Unusual police motorcycles

[bendbill]

 

Police motorcycles around the globe:

 

http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/20-unusual-police-motorcycles-around-the-world---part-1.htm

 

And these Transalps can be seen throughout the Tuscany region:

 

[upflying]

More here

http://www.motofoto.cc/Police_Motorcycles.htm

[Lmar]

Great pictures!!

[kmac]

Or how about these...KTM 450excs and Quads and a Rhino..

 

http://vote29.com/newmyblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/rove.jpg

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Some of the riders look like they're dressed for a crash, but the Bolivians look like they're dressed for combat.

[MAT2CHI]

Below is my father back in the early 1950's on his duty bike.

 

[upflying]

I guess I should share this gratuitous photo of me. Compare the above photo and you can see not much has changed. Of course posting this will bring out the ATGATT watch dogs who will feel I am unnecessarily exposed to hazards. Things are slowly changing towards full face flip-ups and armor. Not quite there yet in Ca.

[MAT2CHI]

That's funny - you look so much older in your avatar photo.

[kmac]

That is a high quality of colorization in that photo

 

Or is it that the bike and gear just LOOKS antique

[Skywagon]

That looks like the Delta overlooking Collinsvilles Wind Generators??

[dhanson]

Super Tenere XT1200

[upflying]

That looks like the Delta overlooking Collinsvilles Wind Generators??

Yep, looking north, Sacramento River in the background, Travis AFB over the horizon.

[Fightingpiper]

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Hayabusa

 

 

 

 

 

[upflying]

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Hayabusa

 

 

 

 

and what quickly happened to it...

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=12520384

[Paul Mihalka]

"Oliphant had no choice but to lay down his motorcycle"

 

How much longer is this BS to continue? Problem is that common riders read this and think that if a well trained officer who attended the Superbike School does this, it must be the way to do it.

At least he was wearing more the a short sleeve shirt and standard officer's pants.

 

[kmac]

If he had time to turn on his lights and siren, why couldnt he have just hit the brakes? Obviously I wasnt there, but the brakes on a busa are pretty good and the article said he saw the truck changing lanes in "front of him"....he still could slow down enough?

 

Weird to me. Motorcyclist feelings that it is always the cars fault is just so wrong to me, there is so much we can do that i have seen that would change the crashes if WE as a group could learn to look farther down the road, constantly scan around us and take charge of our surroundings rather than LET the cages dictate our environment.

 

JMHO but i wasnt there.

[notacop]

It's good we have this forum to remind the motor officers how to ride. Generous of us.

[kmac]

If you want to take my comments as me teaching the officer how to ride, you are entitled to that opinion. I am just saying that i have personally witnessed quite a few motorcycle crashes {I commute on LA freeways about 60k per year} and on most of the crashes i have witnessed, IF the MC rider had been looking UP and paying attention he could have easily avoided the accident and it could have been one of those, just shake you head at the car moments.

 

Motor Officers cant make mistakes? Lapse in focus? Make the wrong choice?

 

Laying a bike down may be neccesary at some point, but that is not normally the best option. Nor is it the ONLY option.

Im with Paul on that one.

[KDeline]

If he had time to turn on his lights and siren, why couldnt he have just hit the brakes? Obviously I wasnt there, but the brakes on a busa are pretty good and the article said he saw the truck changing lanes in "front of him"....he still could slow down enough?

 

Weird to me. Motorcyclist feelings that it is always the cars fault is just so wrong to me, there is so much we can do that i have seen that would change the crashes if WE as a group could learn to look farther down the road, constantly scan around us and take charge of our surroundings rather than LET the cages dictate our environment.

 

 

IMO that is not the only problem. It's the mentality "I have the right of way, green light, my lane, etc. We all suffer from this, just human nature. We need to yeild to the bigger, deadlier things that can kill us and put our pride aside.

[Indy Dave]

If he had time to turn on his lights and siren, why couldnt he have just hit the brakes? Obviously I wasnt there, but the brakes on a busa are pretty good and the article said he saw the truck changing lanes in "front of him"....he still could slow down enough?

 

Weird to me. Motorcyclist feelings that it is always the cars fault is just so wrong to me, there is so much we can do that i have seen that would change the crashes if WE as a group could learn to look farther down the road, constantly scan around us and take charge of our surroundings rather than LET the cages dictate our environment.

 

 

IMO that is not the only problem. It's the mentality "I have the right of way, green light, my lane, etc. We all suffer from this, just human nature. We need to yeild to the bigger, deadlier things that can kill us and put our pride aside.

 

+1

[upflying]

I have my own opinion on Oliphant's crash on the 'Busa.

A riding motor lieutenant is a rare sight. Once you reach that level in your career, you really cease being a LEO. A Lt. takes over a desk and an office and does administrative work within the agency for the rest of the career. They don't arrest, don't write police reports and certainly don't write tickets.

My guess is the Hyabusa was the result of a public safety grant that Oliphant personally wrote and drafted from his office. The intended use of the motorcycle was to use it to promote motorcycle and driving safety at events, fairs, shows and carnivals. A booth set up with the bike park next to it with a LEO handing out pamphlets about driving safety as well OHP recruiting stuff.

For example, the CHP has a Lamborghini painted up in CHP colors. I've only seen it used as a show car.

My take is Oliphant felt a need to ride the bike since arranged for it's purchase. With little recent training and little recent riding experience (if any), he almost paid the ultimate price for his testosterone fueled need to ride the bike. Hopefully he got busted back down to Sgt.

I couldn't find a Lambp foto but there is a CHP Audi R8 in this group of pix.

http://www.flickriver.com/groups/chpphotos/pool/interesting/

 

[motorman587]

Below is my father back in the early 1950's on his duty bike.

 

 

Awesome picture!!!

[motorman587]

I guess I should share this gratuitous photo of me. Compare the above photo and you can see not much has changed. Of course posting this will bring out the ATGATT watch dogs who will feel I am unnecessarily exposed to hazards. Things are slowly changing towards full face flip-ups and armor. Not quite there yet in Ca.

 

Best job in the department. Was lucky to do it for 16 years........Motorman!!!!

[MotorinLA]

I have my own opinion on Oliphant's crash on the 'Busa.

A riding motor lieutenant is a rare sight. Once you reach that level in your career, you really cease being a LEO. A Lt. takes over a desk and an office and does administrative work within the agency for the rest of the career. They don't arrest, don't write police reports and certainly don't write tickets.

My guess is the Hyabusa was the result of a public safety grant that Oliphant personally wrote and drafted from his office. The intended use of the motorcycle was to use it to promote motorcycle and driving safety at events, fairs, shows and carnivals. A booth set up with the bike park next to it with a LEO handing out pamphlets about driving safety as well OHP recruiting stuff.

For example, the CHP has a Lamborghini painted up in CHP colors. I've only seen it used as a show car.

My take is Oliphant felt a need to ride the bike since arranged for it's purchase. With little recent training and little recent riding experience (if any), he almost paid the ultimate price for his testosterone fueled need to ride the bike. Hopefully he got busted back down to Sgt.

I couldn't find a Lambp foto but there is a CHP Audi R8 in this group of pix.

http://www.flickriver.com/groups/chpphotos/pool/interesting/

 

Much the same I was thinking when I saw the "Lt." title in the story. I have seen several supervisors ride motors. These supervisors, especially lieutenants, have often had extended periods of other assignments since they rode a motor as an officer. As a result, their riding skills are generally rusty at best. The "had to lay the bike down" line just supports this notion. There are very few situations that will be improved by laying the bike down. It is more commonly an excuse used by inexperienced riders following a collision. I can not picture a scenario like the one described in this incident, where laying the bike down would be a good idea. Braking and steering almost always trumps laying it down. Definitely smacks of "too much bike, not enough skill".

 

This of course is just my SWAG (Scientific Wild-@$$ Guess), based on stereo-types and speculation...

[tallman]

Isn't the 'Busa "too much bike" in general?

Just saying.

[kmac]

Soooo back to the original topic, In Riverside co. California we have {as i posted a link to earlier} a special unit of the sherrifs dept. that have a fleet of KTM 450 excr dual sports and all they do is ride around the back hills of Riverside writing tickets to anyone riding out there.

 

In Riverside county it is illegal to ride a MC on any land NOT designated as OHV land or SRVA land. Even if it is public owned land BLM you cant ride there. Even on private property with the permission of the land owner, even if YOU are the owner, it has to be over 20 acres to legally ride on it.

 

So the R.O.V.E. team {riverside offhiway vehichle enforcment} get to ride themselves all over the back hills WE CAN'T ride on, so that they can fine kids {or adults} who are just riding dirt bikes instead of fighting in gangs or dealing drugs or just getting high or drunk. Good thing they are here to protect us from ourselves and generate all of that revenue for themselves at my {or my fellow riding enthusiast} expense.

 

I have seen them filling up their rig with fuel, a newer Ford F350 diesel crew cab 4x4, with a 20' ish box trailer full of quads and DS KTMs so that they can ride where we all want to. It really PISSES me off....and i am an avid supporter of law enforcement. But pure revenue based law enforcment irritates me. I had a local LEO straight out tell me that busting meth labs is too expensive. They have to fund the investigations, the stings, the toxic chemical hazmat clean up, the trial, and the imprisonment of the offenders. That is too expensive for the city, county, and states to fund, so it is easier to just write dirt bikers tickets and even impound their bike to sell at auctions for a pure profit....Thanks for the protection and service.

This is not directed at individual LEOs but the leadership that decides this course of action.

[beemerboy]

My maternal grandfather circa 1930's, New Orleans PD:

[loboheritage]

shouldn't be too hard to find a white

Chevy pickup in Oklahoma........

[MAT2CHI]

Below is my father back in the early 1950's on his duty bike.

 

 

Awesome picture!!!

 

Thanks - and he was an awesome father too.