I've seen the light.

[earlfor]

Out for an evening ride, coming through the outskirts of town, cruising along, just minding my own business, when suddenly, two flashing blue lights appeared in my mirrors. I believe my immediate thought on the subject was "Oh Crap!". So's I pull over onto the shoulder, put the Bandit on the side stand, shut it off and wait. Mr. trooper walks up and says those
immortal words, "may I see your driver's license". Getting off the bike, I pull out my wallet and reach for my license. However, starting things off on the 2nd wrong foot, I forgot about being in Lowes today. Normally, that would not matter, but I keep my license as the top item in a particular pocket. Leaving Lowes, I had placed my credit card in that place on top of the license and now in the dark, I could not read what I was handing him.
He looks at the card and says, "I believe this is a credit card". Hmmm says I, I dont guess that is going to do is it? I hand him my license which he immediately checks for a motorcycle endorsement. No problem there hehe. He next asks if I have the registration to which I
reply, "certainly" and hand to him in two seconds. Then he looks at my license plate and says, "about time for a new one isnt it?" Giving him my best puzzled, befuddled old man expression, I reply that it doesnt expire until November. He says the numbers are almost worn off. I look and say, "yeah, I guess you're right". I'm not inclined to try to elaborate on how that could have have happened. Mr. Officer says to stay where I am while he runs the numbers and goes back to his car. A minute later he returns and
says I got you on radar at 58 mph in a 45 zone". To which my reply was, I guess I should have been paying better attention. He says, "ease it off a little bit. Have a nice night. I said thank You. Maybe having the proper paperwork, wearing the gear, and being pleasant does help. Or maybe he was just happy I didnt make him chase me.

Earl

 

[marvinsc]

Take any break You get Earl.

 

[MissFabulous]

Good deal!! Any time I get lucky like that, I try to remember to be more watchful of what I'm doing... I think the lucky pot has limits on how many free passes we can get!

 

[marvinsc]

Good deal!! Any time I get lucky like that, I try to remember to be more watchful of what I'm doing... I think the lucky pot has limits on how many free passes we can get!

Thanks Shirl, I hadn't thought about passing Pot since the 70's.

 

[MissFabulous]

[/color]


Thanks Shirl, I hadn't thought about passing Pot since the 70's.

You mean you've been bogarting this whole time???

 

[marvinsc]

I plead the 5th. or was that 6th?

 

[earlfor]

I my own silly little way, I guess I dont consider 58 in a 45 as actually speeding. LOL In daylight, its rare that I will miss seeing them in their hidey place, but gonna have to watch it a little more carefully after dark.


Earl

 

[MissFabulous]

I my own silly little way, I guess I dont consider 58 in a 45 as actually speeding. LOL In daylight, its rare that I will miss seeing them in their hidey place, but gonna have to watch it a little more carefully after dark.


Earl

LOL I thought the same kind of thing when I started reading "58?? That's it?" but in most cases, with cars anyway, anything over 10 MPH is considered offensive and I think in some places, 15 starts to get to be a big deal. Definitely pays to be aware of the hot spots where you ride.

 

[82gs1100]

police set there radar for 10mph over on the street and 15mph on the highway.
thats the general rule.
a speedometer in the USA has to be accurate to with in 4% of its range

 

[earlfor]

police set there radar for 10mph over on the street and 15mph on the highway.
thats the general rule.
a speedometer in the USA has to be accurate to with in 4% of its range

I dont think so. I can say for a fact that a Bandit 12 speedometer with stock gearing has a 9% error. ( A Bandit has an electric speedometer that is driven by a sensor on the countershaft, so speed is indicated according to countershaft rpm. Indicated speed remains constant to countershaft rpm, but actual speed varies with gearing)

Earl

 

[earlfor]

LOL I thought the same kind of thing when I started reading "58?? That's it?" but in most cases, with cars anyway, anything over 10 MPH is considered offensive and I think in some places, 15 starts to get to be a big deal. Definitely pays to be aware of the hot spots where you ride.

Yeah Shirl, speedwise 58 is nothing, but here, its also a $500.00 ticket.

Earl

 

[Sandy]

Maybe having the proper paperwork, wearing the gear, and being pleasant does help. Or maybe he was just happy I didnt make him chase me.

Earl

Doing your best oldfart imitation probably helped a wee bit too. I guess it wasn't an imitation was it? LOL. From one oldfart to another, glad you didn't get written up.

 

[bonanzadave]

Question:

Upon being pulled over by one of our nations finest. Shutting down the bike and lowering the side stand. Do you then ....

1. Remove your helmet ?
2. Get off the bike ?
3. Call a lawyer ?
4. ???

 

[earlfor]

Doing your best oldfart imitation probably helped a wee bit too. I guess it wasn't an imitation was it? LOL. From one oldfart to another, glad you didn't get written up.

With oldfart helmet hair, I look older than I am, so I explain that I havent stepped off the bike because I left my walker at home.

Earl

 

[earlfor]

Question:

Upon being pulled over by one of our nations finest. Shutting down the bike and lowering the side stand. Do you then ....

1. Remove your helmet ?
2. Get off the bike ?
3. Call a lawyer ?
4. ???

Hmmm, I remove my gloves first. Thats because i cant undo the helmet strap with them on. Then off with the helmet because my disheveled Albert Einstein style gray helmet hair may earn me some sympathy bonus points. LOL After that, its the nice old codger that doesnt understand what this is all about. If that doesnt work, then its, please officer, just give me the ticket. I'll do anything not to have to go back to the nursing home.

Earl

 

[TheCafeKid]

I wait for him to walk up to the bike. Then tell him my intention to get off the bike and remove my gear. Having grown up around rough spots of the US (not that Dayton is all that rough, but it can be, I DID live in some BAD parts of LA for a good while) I make damn sure an officer is aware of any action i may take. I have no desire to give him any ideas that I might be up to something and for him to hit me with the pepper spray. Some of these younger, green cops down where I work are all too willing to go straight to use of force if you give them the SLIGHTEST reason to think they could get away with it. A buddy of mine was waiting for a buddy of his (who was NOT a buddy of mine) to get booked one night down in the Springboro local jail, as he was to be released afterwards on O.R. My buddy went to the window to ask how long he would be. An officer stepped out into the waiting area and told my buddy to calm down. My buddy says "Calm down? I am not upset. I simply asked her how long it was going to be." The cop told him again to calm down and relax. My buddy again stated he was simply asking a question. The cop grabbed my buddy by the arm and started to drag him toward a chair. Of course, he had no right to put his hands on my friend and he jerked his arm back, asking the officer to please take his hands off of him, and the officer immediately pepper sprayed him. Fortunately for my friend, and unfortunately for the officer, this was all on video with audio, and there were other people in the waiting room who also caught the draft of the pepper spray. My friends parents are well off, and he lawyered up pretty good and sued the officer and the Springboro PD. Of course, the PD dismissed the officer, and settled the whole thing out of court, because they didnt have a leg to stand on. Now my buddy has a super nice WRX STi out of the whole deal. Long story, not so short, is, if I am stopped, I am super polite, I do not argue, if I think i have something to say, I say it politely, and if the officer disagrees, I shut up, and if I KNOW im right, I will take the issue to the judge. Most importantly, I dont give them reason to give me a hard time. If i break the law, I take it like a man. I did the crime, I'll do the time as it were. I dont hate cops, but there are alot out there, especially in the rual areas where there really isnt much for them to do, I always keep in mind that they are most times looking for ANY reason to rack up the charges. Alot of these small towns rely on this as income. I also keep in mind that cops, especially in inner cities, often only see people at thier worst. This helps me to remain calm, even if the officer is being a bit of a prick, and keep the situation as pleasant as possible given the circumstances. And most times, if you are respectfull to them, and dont give them crap, or lie to them, they will be very cool, and sometimes, even let you off with a warning.

 

[Bill Lloyd]

The bike

The bike

What I got from all this is...you GOT the Bandit already!!! ???

-- Bill

 

[marvinsc]

Earl had the Bandit last August in West Virginia.

 

[Draketh]

I got stopped the other night for no reason, I didn't even notice it was a cop behind me, I just though it was another cager in an SUV riding my ass with more important places to be than behind my bike.

I laid on the throttle a little doing about 10 over hoping they would stop riding my ass. This was at night so I didn't see the lights on top of the SUV until they came on.

The lady was nice and just wanted to make sure I was the person registered to the plate. We chatted for a bit and I was on my way. :dancing:

 

[earlfor]

What I got from all this is...you GOT the Bandit already!!! ???

-- Bill

I've been on it for a bit more than three years now. I rode it to the Robbinsvile rally two years before the Wva ride. I will probably never get rid of it unless to get another one. Its the perfect bike for my preferences.

Earl