Question for Streetcop re: biking

[blademan]

Streetcop.
First of all, nice to see you posting again under your Streetcop username. Welcome back old chap.
I know I should really post this on biker banter, but thought you would spot it quicker on this forum.

Being a fellow biker ( Fireblade as if you haven't guessed ) I know how much self control is needed in these days of increased electronic surveillance, to keep to the speed limits esp 70 on motorways and 'A' roads. I travel down the A5 every day on my bike, and never used to see any mobile vans but recently I have seen them on three or four occaisons. I thought that recently I was caught, but 19 days have passed so ok. I was behind a van doing around 40 and I accelerated up to around 85 as I overtook,( yeah I know its wrong but you know have quickly 'blades and 'birds accelerate ) and then a biker gave me the thimbs down coming the other way so I slowed down to around 60. There was a similar instance a month ago.
Now I know I should stick to around 70 but its so hard on open stretches of the A5 with no sideroads or farm turns, to keep to this. The thing is, there have TMK never been any accidents in any of the areas that the vans park up at, which I can only describe as sneaky. ie On the grass verge FACING THE WRONG WAY, with the laser pointing across the carriagway "catching" motorists coming over the brow of a hill travelling towards them on the other carriageway.

Thus I have a few questions:-
1.Surely crossing the carriageway is illegal ( I dont see any other way they could have acheived their position )
2.What has this got to do with safety when there have been no accidents that I have seen in over 3 years of travelling this route every day.
and finally.............

3.As a biker who is clearly proud of his CBR1100XX Super Blackbird, which you describe as "awesome" [unquote] what is the point of a cop( in particular ) owning a bike that will do around 175 -180 mph? Whats the point when there are these damned mobile cameras around?
Personally , I am beginning to think that there is no point in getting anything bigger than a 500cc bike.
I had an ER5 and know how slow it would be after my 'blade.

P.S. As a BiB, I bet you never speed though eh ?

Seriously, with the profileration of scamera's and now I hear the gov. are going to ban detectors, why bother with a fast bike. As soon as you open it up even to a small degree, you risk getting scammed. I have signed up to the relavent email listing of camera van locations but dont entirely trust them.
So what do I do now?
1.Keep to 70 all the time ?( whats the point in having a blade as anything over 125 would do, albeit without any acceleration )
2.Buy a detector and soon be illegal
3.Ride whilst looking more for vans on the side of the road ( as I do now ), rather than riding to the prevailing conditions with better observation
4.Buy a tiny plate and get a pull by BiB?

Please help a disillusioned fellow biker
Cheers mate
Blademan

>>> Edited by blademan on Monday 19th July 14:47

[Tonyrec]

I thought that i would throw my hat in the ring also.

Its very very difficult when riding to keep to the speed limits in the nationals. As you have pointed out, bikes accelerate extremely quickly and if you are unlucky then you could land yourself in trouble all too easily, even on an overtake.

Personally, i wouldnt bother with a small plate as this would just attract attention and would simply add to your woes if stopped for speeding.
When im going for an overtake, i do this swiftly and safely (as ive been tought). The emphasis here is on safety, foremost for yourself and then for others.

I dont certainly wouldnt exceed the speed limit in 30/40 and 50's but in the nationals i do like to make progress where its safe.
Obviously, its down to me and its my decision and if i get caught then again its down to me.

As regards getting a 125....hmmmm, just doesnt do it for me

[blademan]

Tonyrec said:

I thought that i would throw my hat in the ring also. Its very very difficult when riding to keep to the speed limits in the nationals. As you have pointed out, bikes accelerate extremely quickly and if you are unlucky then you could land yourself in trouble all too easily, even on an overtake. Personally, i wouldnt bother with a small plate as this would just attract attention and would simply add to your woes if stopped for speeding. When im going for an overtake, i do this swiftly and safely (as ive been tought). The emphasis here is on safety, foremost for yourself and then for others. I dont certainly wouldnt exceed the speed limit in 30/40 and 50's but in the nationals i do like to make progress where its safe. Obviously, its down to me and its my decision and if i get caught then again its down to me. As regards getting a 125....hmmmm, just doesnt do it for me

Thanks for the honest reply Tonyrec.
Frankly I'd rather be stopped by BiB because you would have seen the maneavure and would probablygive me a friendly chat,whereas, the camera would snap the max speed only, so I would get done even if only over the limit for a few seconds.
The only reason why I mentioned the plate was because I recently saw one on the back of a Hayabusa and I can understand the guy's thinking on this, even though not legal. A £30 FPN with no points( is that correct?) is better than £60 +3 Brucie bonus points!!
I take your point about keepig within red circle limits, and I know from Bikesafe that the instructors do say this ( students always want to know what happens if they speed whilst on a course).Personally I dont have a problem with this; just the nationals as you say.
Tonyrec, I have another question if I may:-

If one were to ride speeding past a cameravan with the laser pointing at you, how do they swing the camera around quick enough to get your plate as you ride past them at a reduced (legal) speed? apart from using the side door, whic the ones I see don't have.

[Streetcop]

Hi Blademan..
Thanks for the comments, also to to my colleague Tonyrec...


As for the cameravan and the location, I can't really comment without seeing it. Again, I don't know the accident stats on that road. Sometimes, there only has to be 'speed complaints' to justify a van there for some time....this is for the benefit of those who complain about speeders with the line "Does somebody need to die before the police will do something? It'll be too late then..etcetc"

As for bikes;
Yep, my CBR1100xx is 'awesome' so much power and smooth delivery, car drivers will never know...(even Porsche/Ferrari owners)...
I've tested it at mega speeds in Germany, (Ahem!) and yes it can be addictive.
Without forward facing number plates Truvelos and Specs are useless against it. Although, I'm careful not to speed in areas of concern.
However, being human and all that, I do speed and would be a liar and a hypocrit to say that I don't. I've never been caught for speeding or even stopped. If I did and it was 'bang to rights' I'm man enough to say.."Well, I knew the risks and I have nobody to blame but myself." the old adage, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime comes to mind.

I've owned several bikes and am a so called 'advanced rider', but I still deliberate with myself once a month to get rid of it. A combination of worrying about my licence and seeing the misery and devastation at work when attending bike accidents. It's a case of do you live a little or do you wrap yourself in cotton wool?

I think additional training is invaluable for riders, not only for safety but for them to enjoy the bike more. The majority of bike accidents that I've seen are either very inexperienced riders or experienced riders in terms of years held licence, but not many months actually riding.

Don't bother with a radar detector on your bike..know when and where traps or accident spots should be. Roads like the Snake Pass or Woodhead Pass or Cat and Fiddle are used regularly by bikers, but rarely do camera vans operate. The emphasis is more on dangerous overtakes, contravention of solid white lines etc.etc.

Stick to a 9"x7" plate...Anything smaller attracts police attention and if they are coming after you for a simple small plate, you don't see them and do something daft, there will be a copper to sort you out. If you have a 9"x7" plate and the copper goes the other way, you might do something daft and not be seen..(dont' do it too often though..)

Hope that answers some questions..

Dont be disillusioned...biking is the only transport that really gets you from a-b quickly....the art of safe filtering is well worth mastering also..

Stay safe mate.
Street

[Tonyrec]

On several occasions recently ive contemplated selling the Blade. Purely and simply, it seems to be when im picking bikers limbs up off the road.
Made worse though when the rider wasnt to blame.

Upon reflection, you have to do whats right for you and if you thought like that then you wouldnt step foot outside the front door.

[TheExcession]

Tonyrec said:

you wouldnt step foot outside the front door.

Mostly I don't - it's a scary world out there

Where's the looking forward to emigrating to the Republic of Ireland smilie when you need it?

Ex

[hertsbiker]

What thoughtful & interesting replies from the resident BiB's. Cheers lads, most enlightening.

Ride safe.

C

[cazzo]

hertsbiker said:

What thoughtful & interesting replies from the resident BiB's. Cheers lads, most enlightening. Ride safe. C

Indeed, respect due for honesty etc .

now what can we do about the rest of Authority to make them see the light

[Yoda954]

hertsbiker said:

What thoughtful & interesting replies from the resident BiB's. Cheers lads, most enlightening. Ride safe. C

Absolutely.........thanks for the comments BiB's

[Streetcop]

Thanks guys...That's what this forum is all about...The benefit to all concerned can't really be measured...

In turn for our honesty, you 'the good guys' must root out the pisstakers who infiltrate this board with the sole attempt of winding up people and spoiling the place for everyone..You know the sort I mean..

Street

[blademan]

Streetcop said:

Thanks guys...That's what this forum is all about...The benefit to all concerned can't really be measured... In turn for our honesty, you 'the good guys' must root out the pisstakers who infiltrate this board with the sole attempt of winding up people and spoiling the place for everyone..You know the sort I mean.. Street

As has been said, thanks for your honesty and Tonyrec too. If you had insulted my intelligence by saying that you never speed, the respect that you guys are building would have diminished. Thanks for the advice too Street and Tonyrec too. I kind of come to the same conclusion but have been a bit down because of the aforementioned "nearly scammed" incidents. ( 2X )The thought of £120 and 6 points wound me right up because I have been riding since 1985 and driving since 1978 and have only ever had one accident which was a 5mph knock in the back ( was looking at a blondes t*ts bouncing when should have had eyes on road.....just a wee 19 year old then. Dont' do it now I consider myself if nothing else a safe rider, constantly let drivers out of side turns, thank them for pulling in for overtakes, filter safely at low speeds etc.
I take your final point about piss takers on the forum, and piss taking bikers too. Wind me right up. Esp the ones that overtake absolutely anything anywhere, and who filter at daft speeds. Saw a bike accident a while ago. I was in my car, and left a gap in front for a women to pull out of a side road ( I was in a slow moving queue at the time ) and the biker came roaring past the outside doing 60mph, and surprise surprise, the women edged out ( she was doing nothing wrong ) and the biker hit her wing simply due to not taking into account the situation and riding like a prat.I have lost count of the times when I have been in slow moving traffic and have seen a situation develop and have stopped and been sitting there waiting for someone to pull out.......the expression of surprise on their face is amusing, but it wouldn't be if I just carried on regardless!!

Thanks so much guys. Mega respect for honest realistic coppers.

[Streetcop]

Thanks Blademan.
You're forgetting though..."We, the police, are parasites on the arse of society" and "supercilious twats" according to PH member 'Instructor' (See the thread Not Guilty are the Sweetest Words)



Street

[Mad Dave]

Another round of for the Officers on here - good honest advice


(with the smilie in there, i've just had to type 'another round of clap for the officers....' )

[Tonyrec]

We certainly havent got anything to hide and honesty is the best policy.
Sometimes its what you want to hear and sometimes not, thats what makes this Forum so interesting in my view.

[welsh blackbird]

Hi streetcop,

Just wondered if you Blacbird is one of the fast black ones!?

Have you done anything to it, screen etc?

I have a 2003 black one, and it's the best bike i've ever ridden.

Here in North Wales you have to be even more careful of Mr Brunstron's finest hidden at the side of the road, although the bike cops are a decent bunch. I did a Bikesafe course last year, and I'm doing it again this weekend.

Cheers,

WB

[Fat Audi 80]

Streetcop said:

Thanks guys...That's what this forum is all about...The benefit to all concerned can't really be measured... In turn for our honesty, you 'the good guys' must root out the pisstakers who infiltrate this board with the sole attempt of winding up people and spoiling the place for everyone..You know the sort I mean.. Street

You will ALWAYS ger trolls. As I, and others have said many a time before, ignore them, 99% of us on here totally respect your point of view.. (But don't always agree with it )

Cheers,

Steve.

[TripleS]

Well I'm not a biker but I very much appreciate the style in which Streetcop and Tonyrec answered the questions posed.

Many thanks to you both.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Streetcop]

Thanks guys...

HI welsh blackbird..

My 'cbr1100xx' is a 1997 on a P reg...

I love it...Had zzr1100, R1100s, GSR 750 before and none as good 'allrounder at the 'bird'

Street