No slow racing with HD mounted Police !

[Wolfhound]

Always thought I was pretty good but this gives good a new meaning:

 

[weekend rider]

Practice practice practice good riding.

 

[FJR_pig]

Back when I was riding for work, we would go to the North American Motor Officer's Association conference every year. The slow race was always an event and on our BMWs, we ALWAYS got our butt kicked by the Harleys.

 

[Rogue]

Hey, No one does slow better than HD!

 

[Murph]

Wow! Great videos!

The instructor in my first MSF Safety Course was an HD mounted policeman and he was simply amazing. MAD SKILLS! As for his slow race ..... it barely looked like he was moving. That was years ago and I believe we'd still be out there waiting for him to finish!

Amazing riders are ... well ... amazing!

 

[ponyfool]

In that first video, he's cheating! He has training wheels on the sides of the bike so when it leans over, it doesn't tip! Same thing on the second video!

I swear it's true! I imagined it, so it must be real!

 

[S76]

I can really appreciate their riding skills. Just like "Trials" riders. Something I could never do very good.

 

[Fred W]

These little fellers seem a bit more nimble:

 

[C&C]

These little fellers seem a bit more nimble:

Just to give the Harley rider his due; he was running a lot tighter course, was fairly quick, a heck of a lot more cones, and didn't drop his foot. Not taking anything away from either Policeman, just not wanting to under appreciate the Harley(rider).

 

[Fred W]

These little fellers seem a bit more nimble:

Hell ya. I'd say that anyone that can hoss around a big HD hog (pig?) like those guys is a great rider.

It was the smaller bikes that were so much more nimble. Probably quite a bit easier to look good on one of those.

I believe that the Japanese guys were required to do stops as part of their "test", and that was the purpose of the dabs.

Also, in case you missed it, that was actually a series of different riders running the same course.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I know guys with the Secret Service, US Park Police (DC), and used to know a California CHP officer. In addition to starting out as avid riders like you and me, plus initial training for weeks, the common element is continual training for all sorts of proficiency.

Yeah, you might that that you're quick on your YamaKawaSuzda, but these guys can prove beyond doubt that training can really make a difference. Don't know about in Cali or for other State Patrols, but some of the cops here in DC have a few beater Harleys that they even use for off-road training! You may think that you know where the "edge" is, but these guys truly know from hitting it and having to pick up the bikes, after "checking" their crash bars.

If it sounds like I have respect, I do!

Bob

 

[Honzo]

Impressive!... I don't wee myself obtaining that level of prowess. I wish my bikes were taxpayer funded so I wouldn't worry about wrecking them.

 

[colin]

Pretty impressive on a hog.

The japanese ones are also pretty good....

That competition 'type' is popular-ish here amongst 'normal' peeps like us. gymkhana or something like that, plenty of youtubes where guys go way fast on the tight little cone tracks.

cool stuff, thanks for the post.

 

[painman]

Really impressive stuff! It is a joy to me to watch one ride so gracefully but yet with such accuracy. Kind of like poetry in motion. It is really a treat to watch a competent street cop really ride in tight traffic as well. Just icing on the cake so to speak. I like. PM. <><

 

[xviper]

Not to take anything away from the motor officer's skills because they ARE impressive. A little true story. In 1997, I entered in the World Police Fire Games held here in Calgary. I (Fire Dept.) entered in the "over 1000cc" category in the competition you see in the vid. The course was set-up and designed by the Police service. Although no one was supposed to see the course ahead of time, the competitors with the local police dept. were given the chance to "practice" on the course the days before the actual competition. Local police officers, riding their department HDs, won gold and silver. I took bronze on my Yamaha VMax. I've been riding all my life and was a Safety Council M/C instructor for 11 years. I have always been a casual rider, putting on perhaps a couple thousand miles per year. Law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions who had to rent smaller bikes, didn't do so well. Familiarity with the machine does help.

You must consider that these motor officers ride their hogs 8 to 10 hours every working day during the warm season. They also got to do the competition on those same bikes. They had prior knowledge of the course.

On a side note, a Japanese motor officer entered the same event but in the "under 1000cc" category. He won. After the competition was over, he was offered a local police Harley. He made the course look like child's play.

The moral of the story is ........................... When you ride a bike (any bike) for up to 10 hours a day, every day you work, you get good ............... REAL good!

 

[Fred W]

Not to take anything away from the motor officer's skills because they ARE impressive. A little true story. In 1997, I entered in the World Police Fire Games held here in Calgary. I (Fire Dept.) entered in the "over 1000cc" category in the competition you see in the vid. The course was set-up and designed by the Police service. Although no one was supposed to see the course ahead of time, the competitors with the local police dept. were given the chance to "practice" on the course the days before the actual competition. Local police officers, riding their department HDs, won gold and silver. I took bronze on my Yamaha VMax. I've been riding all my life and was a Safety Council M/C instructor for 11 years. I have always been a casual rider, putting on perhaps a couple thousand miles per year. Law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions who had to rent smaller bikes, didn't do so well. Familiarity with the machine does help.You must consider that these motor officers ride their hogs 8 to 10 hours every working day during the warm season. They also got to do the competition on those same bikes. They had prior knowledge of the course.

On a side note, a Japanese motor officer entered the same event but in the "under 1000cc" category. He won. After the competition was over, he was offered a local police Harley. He made the course look like child's play.

The moral of the story is ........................... When you ride a bike (any bike) for up to 10 hours a day, every day you work, you get good ............... REAL good!

Sounds like a great job, riding around all day...

Well..., except for that other 98% of the job, being an actual cop.

 

[dragonchef]

The level of focus is amazing. You would almost think the solo guy had miniature wheels on the pipes. Confidence makes a huge difference...

 

[Wetdog]

I'm pretty sure I could do that ride on my wifes Nighthawk 250, but hell that's impressive on a bike that size...homeboy got skills!

 

[Silver Penguin]

I'm impressed - but I want to see the out takes, filmed during the hours and hours of practice sessions.

Jill