View Full Version : Your bike cops
Are they bikers or just cops. Seem to remember ('70s?) that all mot cops had to do a few years on bikes before they graduated to cars.
Bike cops in Kent are bikers and in the job because of bikes and generally get a lot of respect from local bikers. Not that there are many left - about 3 years ago there were 70 odd, there are now 6. Cameras are cheaper to run, I suppose.
FROSTY
15th June 2004, 19:53
Dude police bikers are there because they want to be
they are generally bikers in civvy life too--well those Ive met anyways
Blackbird
15th June 2004, 20:05
...and they don't mind a bit of speed as long as it's done safely.
BGD - how is the lovely Kent nowadays? I'm married to a Maid of Kent and got married at Hildenborough Church 32 years ago :o :o
...and they don't mind a bit of speed as long as it's done safely.
BGD - how is the lovely Kent nowadays? I'm married to a Maid of Kent and got married at Hildenborough Church 32 years ago :o :o
Kent today is just great. Expecting 28deg - not a cloud to be seen :sunny: . Of course weather is supposed to turn tomorrow and be crap for the rest of June.
I'm just outside of Tonbridge so know Hildenborough well.
moko
16th June 2004, 06:59
Are they bikers or just cops. Seem to remember ('70s?) that all mot cops had to do a few years on bikes before they graduated to cars.
Think you`ll find that`s the wrong way round mate,Cops have to have 2 years experience in cars before they can train on the bikes,and the training is very,very rigourous.That`s why so many "fast" bikers wonder how the lardass BMW caught up with them despite their heroic riding.
I think you`ll find that all bike cops are bikers,they have to be bloody keen to get the job in the first place.
I was on the Plymouth megaride at the weekend,6000 bikes doing a charity run and expertly marshalled by the police,I`m pretty sure all the bike cops were there voluntarily.Everything went smoothly,a bit of speeding had a blind eye turned,the odd bit of stupidity had the offender getting a warning look.After the run they were brilliant,walking around talking to everyone,giving out leaflets to free riding assessment days they hold(again voluntarily).If you`re on a bike in Devon and Cornwall give the bike cops a nod and you`ll get one back.
I`m from Kent as well by the way,beautiful downtown Dartford,the Monaco of the Thames Riviera.
riffer
16th June 2004, 08:07
My father-in-law was a bike cop for MOT in the 70s.
He's still a motorcyclist.
igor
16th June 2004, 21:05
My father-in-law was a bike cop for MOT in the 70s.
He's still a motorcyclist.
having to ride one of those old english shitters or a honda that needed concrete poured down the frame.
me i got the R80TIC in the late 80s, those were the days, short sleeved shirt, no jacket, tapped out at 165kmh. OSH who.
why did I join the MOT.
to get paid to ride a bike of course, no other reason.
Taupo was lovely in the summer, but in the winter we parked up the bike when the wind chill factor got way down, leather jackets. Firk it was cold up the Napier - Taupo highway.
Still rememeber the cop who got hypothermia in Rotovegas. was out that day to. it was colddddddddddddddddd
...,beautiful downtown Dartford,the Monaco of the Thames Riviera.
Heard Dartford called many things but never that :laugh:
Lou Girardin
17th June 2004, 06:52
having to ride one of those old english shitters or a honda that needed concrete poured down the frame.
me i got the R80TIC in the late 80s, those were the days, short sleeved shirt, no jacket, tapped out at 165kmh. OSH who.
why did I join the MOT.
to get paid to ride a bike of course, no other reason.
Taupo was lovely in the summer, but in the winter we parked up the bike when the wind chill factor got way down, leather jackets. Firk it was cold up the Napier - Taupo highway.
Still rememeber the cop who got hypothermia in Rotovegas. was out that day to. it was colddddddddddddddddd
Leather Jackets! How soft is that.
We had Line 7 plastic, all the insulating properties of an ice cube.
We always said that 2 types of person joined the MOT. The hoons that wanted immunity and to be paid for hooning and the jobsworths.
igor
17th June 2004, 15:33
Leather Jackets! How soft is that.
We had Line 7 plastic, all the insulating properties of an ice cube.
We always said that 2 types of person joined the MOT. The hoons that wanted immunity and to be paid for hooning and the jobsworths.
u had the heating qualities of being 200kms north
at sea level
and 600000 fellow Jaffas to keep ya warm
arf arf arf
Motu
17th June 2004, 16:53
And did you get to wear jodpers Lou? Poor buggers,silly helmets,plastic jackets and jodpers - but we thought the boots were cool,coulda killed a cop for those.
merv
17th June 2004, 19:17
When I was young living in Napier the traffic cops were employed by the City Council back then and they got to rip around on the extremely high powered LE Velocettes. Way to go.
Redstar
17th June 2004, 20:00
All this chat about Blighty has made an expat a bit homesick! being from Devon (Exeter) I was once a member of the Suzuki Owners Club, we used to meet at a pub at Kennford or something at the bottom of Holden Hill if my memory serves. that was an awesome hill bit like Bombay hill. they built the M5 but left the old A38 and that was mean and twisty and we used to have it all to ourselves : :bleh:
Now the chairman of the Club (Chris?) he was a bike sargent in the police.
I got off speeding once cause I had a SOC patch. But at the next meeting he embarassed the crap out of me for doing it. the message got through.
I did have respect for that bit of discreation.
I dont know any Bike cops in NZ maybe if they put themselves out with us I could be persuaded they have a heart? Come on Bike cops arrange a meeting we can all get pissed togeather and race between pubs :apint:
Lou Girardin
17th June 2004, 21:12
And did you get to wear jodpers Lou? Poor buggers,silly helmets,plastic jackets and jodpers - but we thought the boots were cool,coulda killed a cop for those.
Yep. johdpurs, carry your lunch in the pockets. Ditched the helmets as soon as we could get a Doctors certificate saying they gave us headaches.
Da Bird
22nd June 2004, 02:35
I have been a motorbike cop in Auckland for the past 4 years - not many jobs you can get paid to ride a bike... have been riding for about 16 years and just bought a CBR1100XX Blackbird ... now where am I going to put that radar detector????
Lou Girardin
22nd June 2004, 06:40
I have been a motorbike cop in Auckland for the past 4 years - not many jobs you can get paid to ride a bike... have been riding for about 16 years and just bought a CBR1100XX Blackbird ... now where am I going to put that radar detector????
I like this guy already, passes the attitude test.
moko
22nd June 2004, 07:41
All this chat about Blighty has made an expat a bit homesick! being from Devon (Exeter) I was once a member of the Suzuki Owners Club, we used to meet at a pub at Kennford or something at the bottom of Holden Hill if my memory serves.
That`ll be Haldon Hill mate and awesome it is,sneaky bleeders have put a speed camera right at the bottom of it as you approach from the Plymouth side.I got 100m.p.h. out of my XT600E going down the other way last year,frightening experience,whole thing felt like it was going to tie itself into a knot,I`d got close on it a few times though and was determined to crack the ton and Haldon was the ideal place.Trucker mate of mine had his brakes fail going down there early this year,handbrake safety device kicked in and he eventually stopped in a cloud of rubber smoke and blazing brakes,nearly shit himself as well.
Dont know how long since you lived there mate but there`s a major charity ride-out along the A38 every year now,ends up on Plymouth Hoe,this year saw over 6000 bikes and 30+degrees,Police shut the `38 off to cars and what an impressive sight it was.
Bike cops in the UK? Sadly a dying breed. More than one local force seems to have dropped their bike units.
I sort of live between two police force areas - London (Metropolitan) and Essex. The former still has quite a few - and needs them, what with security issues, escorting VIPs and the like. The latter seems to have got rid of their bike force totally.
I've always found the bike cops over here to be top people - and as Moko said, they are good, very good. I've watched them chase down something in theory that should leave them standing. The look of amazement as chummy is pulled over is great to see!
I keep meaning to contact one of the forces to see about doing an observed ride with them - more than one force over here runs courses where they'll take you out, watch what you do and give pointers on how to improve your riding. Given what I said above, learning a little of their style is no bad thing.
Bob, do the IAM training. It's based on the Police system and examined by them. Well worth it and doesn't cost the earth. Bikesafe run by the met is also a good day out.
White trash
24th June 2004, 08:34
I remember "Fast Bikes" mag a few years ago doing an article on a bike cop. Sean and Jason Emmett (2 VERY talented riders for those who dont know) spent the day with Mr Plod doing stupid shit.
They could not believe how hard this guy hustled the RGV they gave him a shot on. We're talking knee down, front tyre howling type skills.
And there was no way they could ride his K100 plod machine any where near as hard as he could.
They came away with maximum respect.
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