My observations of a Motorcycle LEO

On my way to work this morning, in the daylight, I was behind a LEO on a bike for a few miles traveling on a 6 lane divided road in pretty heavy traffic at about 50mph. A few observations...

• His brake lights were the brightest I've ever seen on any vehicle. Nothing else even comes close.
• He was on some sort of Harley.
• He seemed to shift gears a lot, or at least more than I expected.
• He was wearing a 1/2+ helmet (not really sure what it was to be honest)
• Not sure what he had on under his outer shirt or pants but it didn't look like he had a lot of protection on.
• It was about 40?F this morning... he seemed a little cold... kept trying to pull his collar up. I was thinking I would have a lot more gear on at 40?.
• At one point, he was traveling in the middle lane. A young lady in the right lane started to pull into his lane and nearly hit him. Fortunately, she saw him and he swerved just enough to keep from getting hit. He lit her up immediately, before she even got back into her lane! I'm guessing he wasn't too happy about that.
• I was only behind him for a few miles but he seemed really comfortable on that bike and he handled the close-encounter very well. I'm sure he's a really good rider, as they probably all are.

We don't have a lot of motorcycle LEOs around here so I was watching him pretty closely. Just thought I'd throw this out there for others to read and comment on if they like.

paulcb said:

We don't have a lot of motorcycle LEOs around here...

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Paul - If you ever come through Coppell and are speeding you are apt to discover we have several.

paulcb said:

At one point, he was traveling in the middle lane. A young lady in the right lane started to pull into his lane and nearly hit him. Fortunately, she saw him and he swerved just enough to keep from getting hit. He lit her up immediately, before she even got back into her lane! I'm guessing he wasn't too happy about that.

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It is what we all would do to folks that try to rob us of our lane! Just saying. Besides, it's a good excuse to stop and warm up a bit...

I was talking to a motorcycle LEO, a supervisor, in Phoenix recently. He was riding an ST1300 and was happy to chat. He indicated his force requires one full month of 8 hours / day training specific to a motorcycle before an officer is allowed to head out on his/her own with a police bike.

A couple of (older) motor cops I knew said they used to start every shift by spending about 20--30 minutes riding in a cone pattern setting, honing their skills.

If you'd ever attended a motor cop rodeo competition, you'd come away mightily impressed with their riding skills. I always do.

thumperjdm said:

If you'd ever attended a motor cop rodeo competition, you'd come away mightily impressed with their riding skills. I always do.

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Yep, I've seen those on YouTube... very impressive.

I have always thought that motor cops are amongst the best riders I have ever seen anywhere. They obviously receive very good training. A few times over the years I have seen people trying to out-run a motor cop and I have have never seen them succeed. Especially amusing when it is one of the t-shirt / sneaker crowd on a crotch rocket who can't out run a big heavy significantly less powerful bike- the rider makes the difference.

The LED tail lights on the new Harleys are incredible- best I have seen. I wish we could get the same quality lighting from the after market suppliers.

Back about six months ago when I stop to buy some cola to drink after a ride. I noticed two local motorcycle officers looking at my ST13 outside as I waited in line to pay for the drink. I went out and they where coming in and we greeted each other as we passed. I drank my soda then geared up and pulled away. The road home is a little twisty for about the first three of the six miles. I had been doing the speed limit all the way and was about to open it up a little on the last mile or so. I looked in the mirror as I came out of the last curve and there they where riding side by side right on my rear. Then they passed me and went on there way. On a ST1300 as you know a little is a bunch. How could I have explained that ticket. That could have been very interesting.

fnmag said:

A tough job indeed. They ride in the type of traffic that I avoid.

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I have heard a couple LEO motos have had minor traffic tangles in the Phx area lately. And roughly a year ago a LEO moto was taken out by a drunk driver rear ending him while stopped at a light. Ironically he was part of a DUI task force. A tough job no doubt, but I too am in awe of their riding skills.

Besides all the training they go through, just the number of hours they ride, the average ride will never get the experience a LEO gets riding. The dangers of riding and the dangers of just being a LEO my hat goes off to these guys.

fnmag said:

A tough job indeed. They ride in the type of traffic that I avoid.oliceST:

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This is my thought as well and typed before I could get to it.

I recall a conversation (not an arresting one ) with a motor cop several years ago riding a GL1500 when he told me about one of his co-workers being a bit fatigued near the end of his shift, and neglected to remove his feet from the pegs when he stopped at an intersection - plop,,,

Wish I had been there.

We're lucky to have them and very lucky that they're on our side.

I've always wondered what advantage to the City they offer over regular motor cops in cars. The bike's aren't much if any cheaper than cars. The Worker's Comp has got to be through the roof. I'm not sure they are any more maneuverable in any way that matters. They are very vulnerable in pursuit situations. They have no place for a prisoner, so they couldn't make a DUI arrest without assistance. I see a lot of negatives, but no major positives.

I would think that a patrol car costs at least double what a bike costs, maybe 3 times as much when you consider all the equipment that goes into the car (ever see a computer on the mc officer's bike?). And as for training, don't LEO's get extensive driving training and wouldn't that match the motor officer's (unless of course, the motorcycle training comes after demonstrated proficiency driving a patrol car). As for hauling prisoners, most of the time that is not necessary, and if so, I'm sure they call for backup. Around here, I frequently see two or even three patrol cars with lights flashing behind a stopped car with people outside - the point being that when a situation becomes dicey, they call for backup.

jspringator said:

I've always wondered what advantage to the City they offer over regular motor cops in cars. The bike's aren't much if any cheaper than cars. The Worker's Comp has got to be through the roof. I'm not sure they are any more maneuverable in any way that matters. They are very vulnerable in pursuit situations. They have no place for a prisoner, so they couldn't make a DUI arrest without assistance. I see a lot of negatives, but no major positives.

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They're much more maneuverable. Think of a line of cars stopped in traffic at an intersection. Motors can not only filter through all that traffic to proceed forward, but they can also flip quick u-turns (sometimes going right over the top of a raised median), to go the other direction.

But you're right on Worker's Comp. The Bakersfield Police Dept just two years ago disbanded their motor unit (which had been in existence for 100 years) because of injuries and disabilities to officers, not to mention all of the officers lost in that department in the last 20 or so years, were motor cops killed while riding.

Don B said:

I recall a conversation (not an arresting one ) with a motor cop several years ago riding a GL1500 when he told me about one of his co-workers being a bit fatigued near the end of his shift, and neglected to remove his feet from the pegs when he stopped at an intersection - plop,,,

Wish I had been there.

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I did that on a very cold morning once in my last 20's

This is a funny thread as I don't remember ever seeing the moto-cops in Temple actually riding. I see them with cars pulled over or standing next to their bike with a radar gun, but actually riding....no.

jspringator said:

I've always wondered what advantage to the City they offer over regular motor cops in cars. The bike's aren't much if any cheaper than cars. The Worker's Comp has got to be through the roof. I'm not sure they are any more maneuverable in any way that matters. They are very vulnerable in pursuit situations. They have no place for a prisoner, so they couldn't make a DUI arrest without assistance. I see a lot of negatives, but no major positives.

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Search you tube for videos of "police motorcycle escort"....especially of the Special Escort group in London. See what they do for a living, then decide if the same could be done with patrol cars.

When it comes to traffic control, there are many positives.