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[dfwfjr]

Please add my thanks for your post to the others, Espia4ci. Very informative, and makes me feel better for not having bought a radar detector.

 

[Toolman]

Espia4ci I see your point and I also see you are in AZ. I live in the valley and ride daily from AJ to north Phoenix. I use a V1 but I also look constantly for LEOs. And I have paid enough attention to my radar detector that I have a pretty good feel for what it's telling me. I don't think for one minuet that I could not possibly get a thicket but I agree that if people get a false since of security from the radar detector there in trouble. My point is that you do still need to be on the look out but the radar detector has saved me many times and I am sure of that. Thanks for the very informative write up. Ron

 

[Geezer]

Guess it all depends on the LEO and the habits they have. I use a Bel in the car and frequently find a LEO go by with his radar gun blasting in all directions. I always figured they were just letting people know they were there and to slow us down.

I also find that some of them point and shoot at each car as they approach. If they are shooting at the guys in front of back of me the Bel warns me and I slow down.

There are also LEOs who hide in the bushes or around a sharp curve and leave the radar pointing down the road while they catch up on paperwork or whatever. I get warned in advance from the guys who do this as well. These last ones are the most common in my area and they give out a lot of tickets to people who don't have radar detectors.

 

[Ghost_Rider]

Espia4ci great write up! Its always nice to see what the “other side” is thinking. Keep your friends close and your… well you know. However, after spending almost 100 hours in a patrol car, over 60K miles on 2 wheels in the past 3 years, and a few hours in a court room I’d like to offer up my thoughts to your post.

A radar detector generates a false sense of invulnerabitity to radar and to getting speeding tickets… It has been my experience that most people who use radar detectors are less aware of their surroundings, i.e. watching out for cops because they are depending on the radar detector to do that for them.

For those that don’t take the time to know how radar/laser works or how cops use these tools, that’s a very fair statement. However, all the riders that I know and have talked to about this subject that use detectors this is not the case. They are very savvy as to what a detector can and CAN NOT do for them.

Anyway, they are NOT going to activate their radar until they see someone going "too fast." Once they activate their radar they usually get an instant (at the most a one second lag) speed readout on their radar display. At that point it is too late and you are done for.
Some officers do drive around with their radar on all the time. This isn't done so much as to catch speeders, but to generate "radar noise", which generally causes those speeders with radar detectors, to slow down.

The first part is how cops “should” be using radar and laser. However it’s MUCH more common to see cops either running active all the time, or tagging every or every other car that goes by. With the V1 range being anywhere from 2 – 7 miles, I’m going to see that LONG before I’m in range. I picked up an AZ Stater from 6.5 miles away. It took me 8 min before I actually saw him. 95% of the cops out there running radar trigger it long before you reach them thus the MAJOR reason for owning and operating a detector.

More often then now you’ll see officers running around active (radar on all the time). Sure it creates noise and I’m sure that’s part of it (though, it takes me about 5 seconds to figure out what the signal is, and how its being used with my V1). But the other part is while they are driving down some 2 lane curvy road they can see how fast someone is going as they pass them in a curve or someplace they would not have time to activate the radar unit in time to get a good solid speed. For me, these guys are the ones that scare me the most. Before I started running radar I got pulled over 3 times because of this exact thing. After I got radar, I’ll never get pulled over for this. This in itself is worth getting a detector, however, it gets much much better =)

Todays radar units, such as Stalkers, Eagles, etc, are very high tech, very accurate, and show an instant readout. I know that many radar detector companies tout prospective patrons with a lot of claims that their radar detectors are the best, etc. This is where my personal experience comes into play. I can tell you that a majority of the speeders that I have stopped, using the above described techniques, were using radar detectors. Again refer back to my comment that it creates a false sense of invulnerability. I can't tell you how many times (a lot) where people have told me there was no way I got them on radar because their $350 detector didn't go off.

Both the V1 and the Escort X50 pick up every radar and laser signal on the market today (including LADIR). V1 also updates their units as the technology changes and they have a trade in program. So I’m not sure what, or why people are saying those things do you, but the fact is, you don’t have anything that we can’t see. I’ve seen video, and personally how quick the V1 and escort are to pick up signals and from how far out. You can also check out https://radar-detectors.com/default.asp for more info. These are real test with real results. So, again, I’m not sure what you where playing around with, but it wasn’t an updated V1 or Escort X50

In summery, a detector is just another tool for us to use to know what’s going on. Its going to save your butt a few times, there is no doubt about that. But it does not mean you’ll NEVER get a ticket. In fact if that’s what you think, you’ll probably get just as many tickets as you would have without it. However, when used properly, you’ll have a huge advantage over someone that’s only relying on eye site to know where the traps are (or coming from). You’ll pick up lazy active radar, you’ll pick up actual speed traps from miles away, and you’ll even pick up laser before it hits you in some cases.

The other thing to think about is this. Radar is sloppy and you’ll almost always see it before its pegging you directly. Laser is pin point and very accurate, but it needs a flat serface to get a good reading, something that’s hard to get on a bike until its very close or you’ve been tagging it for awhile finding the sweet spot. In both cases, with detection, you’ll usually have time to scrub that 10MPH or so needed to get into safe speed range.

Again, a detector will not save your butt EVERY time, but it will give you a HUGE advantage over someone riding blind.

I speed like everyone else, especially on my FJR (how can you not?), but instead of relying on a radar detector to save my butt, I use my observation skills, and my knowledge about how radar works.

Well, that and the shield in your back pocket helps. But for me, I’ll use my observation skills, my knowledge of how radar and cops work, common sense, AND keep an eye on the air waves to see what’s going on out there. IMO, Its all about having the right tools for the job.

Espia4ci again, I want to thank you for taking the time to post your comments. Every bit of knowledge we get to learn from the guys out there writing tickets is worth its weight in gold. I just hope when I see you next, you’re on your bike without the extra lights on it

 

[HIGHLANDER]

Nice response Ghost, I was fired up to write a response but got to your reply and it was spelled out correctly. Without the V1 Id probably have too many tix or suspended DL, but the V1 has worked and saved me many many many times. I thought Espia's repy was typical LEO mantra. ( But thanks anyway Espia. )

 

[Espia4ci]

So I’m not sure what, or why people are saying those things do you, but the fact is, you don’t have anything that we can’t see.

I don't disagree with you that detectors will detect any and all types of radar frequencies used by LEO.  I am sure that is true.  What I was speaking of was the response time for the radar detector to detect a radar signal.  In a case where an officer is running his radar continually, or locking on every car he sees drive by, is throwing out all kinds of radar and your detector is going to pick that up.  I am sure there are officers who actually run radar that way, but I don't know too many.  It is the officer who is waiting for the motorist that he knows is speeding, pulls the trigger for a second and releases.  He will have that motorist's speed way before a detector will go off.  That is how most traffic cops run radar. 

I would be willing to bet that a vast majority of the alerts you get on your radar detector are from officers crusing around with their radar gun on while they are humping calls or while they are doing other things.  Or those officers stopped on the side of the road doing reports and other paperwork with the radar on and not even observing traffic.  Those officers do that for that very reason.

So, again, I’m not sure what you where playing around with, but it wasn’t an updated V1 or Escort X50

Actually the last time I remember demostrating the radar gun on a radar detector was a motorist who had just bought a new Escort.  That is why he was so livid because he had just bought it and paid a lot for it.  I am totally serious that it took over three seconds after I activated the radar before it alerted.  That was one of the MANY cases where I locked in a speed and the motorist reported that the detector never went off. 

I don't claim to be an expert on radar or radar detectors, I am just citing things that I have gleaned from many hours of experience and training with radar units.  I also don't mean to put you down because you use a radar detector.  As a matter of fact if I thought they were more effective, I would probably buy one.  All I know is what I have seen first hand, which is having stopped many a speeder who were using radar detectors (to include Valentine and Escort models).

Well, that and the shield in your back pocket helps.

Believe it or not I have never "badged" my way out of a ticket, but then I haven't been stopped in over 5 years. I don't think it would matter here in AZ anyway, especially with AZ DPS. They don't care who you are.

 

[Bounce]

One other tip to remember...people commonly believe that if there are other vehicles around them (whether in front or behind) they cannot be locked in on a radar gun.  Or if the vehicle is larger than there vehicle they won't be picked up.  The radar units of today will show the speed of more than one vehicle.  For example, if an officer is running radar on the side of the road and three vehicles approach him he will be able to discern the individual speeds of all three of those vehicles.

that's why i nail the throttle of the fjr when i get a ping. a radar gun's software won't get a lock if the variation in speed is too "unreasonable" between one ping and the next. it has to confirm it's first reading before it displays the speed. sure this happens quickly within the "gun", but if the change of speed it great enough between ping one and ping two, it'll not get a lock and check with a ping 3 (and so forth).

so go to "ludicrous speed" using fjr afterburner mode and you'll be cool beans. :dribble:

i've tested this multiple times with multiple units. let the operator get a lock on you at some speed (let's say 20 mph) and then nail the throttle. the gun stays on 20 until you let off the throttle. the display then jumps up to your new speed (because the variation between 2 or 3 consecutive pings was within what it considers "reasonable"). :beee:

this doesn't prevent the operator from using visual observation to pull you over, but by then they have to catch you! :haha:

using this same reasoning, get yourself a relective tint helmet face shield and pull wheelies through red light cameras. no front tag and no face recognition on frontal photos. the wheelie puts the angle of the rear tag wrong for the camera to get a valid photo on a departing photo.

 

[SilveradoSlick]

Thanks to all who posted on radar, especially Bounce for his insightful thoughts on ticket avoidance. LEO trailing you is one way to get a ticket with a radar detector, another way: I was nailed once on a long straight, probably about 1/2 mile. I saw the cop enter the straigt. About the time I figured out it was a cop (kinda hard to tell at that distance), SWMBO and the RD went off. I hit the brakes and the cop noticed the nose-dive. I was going about 90 and he said he had me at 88. I don't know if he had a lock, but the prospects for fighting it didn't look too good so I didn't pursue it.

One nice thing about radar detectors, here in Cali anyway, is that the CHP usually leave them on at accident scenes. Gets you going nice and slow even if there's no huge backup.

Back to the original topic of the thread: Foot Guards

 

[Ghost_Rider]

  In a case where an officer is running his radar continually, or locking on every car he sees drive by, is throwing out all kinds of radar and your detector is going to pick that up.  I am sure there are officers who actually run radar that way, but I don't know too many. 
I would be willing to bet that a vast majority of the alerts you get on your radar detector are from officers crusing around with their radar gun on while they are humping calls or while they are doing other things.  Or those officers stopped on the side of the road doing reports and other paperwork with the radar on and not even observing traffic.  Those officers do that for that very reason.

Acutaly, its much more of a rarity to see a cop being very selective when running a trap, at least not to the point that someone with a V1 or Escort X50 isn't going to see 2+ miles out. Of course the amount of traffic on the road is going to make a difference, but thats where common sence comes in to play and you tone it down a bit if you know you dont have to many rabbits in front of you. Again, detectors are just another tool for ticket reduction, not the end all be all.

I'm happy to see cops that just sit there with their radar on, regardless of what they are doing, Its nice to know where they are from miles away. There are more things to get pulled over for then just speeding. And when I know that I'll be seeing a LEO soon, I make sure they dont have a reason to "come have a talk with me". So, its great to see that you think cops do this on purpuse, becuse the more info I have about where the LEO's are the better in my book.

 

[Ghost_Rider]

LEO trailing you is one way to get a ticket with a radar detector,

I'm not sure what you mean here? The V1 has a rear facing detector, and I think the X50 does too. The V1 also has arrow indecators so you know where the signal is coming from.

If you just talking about pacing, then a detector wont help, but thats where your other skills come into play. You dont have to become stupid just becuse you have a radar detector. :no:

 

[SilveradoSlick]

Ghost,

Yeah, I was referring to the LEO pacing you. Hard to defend against when there's moderate traffic and the cop's a quarter mile back and all you've got are those convex mirrors. The cop's not easy to see untill he's on your *** and all lit up.

 

[UnCaged]

Hey Thug!

I looked at those tanks protectores. there super nice, where did you get yours, do they have a US store, or did you order from out of country?

Thanks for your feedback.

UnCaged

 

[Thug]

UNCAGED

Thanks! you can order them from www.geelongcarboncraft.com.au I understand they send OS quite a bit so you won't have any issues that I am aware of.

Cheers

 

[moby one]

Hey Ghost Rider,

A little off topic here but I am a big SNL fan and I have been showing your Avatar to everybody in the house. That is for sure one of my favorite episodes. Thanks and Rock on. I want more Cow Bell!

MO