Unmarked Police Motorcycles
Discussion
I was stood outside my little garage on the main road one day chatting with a customer when a bike pulled up . " Don't even think about moving" he says. A couple of seconds later a Rolls with tinted glass drives past with another 2 or 3 outriders, not hanging about and basically in charge of the road, anyone else is stopped by outriders. I think it was probably Prince Charles and Co, he has a place in Carmarthenshire, West Wales and often goes round visiting schools and worthy projects and so forth. It was all over and done with in 20 seconds, but quite a surprise "What was all that about?"
It's happened twice now....
It's happened twice now....
Stuart Fordyce said:
Tend to be very smooth, very upright, and ride much closer to traffic than any of us would. Helmet almost always a white flip up, clothes with no obvious branding.
Do you mean they ride much closer to the back of cars or what? I've never encountered unmarked bikes to my knowledge. Its not something I really worry about, but I follow the general rule of treating any car/bike that catches up with caution.I was following a police bike (BMW, marked) through traffic in London one evening a couple of weeks ago - I thought his riding style a bit odd - it was dark and with heavy traffic moving about 20mph he was very close to slow moving cars, overtaking slowly on the outside - in a way that if they happened to swerve to dodge something or even moved out to turn without much warning - he would have been collected - or so it looked.
I have been riding bikes and motorbikes in London for plus 20 years and just wouldn’t get that close to cars in that situation / in their blind spot.
There was a clear bus lane on the left open to bikes that he was ignoring.
Not sure if it was coincidental.
But otherwise, they tend to have a very upright, quite square (ie not v cool) riding position.
I have been riding bikes and motorbikes in London for plus 20 years and just wouldn’t get that close to cars in that situation / in their blind spot.
There was a clear bus lane on the left open to bikes that he was ignoring.
Not sure if it was coincidental.
But otherwise, they tend to have a very upright, quite square (ie not v cool) riding position.
scorcher said:
Avon and Somerset used to have a couple of plain GS1200’s kitted out with the alloy panniers etc.
Still got them apparently according to a freedom of information request from March 2021.
I'd imagine that the GS Adventure's 33 litre tank would be pretty handy for surveillance (if that's their job).Still got them apparently according to a freedom of information request from March 2021.
five50 said:
I was following a police bike (BMW, marked) through traffic in London one evening a couple of weeks ago - I thought his riding style a bit odd - it was dark and with heavy traffic moving about 20mph he was very close to slow moving cars, overtaking slowly on the outside - in a way that if they happened to swerve to dodge something or even moved out to turn without much warning - he would have been collected - or so it looked.
I have been riding bikes and motorbikes in London for plus 20 years and just wouldn’t get that close to cars in that situation / in their blind spot.
There was a clear bus lane on the left open to bikes that he was ignoring.
Not sure if it was coincidental.
But otherwise, they tend to have a very upright, quite square (ie not v cool) riding position.
Passing close and slow, looking into cars as he passed for mobile use… drivers texting in slow moving traffic is like shooting fish in a barrel. I have been riding bikes and motorbikes in London for plus 20 years and just wouldn’t get that close to cars in that situation / in their blind spot.
There was a clear bus lane on the left open to bikes that he was ignoring.
Not sure if it was coincidental.
But otherwise, they tend to have a very upright, quite square (ie not v cool) riding position.
Zarco said:
Do you mean they ride much closer to the back of cars or what? I've never encountered unmarked bikes to my knowledge. Its not something I really worry about, but I follow the general rule of treating any car/bike that catches up with caution.
I do, had a few typos. Separation distance isn't a thing for them: used to work with a few retired police riders and they had total belief in their abilities and road reading. I would leave a bit more margin for error. They ride as close on big bikes as a Deliveroo guy on a 125, to keep you on the camera. CoreyDog said:
Many years ago my Dad rode unmarked bikes for the Police, he had a black ZZR1100 at work and a Blackbird at home.
.....
I'm not 100% sure what he used to do as he was quiet about it and I knew better than to ask but he was away for weeks at a time and allover Europe.
I read about something like this years ago, in some web forum. Unmarked bikes were being used for discreet, long-range surveillance of drug gangs, terrorists etc. Highly skilled work, because they needed stay un-noticed for many hours. Carried lightweight jackets and helmet covers to change their appearance in seconds, used clever tactics to "follow from ahead" on motorways. .....
I'm not 100% sure what he used to do as he was quiet about it and I knew better than to ask but he was away for weeks at a time and allover Europe.
Maybe replaced by air surveillance, CCTV and covert GPS trackers now, but I'll bet your dad could tell some epic stories if/when sufficient time has passed.
Saw 2 of Merseyside's finest filtering through cars with sideways, mirror mounted cameras a while ago, a plain black Fireblade and something a bit more sedate. I think they were stopped at the lights when I came up behind them so obvious to me who they were and what they were doing but anybody in front probably just thought they were annoying, filtering bikers.
CoreyDog said:
Many years ago my Dad rode unmarked bikes for the Police, he had a black ZZR1100 at work and a Blackbird at home.
Every two years he would get to change all his gear and always picked what he wanted, provided it was discreet. He always used to pick Arai helmet in either grey or black.
I'd get the old gear for when I went out on the back with him on his bike, probably the best kitted 12 year old in the country!
I'm not 100% sure what he used to do as he was quiet about it and I knew better than to ask but he was away for weeks at a time and allover Europe.
My Dad rode the marked kind. Pic from the 1977 Star Wars promo.Every two years he would get to change all his gear and always picked what he wanted, provided it was discreet. He always used to pick Arai helmet in either grey or black.
I'd get the old gear for when I went out on the back with him on his bike, probably the best kitted 12 year old in the country!
I'm not 100% sure what he used to do as he was quiet about it and I knew better than to ask but he was away for weeks at a time and allover Europe.
Tardigrade said:
I read about something like this years ago, in some web forum. Unmarked bikes were being used for discreet, long-range surveillance of drug gangs, terrorists etc. Highly skilled work, because they needed stay un-noticed for many hours. Carried lightweight jackets and helmet covers to change their appearance in seconds, used clever tactics to "follow from ahead" on motorways.
Maybe replaced by air surveillance, CCTV and covert GPS trackers now, but I'll bet your dad could tell some epic stories if/when sufficient time has passed.
This was back in the early to late 90s but I only really remember the mid to late 90s, he retired in 2005 finishing up behind a desk.Maybe replaced by air surveillance, CCTV and covert GPS trackers now, but I'll bet your dad could tell some epic stories if/when sufficient time has passed.
I got occasional snippets from him like where he had been (Netherlands came up often) and what he was riding and what gear he was eyeing up. Got an interesting story where he had to get to a port in the North East from the Midlands in a time that most would find absolutely impossible, he made it though but mentioned he didn't see his speedo on the ZZR dropping below 140 very often. He was quite a speed demon even when I was out on the back with him on his own bike, almost like he was made for his job.
I was coming up the Marylebone Rd yesterday in the van, heavy traffic, heard the sirens
watching my mirrors looking for a traffic car when a bike came through at speed, blue lights flashing.
Not a marked police traffic bike. I’ve not seen a bike that fast in London traffic since dispatch riding 40 years ago. Did make me smile..
watching my mirrors looking for a traffic car when a bike came through at speed, blue lights flashing.
Not a marked police traffic bike. I’ve not seen a bike that fast in London traffic since dispatch riding 40 years ago. Did make me smile..
SlimRick said:
This is a good friend’s old “company” bike, with full blues and twos. Not a bad company vehicle!
bit late to reply to this one, but i was digging around on google and found the post - and this looks very much like a bike i bought last week - without giving too much away - where was your friend based? my bike was owned by cambridgeshire constabulary.Edited by SlimRick on Monday 18th October 22:10
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