Scruit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3GlEe1kCHA Too many of these happening. The officer stated in his official report that he pulled over this car for failing to signal a turn. The video clearly proves him wrong. Goes downhill rapidly from there.

I'm neutral here, not on your side, not on the cop's side. If an officer is pulling people over other than for valid Probable Cause then that's unacceptable. But an officer can tell you something different during the course of the investigation, that's fine, as long as there was a real true honest PC in there. I'd laugh my junk off if my brother pulled over a car becuase he "wanted to get a close look at a Maserati" only find a dead body in the back seat. That evidence goes bye-bye unless the officer lies and makes up some fake probable case - and then risk his career on hoping there's no video. That's one VERY poisonous tree.

OK, before this thread gets stupid... please clarify... Are you being sarcastic here, or do you really stop people without PC just to get a closer look at the bike/car rtc? I assumed you were being sarcastic / facetious or telling that was just the reason you gave the driver to allay suspicion while you were investigating the REAL reason for the stop. Assuming that the real reason for the stop was legitimate too. (Telling the driver his license plate light is out when you're actually waiting to see if the car comes back as stolen becuase you noticed one of the windows was busted out, etc) If you pull someone over just to look at the bike, what do you list as your PC when the guy turns otu to be a lawyer and gets all pissed off, or you become aware of a crime he is committing that you would not have been aware of without stopping him? Something his defense attorney will raise. There's too many cameras out there for you to get away with "he was weaving" for much longer.

I'm not a cop, never have been. I think you're being too literal.

Not even close to what I said. Your own prejudices are showing.

So if you think the driver has an outstanding warrant are you goign to tell the driver; "Hey, I pulled you over because I remember you and I think you have a warrant... Please sit here for 10 minutes while Radoi gets back to me. She's dispatching 3 departments right now, so it may be a while." Or are you going to try to put him at ease / BS him and say; "Nice car. How do you like like that handling? (keep him talking about cars until the warrant check come back)" I know about you cop types. Tell me you never got a miranda-free confession by just shooting the breeze with the guy in the back of the cruiser and letting him talk and talk and talk until he opens up... Rather than asking direct questions about the offense that would require a miranda warning and scare him into clamming up.

At the end of the day, an officer is only goign to stop you becuase they think you're doing something wrong. Whether that suspicion comes from a legitimate reason or not, an officer's experience and instinct is usually very reliable. If an officer thinks you might be drunk then they'll use any excuse to get you pulled over. Whether that excuse was real or not is a a matter you may raise withthe courts. I will tell you that there is absolutely no reason to waste time pulling over someone that the officer believes is not doing anything wrong.

Digression: My mother was a radar operator in the RAF and she "met" Douglas Bader. He was given a tour of the radar room and while talking to another senior officer, standing right next to my mother, stated; "Have the girl get me a tea." She replied something to the effect of; "'The GIRL is too busy to get your tea, Sir." He turned to her, smiled, apologized for being rude and politely asked her to get him a tea. This time he got his tea.

Let it bother you. But not so much that it become dangerous. Have fun in the corners. But not so much that it becomes dangerous. Feel that acceleration. But not so much that it becomes dangerous. Every time I thumb the starter I promise myself that I will do everything in my power to get home same to my wife and young son. I carry that with me on the ride. Accidents happen when someone does something unexpected. I just do my best to not be the person doing the unexpected thing. That, and I keep plenty of traction reserve in every situation I can.

I use my modulator only when there is someone who is wanting to cross my path but I have ROW. - Nobody has tried to pull out after I turned the modulator on. - A few have started to pull out and stopped after I turned on the modulator. - Nobody has acted like they thought I was a cop - Almost everybody stares at me with a WTF look on their face. I guess that mean they noticed me. The hi-vis jacket helps too. If I stop at a store during my ride I always get at least "I can see you for a mile in that jacket!" "That's the point!" I want to add aux lights with a wig-wag effect. Highly visible and nobody is going to think it's an invitation to pull out... But as has been mentioned - people pull out in front of emergency vehicles with lights and sirens going. That's wh you cover the brakes, have an out, and watch them like a hawk. I have caught myself approaching a car at a side street and thinking; "Are you the person who is going to kill me?" (followed by slowing down, coverign the brakes, watching my six and just generally being ready in case they do pull out.)

No pics, no price, dunno if it runs or not? Why even bother posting?

The featureless fairing is too much of a contrast to the visually busy body.

Ugly mix of exposed bits and overly-smooth fairing. Doesn't flow for me.

400 miles so far. Only had the bike 2 weeks. Gonna be doing 250/wk just in commuting, then add weekends...

I went to ASK on the east side, just off 70. They deal they gave me wound up with me OTD for a couple hundred less than the MSRP. (no trade-in, outright cash purchase) I had to order the bike and wait a week or two, but it came in and I picked it up no problems. I found them to be nice people and very easy to deal with. The other dealers in this area are all demanding MSRP at least, and some are charging 275 "freight" on top of that. I was quoted from 8650 to 9200 OTD from the other dealers in the area. They blamed the Tsunami for lack of inventory too. Honda East in Maumee were listing the bike at 7299 and they quoted me 7950 OTD. I would have gone up there if ASK hadn't matched that deal for me. Other places list it below MSRP too. http://www.cycletrader.com/Suzuki-V--Strom+650+Abs-Motorcycles/search-results?type=Motorcycle|356953&make=Suzuki|2320128&model=V--Strom+650+Abs|764861470&year=2011:*&zip=43015&radius=250&sort=year:desc

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/apr/15/accident-kills-motorcylist-marion-ar-455172/ Older rider, no helmet, failed to negotiate a curve.

Where I come from we call this the "SMIDSY Wiggle". SMIDSY = "Sorry, Mate, I Didn't See You". The first thing a British cager says when he cuts off a bike. Forward visibility is a massive concern of mine - I see "cars emerging from side streets" and "oncoming cars turning left" as the greatest threat to my life. These are the types of accident with the greatest speed differential between me and the other car. (Of course, other cars going left of center would be even worse, but they're nowhere near as common) I currently have my dayglo green jacket, and the headlight modulator on the Wee (those high-beams are BRIGHT!). I have not had anyone pull out in front of me in a situation where they failed to see me. (I've had morons see me then pull out knowing I'd slow down, but no amount of lighting will stop that) I don't have the modulator running all the time, just when I see someone who wants to cross my path but I have ROW. I also slow right down and cover the brakes. I also move to the far side of the lane (to the left of the lane if the car is coming from the right) so that if they turn into the lane then I may be abel to get past without hitting them. Blasting past a sidestreet dead center in the lane hard on the gas gives you very little chance to stop the the cager pulls out.

Whenever I hear of a bike accident my first thought is always; "What happened and how can we try to stop it happening again?" Selfish, maybe? I dunno. Kind of like an FAA approach to an air crash. If the rider was blameless and geared up then that stuff scares the crap out of me and that is where we have to learn lessons - if it can happend to a blameless geared-up rider then ts can happen to me. Sloshed stunting shirtless squids get a moment of sympathy for their families' loss, but I don't give it much "how do I avoid that" thought.

nbc4i says that the bike was headed north on ORR and the car was headed south on ORR and they collided in the intersection of ORR and the 315 on/off ramps. The only side roads on that intersection are both ont he east side - the ramps to 315. I think it's a safe bet that either the bike went left-of-center for some unknown reason (unlikley) or the car made a left into the path of the rider. Even if the car did make the left, it's too early to begin to assig fault (for learning purposes, not for vilification). How fast was the bike going, what color were the lights etc. Also, as as secondary concern, what gear was the biker wearing and how fast were they going? If the bike had the green, was goign at a reasonable speed, was fully geared up and the car violated his ROW then that's something for us all to consider - be more defensive at intesections. If the bike was doing 100mph with no gear and ran the light between two cars then I'm not going to worry myself to sleep tonight about "what if that happened to me".

Sounds fair. Where do I sign?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6foKm1A-UWo

Yup, E45. Huge. They render the passenger pegs useless, too. I had to make custom footpeg mounts.

K. I'm planning to ride it down to Ohio Motorcycle on Saturday to give them a look, but I'd be willing to give your friend a couple days to show interest.

Yes, stopping gets him a Misdemeanor instead of a felony. Or a wreck. Or a wreck, with a felony stapled to it. Or a wreck, followed by a damn good nightsticking, followed by 3 months in hospital getting your legs and arms duct-taped back on, followed by a week or two in jail with a VERY lonely and VERY friendly guy called "Big Meat", followed by a roller-coaster ride through the court system where the judge winds up being the officer's 2nd cousin and is gonna make you pay for the blister the officer got on his finger during the nightsticking, then 6 months in prison wearing nothing but kool-aid dyed boxers and missing your front teeth. Then when you get out your wife has divorced you and married the officer. And the officer is now riding your bike. I'll take the misdemeanor.

Dunno what a second cruiser would do in a chase. If your bike is fast enough to outrun a cruiser then sending a second cruiser isn't going to make you any slower or make the police any faster. Even if the second cruiser is sitting there ready to floor is the second you punch the gas, you're going to be in the next zip code before he can blink. If you are all geared up then they may be concerned about that being a tactical advantage in a fight? I guess it's just the officer's judgement that bikers can be trouble and require extra caution. Additional cruisers are easy to come by on a slow night. I called in an auto-theft in progress one time and 6 cruisers arrived within 30 seconds. They were all returning to the station in convoy from another call and were passing just one block over when they got the radio call. Nothing else to do, let's ALL go catch the car thief. They got him. Poor kid was 13 years old and must've damn near bathroomed in him pants when he saw all 6 cruisers arrive together like they were in a hollywood bank heist scene. Lucky you didn't get reckless op. 20+ over would not be too tough to argue as "reckless" in front of a judge.