresponsible/immature sportbike riders (of ALL ages and riding ALL types of sportbikes) out there creating negative stereotypes...

[Gixxervan1000]

To black chevy:

Im 27. Younger than you probably. Funny that should be an issue considering the term "sportbikes" has been around since the 70's. And yes crotchrockets are motorcycles, glad you knew that...and you only have a hurt back if you are fat and out of shape. I know guys upwards of 50 that still ride sportbikes. Do me a favor, if you don't have anything pertaining to the questions at hand...don't bother replying. I was hoping for a real police officer to actually give some useful information, and possibly have a real conversation with him/her. But thanks for your input.

To Samuel:

In context to the second reply, we in the sportbiking community often have debates when we hear a story of some squid or newbie doing something stupid, in turn making the rest of us more intelligent sport riders look stupid in the process. A cop can't tell the difference when you're just cruising by, so the less stupidity in the public eye the better. Or less stupidity period rather.
I work for USAA so that tends to help me keep my antics to a minimum, and confined to a track. I also work for a dealership (honda, kawi, yama, suzi) and you see em all in there. It just seems as if I get pulled over a lot more now on my bike, as well as just about all bikers here...hell, I got pulled over once during the middle of a sunny day because the guy said he wanted to make sure my license plate was lighted. ???!!!! Funny stuff for conversations, but just annoying when Im riding.

[wpzh973]

i much rather prefer the deep purring sound of a harley
but anyways the kids that ride the crotch rockets here, think they can get away from the police, that was fine, until the cops here one day starting riding harleys they bought for only $1, i wish i could buy a harley for $1
but at any rate, there is a crotch rocket club here so they all ride in packs
when cops arent around u can guess what their doing, driving reckless on the road, most of them dont even have a motorcycle license, iam not against crotch rockets a find of mine owns 2 of em but he is very responsible on it too and does have a cycle license too

thanks
justin
justin.cremer@us.army.mil

[dragonspider]

I got pulled over by a bicycle cop one time.... I was about 18, I think.... Had expired tags... He spotted me and came speeding up beside me (on a side street)... told me I needed to pull over. Some of my old time buddies were in the car... I still haven't lived that one down...

[Chipperflies]

I know several officers with sportbikes. The problem is they know how fast most of them can go, and they know how easy it is to get up to 95 and not even realize it. It's not if you break the law on a streetbike
It's WHEN you break the law. Sometime the straght away is to sweet to resist.

FYI i've got a 2003 CBR 600RR it flies.

[Darin]

heh, you sound young as you say sportbiking lol, if your talking about crotchrockets, they're motorcycles, and most of the idiots on the crotchrocket type either want an aching back, or speed... so heh you choose..

now get you a real cruiser and just lay back and actually enjoy the wind/sun/view rather then speeding and having an aching back. :D

<rant on>You want to talk about someone sounding young? You have no idea what you are talking about. The correct term IS sportbike. NOT crotchrocket. A bike being called a crotchrocket irks me to no end.

Aching back? You are ignorant. I rode a GSX-R600 for 3 years and never EVER had an aching back.

And you only speed on a sportbike? SO your saying riders on cruisers never speed? Another ignorant comment. I'm not knocking cruisers but the most uncomfortable bike I've been on was a cruiser.

<rant off>OK that being said, sportbikes are sometimes ridden by young "squids" who ride wheelies and ride at high speeds on the road. But to say ALL do that is not true.

This is to Gixxer 1000: My guess would be that some cops who deal with sportbikes are so used to those riders doing crazy, stupid stuff and they may tend to lump all sportbike riders into that category. SO they may keep an eye out for sportbikes.

I know several officers who ride sportbikes and don't give motorcycles any extra attention BUT they will pull over someone riding recklessly and dangerously.

[Saonagi]

nope, sorry but there still called crotch rockets in my book
no offense but I just cant stand the sound of there engine, way to whiny, they do look fun though (especialy on a nice open freeway with gradual curves.)

[P01IC3M4N]

san antonio was VERY interested in the police camaro i was driving at a driving instructor school. sport bikes were brought up.

i can tell you that the general motoring public despises sport bikes right now. it's the hip thing to do if you're between 18 and 25. despite the fact that only 2% actually know how to ride, the other 98% think they can and make poor attempts at riding like they've been doing it for years.

when i was in a crown vic, the majority of them will not stop for you. now, i've yet to have one get away. sure some of them are faster than me, but i have 4 wheels on the ground and at speeds near 150, i'm a lot more stable than you on these torn up public roadways.

i see people all the time cut off sport bikes, brake check them, everything like that. i've also had groups of 100+ pass me at speeds well over 100 and they drive like a bunch of a-holes.

so yes, if i smell a sport bike rider fart, i'll not hesitate to take the appropriate action.

[Gixxervan1000]

Thanks for being honest poc1Ic3m4n. That's the kind of stuff I was hoping to see. Honest opinions on what you think as an individual and also LE. Thanks. Keep em coming guys, If I get enough good stuff maybe I can forward it to the guys at the bike forums and maybe that will get them to wise up.

I myself, am not going to truthfully say I've broken no traffic laws, I have, and still do when I get out on those long wide backroads. And you are right in saying that it's hard to know when you're speeding. Thats what happened with mine the other night. I was going 80 or so I guess, got side by side with a truck. Rode along side him for a while...at 80...I look over and it's state trooper. Haha. I went ahead and pulled up so he could get behind me because the cars were too close for him to slip in behind me before. Took it like a man. But then....wasn't he speeding too? He gave me a warning... since I brought that little tidbit up to him.

[mcsap]

Im from San Antonio, TX. I bought my first sportbike while in the air force serving in FL. There, I had no problems with police, not at all. But since coming home to SA, It has gotten pretty bad.

So you hear a lot of talk about cops having a general distaste for all sportbike riders. People saying they're getting pulled over for BS reasons, getting BS tickets, getting hassled for no reason...etc etc. I myself have been pulled over numerous times in my two years of being back home, my most recent being yesterday morning. Personally, I have only had two occasions where I was stopped and I feel I was treated unfairly, but even more occasions when I was let off with a warning. So I got to wondering...and my questions are pretty much two fold:

1. Does there actually lie, any animosity or distaste towards people who ride sportbikes? Or is there something more to it? If so, where does this attitude spawn from specifically?

2. Do you lump all sportbike riders in a single group or are you aware that in the sportbiking community, there are many different groups, each having a different attitude when they ride?

1. There is amimosity towards ANYONE operating ANY vehicle that drives in a manner that attracts my attention. It just so happens that motorcycle riders tend to do so more than anyone else. They do it loud and fast.

There are some responsible bike riders out there. They are the ones who don't get stopped. ( much)

What you may call a BS stop is very likely still a valid stop for lane change, turn signals etc. Once stopped, I will of course check for warrants, and you would be suprised how many bike riders DON'T have a cycle license or are riding on a permit and violating the attached restrictions.

I'll use the authority I have to stop anyone at anytime when I have the probable cause/reasonable suspicion to do so .

[Spyder]

Who gets Harleys for a dollar? No police department I know. HD sells those police-grade bikes to LE agencies just like they sell anything else to any other customer. They for darn sure aren't $1.

Monroe County Michigan Sheriff Department, about 2 or 3 years ago received at least 2 HD's for $1 lease per year.

[03BlackChevy]

Thanks for being honest poc1Ic3m4n. That's the kind of stuff I was hoping to see. Honest opinions on what you think as an individual and also LE. Thanks. Keep em coming guys, If I get enough good stuff maybe I can forward it to the guys at the bike forums and maybe that will get them to wise up.

I myself, am not going to truthfully say I've broken no traffic laws, I have, and still do when I get out on those long wide backroads. And you are right in saying that it's hard to know when you're speeding. Thats what happened with mine the other night. I was going 80 or so I guess, got side by side with a truck. Rode along side him for a while...at 80...I look over and it's state trooper. Haha. I went ahead and pulled up so he could get behind me because the cars were too close for him to slip in behind me before. Took it like a man. But then....wasn't he speeding too? He gave me a warning... since I brought that little tidbit up to him.

lol, lol, lol...

I'm 16 years old hahaha =) and yeah I do have a motorcycle license endorsement, and yeah I do ride motorcycles every weekend, and yeah all the crotchrocket guys do speed,wheelies, etc.. thats why they catch more attention then others, oh and by the way I do not right a crotchrocket, i ride a harley roadking classic, and another thing I've been riding dirtbikes/fourwheelers since i was 6, and I can honestly tell you, that fat or not, that you can't ride further then 30-40miles without either your butt/back/arms hurting on a crotchrocket...

[txinvestigator1]

WTF is a willie? You mean wheelie?