Motorists Pull Over for Me!

[JeffOlson]

I have had my new white Norge for only a few weeks now, but already motorists are pulling over for me and stopping! I wonder why?  :+=copcar

In no case was I tailgating or flashing my lights. They must have felt guilty about something. Perhaps this is why new white Norges are not available in (for example) Canada.

Now I just need red and blue flashing lights, a gun, a badge, and a citation book. ;)

[canuguzzi]

Don't worry, if you commute over the same route, the will know better next time. They do the same thing for riders on BMW RTPs so nothing new. I wouldn't count on this as some courtesy because there are some sled drivers who after seeing that you aren't a copper will remember next time and give you a squeeze.

Whatever you do, don't opt for some blue lights on front or anything red, eventually you'll be the one with the ticket.

[JeffOlson]

^ Understood!

However, it is astoundingly nice to be noticed on a motorcycle for a change!

[cj750]

For some reason I get a similar reaction when I'm out on my old KZ1000.

[dilligaf]

Whatever you do, don't opt for some blue lights on front or anything red, eventually you'll be the one with the ticket.

Ya think?  :BEER:
Matt

[sturgeon]

I get a similar reaction on my 1150RT. I found it works even better if I wear a hi-viz vest  ;D

[Bill Hagan]

^ Understood!

However, it is astoundingly nice to be noticed on a motorcycle for a change!

EXACTLY!

But, for fun, forget ATGATT some day in favor of a half helmet, silver aviator sunglasses, and a a short-sleeve light blue shirt.   ;D

Bill

[John A]

Get a pair of red base Fiamm horns, mount them so the round red is showing. It's legal even...

[Sasquatch Jim]

  They pull over for my wheelchair too and I dress like a Hawaiian thug.

[rodekyll]

It happened a lot on my old black-and-white ambo, which was a retired police bike when I bought it.  Then one night someone pulled over -- into my lane.  He was targeting what he thought was a cop bike, probably because I was within a couple blocks of the trooper hq.  I managed to stop short and he went past and into one of those old cable guard rails at a good speed, which disabled the car.  I went ballistic immediately and started beating out his windows with something I picked up off the shoulder.  

The troopers emptied their building and got rough with me, kicking my legs out from under me, throwing me over the hood of the wrecked car and cuffing me.  The driver tried to sneak away while they were focused on me.  Someone came from across he highway and backed up my argument that the guy had changed course a few times to match my evasive maneuvers and was clearly trying to hit me.  It turned out that the driver had done the same thing to a local motor officer a few weeks earlier, missing him, but also getting away before he was identified.  When they sorted it out they uncuffed me, apologized profusely, and asked me to leave while they dealt with the perp.

So the mistaken identity cuts both ways.

[Lannis]

  They pull over for my wheelchair too and I dress like a Hawaiian thug.

Not sure what that is?   We apparently don't get many of those outside of Hawaii!

Lannis

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Wife beater T - shirt and cargo pocket shorts, just like all the other males, (and some females ) around here.

[Triple Jim]

I'm pretty sure I've had cars in front of me slow down when they saw me on my white Mille and I was wearing my blue and white leather jacket.

[Lannis]

I'm pretty sure I've had cars in front of me slow down when they saw me on my white Mille and I was wearing my blue and white leather jacket.

Doesn't work here.   The local police don't use motorcycles at all, and the State Police use very distinctive looking Harley-Davidsons.    Sort of hard to look like one of them without crossing the "impersonating a police officer" line, and that would be a rough place to go ... !

Lannis

[Jeeron]

I get the same looks with the bike I got back home in Netherlands.

• Phones fly through the car (according to a friend I have ridden with a lot)
• seatbelts are fastened all of a sudden (one of my teachers did that when he saw me)
• most annoying, people slow down when I`m behind them (no tailgaiting)

Has been happening as long as I had the bike, and it doesnt even look like a Dutch police bike. Used to be Dutch MP though.



what it used to look like in service:


what the MP's ride now:


regular cops:

they also use the F series and the K1600GT

[Triple Jim]

Doesn't work here.   The local police don't use motorcycles at all, and the State Police use very distinctive looking Harley-Davidsons.    Sort of hard to look like one of them without crossing the "impersonating a police officer" line, and that would be a rough place to go ... !

Lannis

They don't use motorcycles here either, local or state, but I guess that doesn't prevent the phenomenon for some folks.

[radan2]

  They pull over for my wheelchair too and I dress like a Hawaiian thug.

I thought you WERE a Hawaiian thug.  Or is that a Hawaiian Don Juan?

[Sasquatch Jim]

  A Hawaiian thug is usually a Haoli that thinks he's tough until he meets a Hawaiian that is.
 Not many thugs in my area.  Possibly because of very vigilant leos.

[dilligaf]

EXACTLY!

But, for fun, forget ATGATT some day in favor of a half helmet, silver aviator sunglasses, and a a short-sleeve light blue shirt.   ;D

Bill

And give folks ticket for .....aw forget it.  :BEER:
Matt

[Doppelgaenger]

Whatever you do, don't opt for some blue lights on front or anything red, eventually you'll be the one with the ticket.

It's not illegal to ride a bike that looks like a police bike as long as you don't try and impersonate an officer.

But... there are plenty of dick cops out there that will make your life hard for fun, then you have to go to court to get it dismissed, which is never fun...

[azguzzirep]

It's not illegal to ride a bike that looks like a police bike as long as you don't try and impersonate an officer.

But... there are plenty of dick cops out there that will make your life hard for fun, then you have to go to court to get it dismissed, which is never fun...

Here is a true story for ya!
I was on my my 1973 Eldo, packed up with camping gear, and heading north from Phoenix, on an ABATE Charity run, along with about 50 HD's. I always wore a retired(old, sold at auction) AZ Highway Patrol helmet.

A buddy on a Guzzi and I lagged behind the rest of the group because of the noise, and were plugging along at the speed limit minding our own business. We both saw the patrol car sitting by the side of the road watching traffic go by.

Soon, I approached a car going a bit slow, so I turned on my blinker to pass, looked in the mirror to see if the road was clear, and there, to my surprise, was Officer Friendly. I stayed in my lane to let him pass, but he didn't. He soon swerved in front of my buddy and behind me, with lights on. I stopped.

This old pisser of a patrolman, said he stopped me for many reasons, one being that I looked too much like a police officer. On a 32 year old, powder blue Moto Guzzi??????

We had a lengthy discussion about the bike, a former City of Phoenix police bike, my helmet, import requirements, and a lot of other sh=t.

Well, he gave my a repair order because he said my brake light lens wasn't proper, and I had to Post Haste get me some reflectors on the back of the bike. So I bought a package of reflectors in the town and zip-tied them to the back of the bike.

Long story short, I went to the Highway Patrol office in Phoenix the following week and wrote up a nice lengthy complaint on this Officer. I also got my money back for the reflectors I didn't have to buy, from HIS Supervisor.

Tom

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Did you say that was officer fiendly?

[prof_stack]

In Seattle my former Harley FLHS Electra-Glide in blue was the perfect ride for always having a safety bubble of space around me.  I wore ballistic blue with reflector strip and a half-shell helmet. 

Yeah, most all of the cagers thought I was police. 

They don't do that when I'm on the Breva.   :D

[father guzzi obrian]

South Coast BMW in Long Beach, CA sells ex cop BMW's minus the radio, gun rack and red and blue lights, they still look very cop like. I rode my friend Rogers quite a bit in the twisty bits of the Malibu mountains, I had so many folks slowing down and turning off the main road, it was bizzare, until I realized I looked like a cop.  You sure get noticed

[JeffOlson]

It's so nice to be noticed while riding, isn't it?

[azguzzirep]

  Did you say that was officer fiendly?

No, it is just a generic pet name I use for LEO's. I respect Police in general. They do an awesome job. I would N E V E R call a cop a pig.

[azguzzirep]

Here is a funny one! True story!

One morning while riding my Eldo to work, I pulled up behind a female coworker, who was waiting in a school zone, to turn left onto the street we needed to take to work. Of course, traffic kept coming and there was no gap for us to turn, no one slowed for us.

Finally, as I was sitting behind her and looking at the oncoming cars over the top of her car,  I put my hand up, kinda like HALT, and the people in the oncoming traffic thought I was a cop, so they stopped.

We turned left, and I followed my colleague down the street and into our parking lot. As she parked I pulled up behind her to say 'good morning' .

She got out of her car, looked at me and said, "Gottdamit, Tom, I thought you were a cop!"

[redrider]

Happens often since installing the hyper yellow headlight.

[redrider90]

A few year back North Carolina bought a fleet of Ford Victorias for the State Patrol.
The painter screwed up. They are 2 tone colors and the painter inverted the colors. So instead of repainting them they were sold to the general public. Brand new police interceptor Crown Vics. People were confused as heck when looking in the mirrors and seeing one of those inverted painted cars.

[normzone]

Here in So Cal my white Bassa with the Swanee fairing gets a lot of those reactions. My black helmet spoils it though.