[Nexus242]

I keep thinking of this everytime I see some of you preach about only riding in head to toe full gear: helmets, jacket, gloves, pants and boots. I'm not saying that your wrong but just that you all tend to look down or make those that don't wear full gear bad about doing it.

You'd think that moto cops and mainly highway patrol moto cops would be wearing full gear since they are on their bikes 8-12 hours a day and in traffic and yeah chasing down speeders. Okay they have boots, gloves and the beanie helmet and the only armor I can see is the bullet proof vest under the standard issue cop short sleeve shirt. Even the jackets they wear don't seem to have any CE approved armor in them.

I just find the arguments about wearing full gear is more a matter of personal prefrence and not a requirement in most states. I'm not trying to start a flame war, just a discussion on the topic.

Sometimes I ride in a T-shirt, short, nikes and glasses so am I one of those riders you won't wave too or look down on because of that?? Or do you let each rider decide on their own level of safety equipment and leave it at that. I have no problem with anyone suggesting I wear more but draw the line at those the become pushy on condesending on the topic.

And I am under the belief that states that don't have helmet laws are because their riders voted not to have a helmet law.

 

[Madura]

As a former pig, I can tell you that cops think they are better than other people in every way. But I will also say that it's restrictiv e to wear all that gear and a motorcycle cop might need to weight the cost/benefit of gear vs. the ability to apprehend crooks.

Before you let them tell you how herioc they are for eschewing gear in favor of law enforcement and thereby risking their lives, ask them how much gear they wear when they ride off-duty. Also, ask them how often they break the speed limit.

I wear gear because I don't want to be fcked up in a wreck. If you don't wear gear, it's your choice; but Darwin is waiting for you.

EDIT: How are you fairing in the weather? We obviously didn't lose power on the east side.

 

[Nexus242]

I'm fine no power lose yet but my cell phone is going nuts, I think Cingular is losing a near by tower arrary. However in the last 30 mins its almost worst then it's been all day long. I lit my candles just in case now is when I loose power.


So back on topic, how often to pigs speed and then more over how do they get out of getting tickets while off duty?? The guy that did my MSF test is an FHP moto officer but he seemed pretty cool and not full of the cop god ego that most seem to develop.

 

[Madura]

...how do they get out of getting tickets while off duty??

I always kept my drivers license behind my shield. Since I was technically always on duty, I had an excuse to always carry my badge. And it's very handy to keep your license there.

When you pull the license out you make sure the other cop sees it come out of your shield case. After that, it's generally normal oinking and squealing and he jokes about how he should write you a ticket. Then he doesn't write you a ticket. Then your girlfriend gives you a blowjob as you drive away because she is so impressed by your ability to thwart the legal system.

 

[tlwisner]

Those cops don't wear full racing leathers, but their riding training is very good. Many cops here flunk out of the police M/C course. They are cops first, motorcyclists second - and they have enough equipment strapped to them.

Also, there isn't a problem with cops crashing their bikes. They aren't noobie riders, the courses they have to go through with 1000+ pound bikes are pretty amazing. They're just damn good riders and they're not out there playing racer-dude dragging their knees.

 

[Nexus242]

Also, there isn't a problem with cops crashing their bikes. They aren't noobie riders, the courses they have to go through with 1000+ pound bikes are pretty amazing. They're just damn good riders and they're not out there playing racer-dude dragging their knees.

And what about drivers crashing into them. Your argument make no sence and falls flat on it's self. Cause they have great training and are great riders then they don't need to wear gear??? So if I became a MS instructor I wouldn't need to wear any protective gear at that point cause I'll never crash or drop my bike??? Are you sure about that point??

 

[c50tiger]

And what about drivers crashing into them.

Quite. I've seen two motor cops taken out of commission by someone else's stupid move. One maybe the cop could have avoided had he been paying better attention (car coming across a cut-through on a 4 lane divided road). The other I don't see how; the jackass plowed into the back of him while he was stopped at a light.

 

[Clint]

Enough with the pig names and jokes. That's simply not welcome here. None of you knows all cops personally, and likely none of you know any outside your own little world, so keep the biased generalizations and baseless assumptions to yourself.

 

[87gsxrnut]

Hey, the M/C cops on Perry Mason Wore leather jackets, and they looked BAD-ASS!

- Nut

 

[SDSUsnowboards]

I would assume MC cops do not wear full gear because they probably work 8-12+ hour shifts. Do you want to be riding around on a rather large/hot bike for that long with a 20lb kevlar vest on, then a uniform, then leathers? The extra weight, besides being uncomfortable, is also cumbersome to be sure. I would bet it's a choice made with practicality in mind, rather than fashion or safety.

Some would argue safety takes top priority (darwin or hierarchy of needs: self preservation; whatever) so the added encumbrance is a logical trade-off. I think whomever choses to be a cop and ride a motorcycle (one or the other, let alone both at once) is a person who doesn't have safety as their highest priority in life.

 

[Madura]

...Do you want to be riding around on a rather large/hot bike for that long with a 20lb kevlar vest on...

In an otherwise good post I would correct that one statement. My Threat Level 3 weighed about 4 pounds with the shock plate.

As far as bashing cops: I earned the right. I was physically attacked, threatened and called every name in the book by crooks on the one side and laughed at by the other pigs in shift briefing for saying we were "public servants" on the other. I also had to read for my Seargent and endure a department riddled with incompetence and nepotism while no one in my department under Seargent got a penny in raise for over two years.

So yea, I earned it.

 

[Uncle Bob]

As far as bashing cops: I earned the right. I was physically attacked, threatened and called every name in the book by crooks on the one side and laughed at by the other pigs in shift briefing for saying we were "public servants" on the other. I also had to read for my Seargent and endure a department riddled with incompetence and nepotism while no one in my department under Seargent got a penny in raise for over two years.

So yea, I earned it.

You may have "earned" the right to bash your ex-departement but to expand that right to all police officers around the world, well that's another matter all together.

Now back to the topic at hand, Police motor officers should be required to wear full gear as long as it doesn't interfere with their ability to do their job as police officers or place them in greater danger.

Trying to intercept a suspect who may rush him as he's trying to remove a full face helmet for one.

Of course there is one point that I'll have to agree with Shaneomatic8
about is the administrative slowness in most police departements, there is a lot of new and improved gear out there that could protect officers but the dept priorities may not be the testing and evaluaton of new gear for a small unit within a dept.

I can certainly see how for example in California traditionaly the use of heavy and hot leathers would be detrimental to a motor officer riding 40h a week, you'd have them passing out from the heat on a regular basis.

In Quebec and other Canadian provinces our motor officers wear full gear and have even adopted mesh jackets and pants for hot weather.

 

[Louis]

In Quebec and other Canadian provinces our motor officers wear full gear and have even adopted mesh jackets and pants for hot weather.

Hmm, not the Provincial cops I was with this weekend. They have boots and jacket (at least this weekend they had heavy leather jackets can't speak for REALLY hot summer days though). No riding pants. They showed us what they can do with the BMW R1150RT they have. :shock:

And that was what they do for their warmup every morning! Those guys know their bikes, I can tell you that. They have a pretty hard training to be on motorcycles. If I remember correctly, I think they have a few months on ONLY riding classes, the first week they only WALK besides the bike :shock: .

 

[Uncle Bob]

I saw at least two SQ officers wearing motorcycle specific pants with vented jackets last wek end.

 

[Madura]

It is the same way with the military. Only recently did the Marines switch from the horrendously outdated hard sole boot to more of a running shoe type boot. Of course the US MArines are always on the avante guarde for that kind of thing. The Marines have actually patented their new digitized camoflage. But it is VERY difficult to get any military/paramilitary organization to change anything.

I have stories about that but I'll leave them alone for now. My generalizations are of course biased, but certainly not baseless. I love how people who have never been cops so heartily defend them. Keep up the status quo, Red.

 

[87gsxrnut]

I like the German Polizei in their green leathers and BMW bikes. I wish my photo albums weren't packed away, I'd post some pics.

- Nut

 

[tlwisner]

8)

 

[Guest]

Perhaps being 'accessible' might have something to do with it. When you're out in the world, it's probably a bad thing to be looking like Judge Dredd as you cruise through town.

Just a thought.

 

[87gsxrnut]

No way! Throw the BEATDOWN on the general populace!

:lol:

- Nut

 

[FIVEINCH]

Most MC peace officers are armored head to toe. Most are required to wear a long sleeve shirt reinforced across the shoulders and elbows. Their pants are reinforced in the seat and knees. Their boots are second only to track boots, and stop just below the knee. They wear 3/4 face helmets and leather riding gloves. Most are issued leather riding jackets for cool, or inclement weather. Their training is very extensive in handling the bike rubber side up or down. The bikes are designed to 'cage' the rider in case it lays over, and the riders are trained to 'eject' at the most oppurtune moment.

Granted: they may not survive being T-boned in an intersection by 2-ton, or better, cage coming at them. But then, we go back to training.