Well, these radar detectors do indeed slow one down

**Ixion** · 8th January 2007, 08:57

Originally Posted by scumdog

,,
Now imagine you are driving down the road in your cop-car and your thumb is hovering over button no.1
,,

Hm. I do hope that cops are not in the habit of permanently driving with only one hand on the steering wheel?

However, in practice in many cases the cop also has to factor in a reaction time PLUS an assessment time . He is tootling along and comes round a corner. Oh , there's a vehicle coming - he must not only react to the presence of the vehicle , he must also make an assessment of whether the speed of the vehicle appears to be such as to warrant bothering to ping it. (If he's pinging everything he sees, then the detector has probably picked him up long ago - defeats the instant on idea). The biker knows he's speeding - so he only has to react to the "shit cop" message.

**sAsLEX** · 8th January 2007, 09:14

Originally Posted by Ixion

Hm. I do hope that cops are not in the habit of permanently driving with only one hand on the steering wheel?

Well they didnt ban cellphones............

**scumdog** · 8th January 2007, 09:21

Originally Posted by The_Dover

we don't all have the reactions of a blind, deaf pensioner though scummy

Yeah right!

We ALL day-dream at times, nobody rides/drives like a fine-tuned machine 100% of the time.

Well not going by the number of "Oh, I never noticed I was going that fast officer" explanations we get.

But maybe you're the exception eh laddie???

**sAsLEX** · 8th January 2007, 09:28

Originally Posted by scumdog

Yeah right!

We ALL day-dream at times, nobody rides/drives like a fine-tuned machine 100% of the time.

Well not going by the number of "Oh, I never noticed I was going that fast officer" explanations we get.

But maybe you're the exception eh laddie???

Would you rather people concentrated on the road or the dash a few feet below them?

It is actually rather easy to creep above the speed limit if you are not constantly looking at the speedo, which in itself is rather dangerous specially as one gets older as the huge difference in focal lengths between the dash and the road mean eyes start to take quite a while to adjust....... but as long as your not speeding you are safe.....

**scumdog** · 8th January 2007, 09:36

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

Would you rather people concentrated on the road or the dash a few feet below them?

It is actually rather easy to creep above the speed limit if you are not constantly looking at the speedo, which in itself is rather dangerous specially as one gets older as the huge difference in focal lengths between the dash and the road mean eyes start to take quite a while to adjust....... but as long as your not speeding you are safe.....

On a motorbike I CAN understand that (and that's why I am easier on them).

But in a cage? I go for ages between checks on the speedo - and I can't remember the last time I had an "Oh shit" moment and was much over the speed limit.

Ya don't HAVE to be constantly scanning the speedo to stay within the "under ticket" speed.
And you don't have to 'read' the speed all the time so focal length is a non-issue, don't talk to ME about 'as one gets older' sunshine!!!!!

**Ixion** · 8th January 2007, 09:39

Well, that is where the detector has an advantage over the Mark I Eyeball.

That shriek in your ear is LOUD. And prompts an inmmediate, adreniline fueled , very fast reaction , even before one has time to consciously work out what the noise is. Just an instinctive grab for the anchors. "OMG. WTF. Wozzat? Oh the detector"

Happens just the same even if I KNOW I'm actually under the speed limit. (rather annoying that , actually)

Which is a lot faster than the "Car coming - shit it's a cop am I speeding" conscious thought process necessary for the Eyeball.

(EDIT: If one has a needle type speedo, not digital, it is easy to note the angle of the needle through peripheral vision - you don't need to read the numbers, just note how far round the needle is. Why I don't like digital speedos)

**Grahameeboy** · 8th January 2007, 09:40

Originally Posted by scumdog

On a motorbike I CAN understand that (and that's why I am easier on them).

But in a cage? I go for ages between checks on the speedo - and I can't remember the last time I had an "Oh shit" moment and was much over the speed limit.

Ya don't HAVE to be constantly scanning the speedo to stay within the "under ticket" speed.
And you don't have to 'read' the speed all the time so focal length is a non-issue, don't talk to ME about 'as one gets older' sunshine!!!!!

I think he is feeling his age at 22 eh?

**GSX-RJIM** · 8th January 2007, 09:55

Cool, if I ever pay off my speeding tickets I may be able to buy my self one.

**Lou Girardin** · 8th January 2007, 15:27

Originally Posted by scumdog

And you don't have to 'read' the speed all the time so focal length is a non-issue, don't talk to ME about 'as one gets older' sunshine!!!!!

You must have youthful eyes youngster, I do have a focussing delay from infinity to the speedo. Not much, but enough to make me focus more on the road ahead and let Mr Valentine warn me of tax assessments.

**ldnz** · 8th January 2007, 17:24

On the KR, my modified sack of $30 shit of a uniden works wonders. Modded so its Ka only and with a big stuff off superbright red led (the oh shit light!) pointed right at my eyes. Fair call on the KR i'm generally open road cruising at no more than 120 and the crap unidens reaction time isn't a problem though.

Sensitivity is pretty good and my main use for it is assessing the situation before starting an overtaking manuoevre. Saved me a number of tickets (speeding as well as dodgy overtaking of mufti cars that I hadn't noticed).

One day when my KR grows up into the big bike it sees whenever it looks in the mirror, i'll upgrade to one of them fancy x50's or whatevers good at the time.

**sAsLEX** · 8th January 2007, 17:59

Originally Posted by ldnz

On the KR, my modified sack of $30 shit of a uniden works wonders. Modded so its Ka only and with a big stuff off superbright red led (the oh shit light!) pointed right at my eyes. Fair call on the KR i'm generally open road cruising at no more than 120 and the crap unidens reaction time isn't a problem though.

Sensitivity is pretty good and my main use for it is assessing the situation before starting an overtaking manuoevre. Saved me a number of tickets (speeding as well as dodgy overtaking of mufti cars that I hadn't noticed).

One day when my KR grows up into the big bike it sees whenever it looks in the mirror, i'll upgrade to one of them fancy x50's or whatevers good at the time.

ahh Middy I know who you are now......