Kneepucks on the street: Cop bait?

[Owensdad]

Always trying to fly below the radar (so to speak :toothless), I have often wondered whether LEOs give a longer look to street riders wearing pants or full suits with kneepucks.

I leave mine at home only because I feel silly riding around town with totally virgin sliders.

Please discuss.

 

[motorman4life]

I don't give kneee pucks a second thought... worn or virgin. What get's my attention? Unnecessary revving or jabbing the throttle, overly loud exhaust, riders in groups of 6 or more, riders splitting to the front on a red, then looking around like a maniac and getting ready to drop the hammer on a fresh green signal.

 

[Owensdad]

...riders in groups of 6 or more...

Interesting. Any particular reason?

And how did "spinner day" go?:laughing

 

[Sidewalk]

Never been stopped in my leathers.

I don't care about having virgin pucks. I haven't done a track day, so I don't worry about being embaressed by it. I wear leather for protection in a get off, not to look cool.

I can't help to think that having a stock pipe, and wearing a 1-piece touring type suit with a flip up helmet, and having a tail/saddle bags can't help in reducing attraction.

 

[wackyiraqi]

riders splitting to the front on a red, then looking around like a maniac and getting ready to drop the hammer on a fresh green signal.

That's interesting.

When I split up to a light in the city, I'll often nose forward in order to see past the parked cars for potential red light runners.

I'm not looking to get a good jump on the light, I'm looking to make sure no one's barrelling towards the stale yellow.

 

[Sidewalk]

I usually only split up to the front if I am in a hurry and the line is real long, or if I am going to make a right turn at that light. Other then that, I usually don't split to the front at a light.

Get me on the highway, and that is a whole different story.

 

[Owensdad]

I never thought sliders provided any crash protection but I'm interested in other opinions.

I'm sure as hell not skilled enough to safely put a knee down on the street. I always felt sliders were decoration for most riders. The purpose of decoration is usually to attract attention.

As far as filitering at intersections, I almost always split/share to the front, and I sure as hell look around and probably look like a maniac doing it, but I try to keep the revs low. That's cool, no? edit: what :wackyiraq said

 

[motorman4life]

Interesting. Any particular reason?

Don't you pay attention when you see a group of 6 or more bikes? I have found there is a direct relation between group size and stupidity. The bigger the group, the more likely you will find someone trying to STAND OUT in the group.

When I split up to a light in the city, I'll often nose forward in order to see past the parked cars for potential red light runners.

I'm not looking to get a good jump on the light, I'm looking to make sure no one's barrelling towards the stale yellow.

It is not the people looking left and right for redlight runners. I guess you would need to SEE it to understand. I'm talking about these guys that look ALL around, behind them, ahead, all over. They are looking up, down, at suspicious bushes, you name it. They are about to either race or pull a stunt and they are looking for the cops, ANY COPS, in the area.

I call it bobble-heading because it is not only funny to watch and a very reliable indicator, but because they look like a bobble head when you whack the shit out of it. It goes on pretty much non-stop until the light turns green, then the show is on! :laughing

I just need to stay down until they take off, then I can ride up right next to them... it freaks them out. :teeth

 

[Sidewalk]

I never thought sliders provided any crash protection but I'm interested in other opinions.

It isn't the slider, it is the leather they are attached too. I have a suit with sliders because I do intend to do track days.

 

[Owensdad]

It isn't the slider, it is the leather they are attached too.

Agreed.

I wear a trackable suit because I want to be protected in a crash. I have no plans to put a knee down so, for me, pucks are ornaments.

The point of my post is whether or not LEOs associate them (pucks that is, not leathers) with squidly behavoir. Apparently they do not.

 

[weasel]

I think a wifebeater would attract more attention.

 

[Dragon]

I think a wifebeater would attract more attention.

I think 6 wifebeaters would attract even more attention :laughing

 

[knutzythebunny]

I usually just wear a thong and pasties and the cops strangely don't want to pull me over...

 

[motorman4life]

I usually just wear a thong and pasties and the cops strangely don't want to pull me over...

Ohhhh, that was YOU! :laughing :laughing :laughing :wow :laughing

 

[zombi]

It is not the people looking left and right for redlight runners. I guess you would need to SEE it to understand. I'm talking about these guys that look ALL around, behind them, ahead, all over. They are looking up, down, at suspicious bushes, you name it. They are about to either race or pull a stunt and they are looking for the cops, ANY COPS, in the area.

interesting, I never thought of this. personally I do most of my riding in SF where every block is potential major danger from all sides, so I tend to try to stay away from traffic by splitting to the front at reds where possible, and I do basically scan left right front back continuously while I'm stopped, looking not just for possible red light runners but basically any new threat that might come out of nowhere, including jaywalkers. I feel splitting to the front also helps mitigate the likelihood that somebody will rear end me to death, especially at the time of year where sunrise/set light makes it hard to see an MC stopped at the back of a line of cars. I'm probably not doing the bobble head you describe, though I do turn my head to make sure I'm getting a full picture, and I have considered that my movement might draw drivers attention to the fact that I am there if they are spaced out at all, which sounds like it might. of course I'm not rocketing off at the green, well, just up to the speed limit maybe. I can get to 35 a lot faster than most cars, so that helps as far as keeping away from traffic as well. anyway given your comments I think I will do my best to keep my head movement as understated as possible, while still getting the fullest impression of the surroundings possible

 

[chrono-X]

I don't give kneee pucks a second thought... worn or virgin. What get's my attention? Unnecessary revving or jabbing the throttle, overly loud exhaust, riders in groups of 6 or more, riders splitting to the front on a red, then looking around like a maniac and getting ready to drop the hammer on a fresh green signal.

what about the newbie rides? we usually have groups of 6+ riders per group.

I also split to the front of the light cuz i feel safer parked between 2 cars if some idiot decides to come in too close. I dont feel comfortable with a cager right on my ass. I make a habit of checking for potential hazards when i'm at the front. I look to the cager to my left and right to make sure they dont look like assholes that wants to race me or want to take me out. I also check for red-light runners. So doing all that makes my head move from left to right to left to right all the time.

 

[BigCorySBFMC707]

riders in groups of 6 or more,

Yup, it is getting harder and harder to sneak to the stunt spot when you are riding with 100-200 other club members. lmao

 

[Dragon]

Ohhhh, that was YOU! :laughing :laughing :laughing :wow :laughing

Did ya think it was Valgar? :laughing

 

[motorman4life]

what about the newbie rides? we usually have groups of 6+ riders per group.

I also split to the front of the light cuz i feel safer .... I look to the cager to my left and right to make sure ..... I also check for red-light runners. So doing all that makes my head move from left to right to left to right all the time.

I guess you would have to see what I am talking about to understand. The ordinary checking of traffic while riding vs. looking around for any cops before you pull a stunt have two distinctly different looks and behaviors.

I ride a bike for a living and I see other riders all day. Trust me, there is a difference. I have spotted it dozens upon dozens of times and I have never been wrong in what their intent was.

As for newbie rides... if you are in a group of 6+ bikes, you will stand out, newbies or not. The question was regarding "cop bait" and my comment about groups of 6 or more bikes was in reference to it attracting attention. I've asked this before, but I'll ask it again: Don't you notice groups of 6 or more bikes?

I have found, the larger the group, the greater the odds are that someone will act up/get stupid/try to stand out in the crowd/show their ass. I have been wrong on that one many times, but that does not change the fact that large groups of bikes draw attention.

 

[boney]

Don't you notice groups of 6 or more bikes?

Hey motorman, I know what you mean about someone trying to stand out in a group. I see it mostly on weekend mornings in San Rafeal when the cruiser crowd gets on at the last ramp going north. The first one hits it (probably just to hear his fargin pipes). The second one hits it and changes 2 lanes. The third one hits it, changes two lanes and sees me rolling along in the fast lane :angel (on a beemer) so he guns it again and changes more lanes in an effort to get in front of me. #4 follows and is usually the one that almost get taken out by a car, and #s 5-1x usually cause traffic to scatter in an effort to not hit them when they get on and change multiple lanes without looking. Then when they have succeeded in blocking all traffic, including me, they slow down to a snails pace.:mad