Tight Squeeze

[FIDOSOL]

So what do you do when you are in the left lane of a 4 lane road and the right lane is full of cars with a full sized SUV right beside you and another full sized SUV tries to take your lane? Well I didn't have quite enough time to get my leg out and kick the guys ride but my shoulder is sore from slamming into his mirror at 60MPH...wish I could say I did that on purpose.

On the bright side my bike and I both made it back to work, so I'm okay.

 

[XBear9S]

Been there done that...
Keep you finger on that clutch!
You never know when yer gonna have to drop it two and gas it!

Glad you made it out...

Robtk! a.k.a. "Special K"

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever.
Lean as if you were to touch your
elbow to the ground!"

--M2hatma Gandhi

 

[dave_xb12r]

I would chase them down and make them pay you to not report it as an accident. You might even be able to call it some sort of vehicular assault

 

[Bordsnbikes]

They hit you so it's an accident. Get a plate number, pull over and call the cops if they don't stop. My fiance has gotten used to almost getting killed now, we just give them the bird in unison, I love our little bonding moments. I didn't have this problem as much on the Harley, the loud pipes really did help. In two days I had people change lanes into me 3 times. Cockbags. I got in a yelling match with one guy because we were in traffic

 

[bitter rod]

Ha ha ha...First off, FIDOSOL, glad you are okay. Second, it was just an accident, not a "vehicular assault". In order for it to be an assault, there must be intent. I think you did the right thing. As riders, we know we have to always be watching the other idiots out there. If the only damage was a mirror, its not even a reportable (to the state) accident. Chasing someone down is more dangerous then the initial accident. FIDOSOL, hope you are on the mend...Bordsnbikes is right, if you do anything, get the plate, pull over and call the police.[up]

 

[Thaloc]

Heya Bitter i got a question, I got a ticket the other day while on the I-5 Freeway here in washington, i was right in the seattle area and it was about 2pm right after lunch time rush hour. I got pulled over and he wrote me a ticket for 75 in a 60. As I pull away, I see a speed limit sign that says 70 not a 1/4 mile away. Also, man it was heavy traffic and EVERYONE was moving. I honestly wasnt speeding i was just keeping with traffic. Im going to fight it, I know it was a bullshit ticket and it was right at the end of the month so he was trying to fill his quota is my guess. But how do you think they'll treat me? this is only my second ticket ever.

I guess my arguement is going to be I was just keeping with traffic, and im on a motorcycle if I get hit on a freeway I very well could die. Im not sure if the speed limit was 60 back where he clocked, even if he really did get "me" cuzz I hear its pretty damn impossible to tag a bike in heavy traffic like that.

 

[FIDOSOL]

It is hard to tag a bike in heavy traffic, check the area where he "caught you speeding" for traffic signs, also, find out if he even could have gotten a clear shot at you, if not or not reasonably so, fight it and ask to see his dash cam from when he shot the radar.

 

[dave_xb12r]

I read a book a while back writen by a cop about how to get out of a ticket. To sum up the book, it basically said to bring lots of evidence when you fight it, like pictures and diagrams. Go back to the scene and take picture of where you were pulled over and see if you can get that speed limit sign in the distance. Zoom lenses are OK. Bring in a folder or binder with as much evidence as you can put together.

Another thing... bike's speedos are sometimes 10% off. I know mine is. You could bring that up. I used that excuse once after I had just bought a used car. It worked.

 

[bitter rod]

Thaloc...here is my advice. First, go see what the actual speed limit was where the ticket states the offense occurred. Second, if you are going to fight it, do not admit that you were speeding. Saying you were keeping up with traffic is an admission of guilt. I understand your argument, however, the court will not care. The officer only has to prove that you were exceeding the posted speed.

Your ticket should say the method he used to get your speed. If it was radar, you might have a good argument that he could not have gotten a clear radar signal off of your bike. Radar will normally fix itself to large vehicles. If you were in a pack, then you might be good. If the officer used Laser, you are fucked. Laser is pointed directly at your vehicle...not much to argue. Another method is pacing. Which is basically driving behind a speeding vehicle and using your radar and speedo to pace the vehicle and get an estimated speed.

Quotas are illegal. However, many of us are evaluated each month based on our "stats". We cannot be punished for not writing tickets, and our command cannot tell us when to write or give breaks. I always (mostly) use this philosophy...attitudes write tickets...and the truth shall set you free.

In short, if you are going to fight it, do not admit to speeding. However, if you know you were speeding, then you got caught and you should just pay the ticket. Saying that you were "going with the flow" or "everyone speeds there" will only waste your time.

Let us know how it turns out. Good luck! BTW, I have a hard time keeping my bolt under 90, but I have yet to be stopped on it...knock on wood

 

[bitter rod]

I read a book a while back writen by a cop about how to get out of a ticket. To sum up the book, it basically said to bring lots of evidence when you fight it, like pictures and diagrams. Go back to the scene and take picture of where you were pulled over and see if you can get that speed limit sign in the distance. Zoom lenses are OK. Bring in a folder or binder with as much evidence as you can put together.

Another thing... bike's speedos are sometimes 10% off. I know mine is. You could bring that up. I used that excuse once after I had just bought a used car. It worked.

Pictures of where you were stopped will not help. Very rarely do I stop someone exactly where they committed the violation. Second, you are required to maintain your vehicle in the same working condition as it was sold as new. An inaccurate speedo is NOT a defense for speeding, and will likely only get you a second ticket for defective equipment.

 

[joshs74nova]

FIDOSOL, glad you and the bike both made it out ok. I hope you riped his mirror clean off. Did you catch any damage to the bike?

When I get stationed back to a more populated area, I might not ride as much for reasons like that. Or maybe trade the bolt in on something like you got. Just remember, F.I. drive on solider.

 

[dave_xb12r]

so bitter, is your bike's speedo right?

 

[Phrogg]

Then almost every bike in the world needs to be sent back...lol

I would love a bike with a correct speedo all the time. If your doing 90+ on your bike, I bet your closer to 83-85 if your lucky. 10% is a rule of thumb. That and it only kicks in when you get going around 70-80mph. The thing is though it is progressive. The faster you go the more your speedo is off. The magnet or whatever is on your bike, measures how fast the tire is spinning. Your tire might be going 90mph, but you sir are definately not. A heavier motorcycle would/could fix this problem by putting more weight on the tire so there is no free spin.

Anyway, grab a gps have it on while you ride and have it record the session. Then get home and look at your top speed. It won't match. If it does, let us know immeadiately what you have done to your bike to make it do so. LOL

 

[Stevenc150]

I've heard of some people using the "innacurate speedo defense" to get out of tickets. In fact, my cousin had a high school buddy that owned an Auto Repair shop. He had him write a statement saying that his bike's speedometer was "off" but was now adjusted correctly. The judge tossed the case out. I mean, it could've been a lax judge or something but it worked for him.

 

[dave_xb12r]

I actually used the excuse of different size tires effecting my speed without me knowing. It worked with the cop. But then again, he told me he clocked me at 85 when I actually had my cruz set at 75. He may have been BS'n me from the get go.

 

[bitter rod]

No. I don't believe that my speedo is correct. However, like I was saying, it is not a defense for speeding. I would never tell an officer that my speedo is off...cause if you know that, then you should adjust your speed accordingly. Not sure what you do for a living, but this is my profession...

You can say what ever you would like to the officer, doesn't always mean that is the reason you didn't get a ticket....sometimes we are just nice you know!

 

[dave_xb12r]

....sometimes we are just nice you know!

haha.... yeah... I guess soo

 

[bitter rod]

haha.... yeah... I guess soo

 

[Thaloc]

lol, Bitter. You ride a Buell, so no matter what ull be on my good side. But I have to say from leading a not so great life when I was younger, most cops are dicks. There are a few REALLY good officers out there, the ones that dont let the power or whatever go to their head. But man, what happend to protect and serve? The way cops talk to people? just normal people not criminals is way messed up, So condisending, rude, and downright disrespectfull. I have little to no respect for most cops I ever meet. The trooper who pulled me over the other day for instance; Im in the HOV lane on the freeway, so if you know its the furthest left lane of the interstate, so in heavy traffic it took me a min to move across all 5 lanes and pull off to the right side of the road. Then the douche trooper pulls his car infront of me like im going to split when he gets out. And come marching back there like a fuckin marine talkin about "You were driving aggressivly! If I hadn't gotten right behind you im sure you woulda ran on me!" I mean shit! im on a $10k bike, its pretty fuckin unique! this is the I-5 im sure u got another trooper 2miles ahead! why the fuck would I run?! The cop who took care of my accedent a couple weeks ago, was a complete dick to me, and I was the one who got hit. I mean, iv been pulled over on my old yamaha on the side of the highway replacing plugs after burning some, and seen cops just fuckin fly by, thats not service! what if i was stranded? While I was pulled over last week, there was almost two wrecks right infront of us, and isntead of getting the guy in the pickup with a horse trailer cutting ppl off he continues writing me a speeding ticket? I mean im not running ppl off the road!?!? Sorry to rant, but man Police are fucked up. In my opinion it there are two kinds of cops. 1: (and the rarest) are the Officers that want to help out, themselvs, their family, their community. 2: Cops that got their ass kicked all through school and that couldnt(Or wouldnt?) stick up for themselves then, so they took it, got bitter(no pun intended) got a badge and gym membership and started being fuckin domestic terrorists. And thats the difference between an Officer and a Cop. But there are a few Buell riding officers out there that will always have my respect.

 

[1sexynucca]

lol cops are not that bad, Ive been pulled over, arrested pleanty of times... way too many times actually, but its my honesty and cooperation that gets me off the hook... I was actually hired to be in law enforcement but turned the job down (regret it [mad] ) but none the less most police officers are good at doing what they are supposed to do, protect, serve, and enforce the law... [up]