Motorcycle only check points

Today U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Johnson ( R.-Wis.), Kelly Ayotte (R.-N.H.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced the Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act.


The bill would prohibit federal funding for motorcycle-only checkpoints, limiting the implementation of these discriminatory checkpoints.

Maybe I am unique but I have never seen a motorcycle-only checkpoint. Heard about them in the news media, but never seen one. What are the law officers looking for? Drunk pilot? Loud pipes? Illegal lighting? No license?

All of that. I was caught up in one a few years ago in Arlington Virginia - I was questioned for a bit (I am guessing to try and determine if I had been drinking) then asked to produce all the necessary paperwork. When I couldn't find my insurance card in the "under the seat zip loc" I was told the bike would be towed, fortunately I found it in my wallet.

After 15 minutes in summer heat I finally had enough when the motor officer (in half helmet, spandex pants, and short-sleeved rayon shirt) started in on his safety lecture. I pointed out the irony of lecturing me, in a full Aerostich and fullface helmet, on safe riding when motor officers dress so poorly. I was then invited to leave.

Truly ridiculous, unpleasant experience. Reminded me of the "say one word and you are going to jail" roadblock I was stopped in at the RA Fontana Rally 15 or so years ago. By the way, this has come up frequently in the last few Congresses, both in individual bills and in "no funds may be used" amendments during the appropriations process.

Motorcycle only checkpoints were set up on I75 in Macon, GA and I95 in Brunswick, GA in 2012 on Wednesday of Daytona Bike Week. In both cases motorcycles only were directed off the interstate into truck inspection stations and checked for license, insurance, motorcycle inspection, and luggage searches. In fairness these were communicated ahead of time and anyone traveling (as I was) on secondary roads were not stopped.

royce said:

Maybe I am unique but I have never seen a motorcycle-only checkpoint.

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Ditto..

I got waved through one just N of the store at Shady valley. There was an event going on at the store, I was heading s toward the store, and wife and I were on BMW's so I was waved through. They had probably 20 bikes lined up on a church parking lot, where they were waving most people into. We saw others heading in the store direction waved in, so either equipment or loud pipes migh have been the reason.

59312 said:

Motorcycle only checkpoints ................................ and luggage searches. .................

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Illegal search, unless you consent. If they can,t see without opening something, they need a search warrant. to open things.

"the RA Fontana Rally 15 or so years ago."

I remember that!...what a cluster-fook that was..I didn't even go to the rally. I just left the area.

Read about it later in [actually a few] magazines.

59312 said:

Motorcycle only checkpoints were set up on I75 in Macon, GA and I95 in Brunswick, GA in 2012 on Wednesday of Daytona Bike Week. In both cases motorcycles only were directed off the interstate into truck inspection stations and checked for license, insurance, motorcycle inspection, and luggage searches. In fairness these were communicated ahead of time and anyone traveling (as I was) on secondary roads were not stopped.

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I remember reading about those. As I understand it ? they are more interested in M/C endorsements / proper insurance. And checking exhaust noise levels.

From what I've heard thru the years, at least on the east coast they mostly get clustered in areas leading to the various bike weeks. Probably looking for guns and drugs and wanted people the biker gang members are transporting and loud pipe and other tickets are just a revenue boosting plus.

Back in the day before I was a police officer I was what would now be called a special and we were assigned to patrol approx 16 parks, some of them quite large and able to attract 5,000 people on a Saturday or Sunday. Our police Sgt boss for some reason absolutely hated motorcycles and would have me assist him with stopping every motorcycle that dared to cruise thru the park, sometimes generating a waiting line before inspecting each one and intentionally inconveniencing every rider with the objective to have them avoid his parks in the future. So, for whatever reason, there are motorcycle haters in positions of authority out there.

The only time I got caught in one was on the NY state and NJ border one fine summer Saturday. They just waited for and stopped every bike that came along. It was done by local PD, quite informally, and they were giving each bike the once- over and checking paperwork before you were allowed to leave. Annoying,yes, but then I knew how the 100% legal truckers felt when I ran truck safety roadblocks, which the local public was completely supportive of, since at the time there were some by dangerously defective trucks on the road and there had been a few fatal crashes due to that fact.

I've heard of some motorcycle-only roadblocks in New York, but have not experienced any.

It seems to me if the police want to check for illegal helmets and loud pipes, they should be doing that every day and not just at a roadblock once or twice a year. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to spot a fake helmet or straight pipes, usually on a Harley.

Harry

ClassicVW said:

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The only time I got caught in one was on the NY state and NJ border one fine summer Saturday. They just waited for and stopped every bike that came along. It was done by local PD, quite informally, and they were giving each bike the once- over and checking paperwork before you were allowed to leave. Annoying,yes, but then I knew how the 100% legal truckers felt when I ran truck safety roadblocks, which the local public was completely supportive of, since at the time there were some by dangerously defective trucks on the road and there had been a few fatal crashes due to that fact.

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When a MC has a safety issue, one, maybe two people/vehicles are at risk. When a truck violates one, there are usually several and will involve many more.

Add to that the fact that OTR is federally regulated at every possible level and that's the price paid for working in that sector. Anyone ever seen a commercial OTR MC? me neither.

On the Great River Road north of Alton, nice spring day, HD's with loud pipes blasting down the road, passing us left and right. . Sign warns of checkpoint. 1/2 mile later there is a LEO on foot behind his patrol car waving people into check area (rest area). My buddy and I, riding RT's, ATGATT pull over to enter. He waves us off!!!!

Few days later I heard 50% of those stopped were ticketed for either no M/C endorsement on their license, no insurance or loud pipes. Darn near shed a tear.........................

Breaks my heart to see that kind of profiling.

I think motorcycle only check points are BS. It's certainly not lawful to pull me over for no reason other then the fact I'm travelling on a motorcycle and expect to search my panniers. That's harassment and your going to need a warrant. I don't care what kind of bike you are riding it's not right.

Kristopher said:

I think motorcycle only check points are BS. It's certainly not lawful to pull me over for no reason other then the fact I'm travelling on a motorcycle and expect to search my panniers. That's harassment and your going to need a warrant. I don't care what kind of bike you are riding it's not right.

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Don't get me wrong as I agree...but the loud pipe & chrome crowd kind of do bring it on themselves. People in places like Myrtle Beach , Daytona ...where ever,... get tired of the noise. I'm thinking maybe ?? the report of the check points will make them put on a quieter exhaust ? Avoid the ticket, at least for that trip.

A young lady on my street has a new boyfriend with a straight pipe HD. He rides it quietly on the street , to which i give him credit. But just hearing it at the slow way he rides it around here....I'll bet that thing could wake the dead if he cranks it....

This enters the area of politics. That is, gov. taking an active role under aegis of the general welfare clause of our constution. A clause BTW that is commonly being used as a catch all for just about every new social change construction. Vacuum for cash cow.

Actually, sitting in open garage on a warm afternoon with a brewskee, I enjoy the odd chopper with loud pipes motoring on by the driveway. Actually raise the beer can salute. Reminds of the few rebel types who today are fast disappearing to the delight of others who git in line. Never use the horn, doesn't work worth a damn anyway, never have enough time for it to be used to any effect, but now will have to make sure it goes bee-uuzz, or Get a hundred-fifty dollar ticket. Seems fair and sensible.

When they came for the fill in the blank, I said, fill in the blank. When they came for whatzit, I said who zit? When they came for mine, too late for discussion. No retort necessary, just random thoughts on the current developments. It all gets linked eventually, inescapable. They won't stop me, ATGATT. Right?

8ninety8 said:

This enters the area of politics. That is, gov. taking an active role under aegis of the general welfare clause of our constution. A clause BTW that is commonly being used as a catch all for just about every new social change construction. Vacuum for cash cow.

Actually, sitting in open garage on a warm afternoon with a brewskee, I enjoy the odd chopper with loud pipes motoring on by the driveway. Actually raise the beer can salute. Reminds of the few rebel types who today are fast disappearing to the delight of others who git in line. Never use the horn, doesn't work worth a damn anyway, never have enough time for it to be used to any effect, but now will have to make sure it goes bee-uuzz, or Get a hundred-fifty dollar ticket. Seems fair and sensible.

When they came for the fill in the blank, I said, fill in the blank. When they came for whatzit, I said who zit? When they came for mine, too late for discussion. No retort necessary, just random thoughts on the current developments. It all gets linked eventually, inescapable. They won't stop me, ATGATT. Right?

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No I'm not ATGATT and I don't go 'round tellin' folks what to do. But most people do not share our passion for motorcycles & mechanical things in general .....so they wear thin on the noise quickly. And they have as much right to a quite neighborhood as we [or our fellow riders] do to make some noise....a little discretion and compromise can accomplish allot.

arthurdent said:

When a MC has a safety issue, one, maybe two people/vehicles are at risk. When a truck violates one, there are usually several and will involve many more.

Add to that the fact that OTR is federally regulated at every possible level and that's the price paid for working in that sector. Anyone ever seen a commercial OTR MC? me neither.

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I am all for getting unsafe motorcycles off the road. That includes unlicensed, license suspended, and criminal warrants too. That takes a-holes off the road. Even if as you say, an unsafe MC harms only one other vehicle, I don't want that other vehicle to contain my wife, daughter, or sister.

You can also throw in the loud pipe crowd to the list that I want ticketed. They give all of us a bad name.

Whenever I'm out on the slab in a cage and I finally see a bike go by, or pass me up, I always say to me self, "God bless'em, loud pipes even, God protect'em," if no helmet or gear, but I never think, "Where's LEO, giv'em a ticket."

How did motorcycling ever make it out of its first seventy-five years without such attention? How did previous generations ever live their lives before such coddling? No answers needed, it's redundant. Have a quickening snow melt.

It's when some nitwit roars by your open window at 3:00 a.m. on a warm summer night with straight pipes and throttle wide open; that's when attitudes turn against these rugged individualists all dressed alike and riding the same bikes with the same straight pipes.

Harry

AKsuited said:

It's when some nitwit roars by your open window at 3:00 a.m. on a warm summer night with straight pipes and throttle wide open;

Harry

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So you are familiar with my neighbor!