Honest assessment, riding like an a**?

[mjfink420]

Also, Being a retired LEO, I’m thinking he could easily have given you a small break by writing for less than double over the limit, but I get the feeling he may have felt you needed a wake up call for whatever reason. Maybe he thought you weren’t taking it seriously enough or something. Or maybe he makes overtime for court.

Apologies if this rubs you the wrong way, but I think it's clear why it was 50 and not 49. The ticket for 25 over is 3X the fine that a ticket for 24 over would be. And, on review of the video, I was right around 50 when I came around that corner, so I'm sure that's what he got on his gun.

I didn't stop recording during the interaction with the officer, just so I had a record of it. I really don't think I was obnoxious, but it might have made him mad that I claimed I didn't see the signs. They were clear, no question at all; I didn't see them, but it's because I wasn't looking hard enough, not because they weren't there (or were obscured/etc). On the video, they are numerous and in the sight lines; when I reviewed the footage, I was stunned how obvious they were. Nobody knows if you're lying when you say "I didn't see it" except for you, so, to see how many signs there were that I completely missed...

 

[kbasa]

Agreed. That's always my biggest fear, especially when I'm on really tight corners and/or the corner is blind. There are a few places I ride where the corners are so tight that I near come to a stop, not because I can't lean the bike or turn fast enough, because cars ALWAYS cross the line and I'd prefer not to wind up someone else's hood ornament.



Kbasa has chicken strips!! I do too, unless I take the bike to one of a few roads I know of where I can get a big lean angle, I'll have them when the tire is new and have them when I peel it off!

I do these days. I'm a big fan of getting my butt off the seat, even on my RT or /2, and using less tire.

 

[classicvw]

Apologies if this rubs you the wrong way, but I think it's clear why it was 50 and not 49. The ticket for 25 over is 3X the fine that a ticket for 24 over would be. And, on review of the video, I was right around 50 when I came around that corner, so I'm sure that's what he got on his gun.

I don’t know if you’re saying he was trying to get more $$ in fines for the agency he works for…..
but theres plenty of other possibilities ….. So that it sinks in to you…or he lives in that area and he’s tired of speeders… or most likely he writes for the exact speed all the time, that way he has room to negotiate in court a plea to a lesser speed as courts don’t like wasting time having a trial for every speeding ticket.

 

[oldcamper]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned it yet but I think loud exhaust bikes attract more attention and may result in less understanding from law enforcement.

 

[mjfink420]

I don’t know if you’re saying he was trying to get more $$ in fines for the agency he works for…..
but theres plenty of other possibilities ….. So that it sinks in to you…or he lives in that area and he’s tired of speeders… or most likely he writes for the exact speed all the time, that way he has room to negotiate in court a plea to a lesser speed as courts don’t like wasting time having a trial for every speeding ticket.

I'm sure you're right; a blend of all of them.

Thank you all for the conversation, reality checks and support. Still thinking through if I should make this a "turning point" or a speed bump, but the conversation has been helpful, thank you!

 

[mjfink420]

I don’t think anyone has mentioned it yet but I think loud exhaust bikes attract more attention and may result in less understanding from law enforcement.

Well, I certainly gave him plenty of warning/time to get ready with the radar gun! The S1000XR with the full Akra exhaust is really very modestly loud (it's loud, don't get me wrong, but nothing like a Harley) at idle/up to around 4-5K RPM. When you get over that, it's pretty ear splitting. I think I was in 2nd gear coming around that corner; I'm sure it was not quiet. And I'm equally sure you're right, not going to make any friends with cops having that kind of exhaust screaming heading into town.

I just really hit the jackpot. Riding like an idiot. Screaming the engine. I'm sure a solid 30 degrees of lean angle turning the corner into him. Wearing Dainase with a devil on the back (not good if he was religious, and just furthers his thought of "a***ole"). 3 cameras filming, including an Insta that was super visible on a long pole on the back. The only thing I had going for me was a spotless driving record and age (I'm almost 50).. Neither helped, so, for those younger guys or those with shoddy records, take heart, "the man" gets us stodgy old guys too!

 

[Paul_F]

Knowing that you missed several speed limit signs (and were well over the limit) and with only a $500 fine, why do you intend to contest this in court? Could not your situation become worse disputing this?

 

[mjfink420]

Knowing that you missed several speed limit signs (and were well over the limit) and with only a $500 fine, why do you intend to contest this in court? Could not your situation become worse disputing this?

The license points. I'd pay the ticket in a heartbeat and move on if not for the points. We have a lot things that roll that have insurance on them, if we got a 30% jump in all our insurance rates, it would turn into 1000's per year for the next few years. Honestly, it could wind up costing more than the S1000XR did for that single ticket, depending on how long (and how much) the rates go up on all our cars based on that ticket.

 

[grabcon]

You need to watch Fridays with Frank Pinal county AZ. https://www.youtube.com/@PinalCountySheriffsOffice

He loves folks like you. 20 mph over is a felony offense. You were a bad boy and got caught. Oh BTW I speed to 5 maybe 10 over.

 

[cajunrider]

Personally, I see nothing on that road to justify a 25 mph limit. I'd say 45 is safe (35 is reasonable), with 25 "suggested" in the tight curves.

I think this is nothing more than a case of the local government setting a speed trap for $$$.

We have a LOT of those here in Louisiana, even though a previous governor made speed traps "illegal"... good luck using THAT argument in court...

 

[mjfink420]

You need to watch Fridays with Frank Pinal county AZ. https://www.youtube.com/@PinalCountySheriffsOffice

He loves folks like you. 20 mph over is a felony offense. You were a bad boy and got caught. Oh BTW I speed to 5 maybe 10 over.

That guy missed his calling, he should be a stand up comedian! I'd never seen him before, thank you for passing that along.

The cop that pulled me over was as good as you could hope for, entirely professional, but not nearly as funny.

 

[riderr1150gsadv]

Personally, I see nothing on that road to justify a 25 mph limit. I'd say 45 is safe (35 is reasonable), with 25 "suggested" in the tight curves.

I think this is nothing more than a case of the local government setting a speed trap for $$$.

We have a LOT of those here in Louisiana, even though a previous governor made speed traps "illegal"... good luck using THAT argument in court...

Same in some other states like Arizona with their stupid "safety corridors" that are nothing but a speed trap all in the name of safety. If they want safe drivers there should be much better drivers-ed in this country...

 

[88bmwjeff]

This is one of the reasons why I like my GPS unit, which provides the speed limit for about 90% of the roads. The GPS unit doesn't indicate the speed limit for many smaller rural roads. That way I'm not dependent of noticing the speed limit signs (which I often miss). The BMW Connected App also provides the speed limit information on my TFT screen.

 

[mjfink420]

This is one of the reasons why I like my GPS unit, which provides the speed limit for about 90% of the roads. The GPS unit doesn't indicate the speed limit for many smaller rural roads. That way I'm not dependent of noticing the speed limit signs (which I often miss). The BMW Connected App also provides the speed limit information on my TFT screen.

My Garmin and the BMW ConnectedRide app both show speed limits on most major roads. I didn't look at them, nor do I have video, but I wonder if they reflected the drop in limits as I moved up the mountain. They are usually pretty good on major roads, but the rural stuff, they often don't know (or, even worse, report the wrong limit; doesn't happen often, but I've seen it before).

 

[kickstandsup]

To your question...you're not necessarily riding like an a-hole, but are exhibiting extraordinarily poor judgment, both while riding AND by posting it on YouTube and here.

It should be obvious to even the most casual observer that very low posted speed limits, like those here and what most would consider well below the speed of normal traffic flow, are often revenue generators and at the behest of local citizens. To speed in those zones is, in a word, dumb. Whether speeding there is safe, within your personal limits, or whatever, is immaterial.

Secondly, posting your infraction on social media is a guaranteed conviction.

 

[classicvw]

I can only listen to just so many “I know I’m wrong…” followed by flippant comments and excuses downplaying the action.
Over and out.

 

[pglaves]

Somebody needs to support the local legal profession.

 

[pauls1150]

I probably committed a felony when I used a magic marker to add a blue stripe to the flag outside my front door...

 

[mjfink420]

To speed in those zones is, in a word, dumb. Whether speeding there is safe, within your personal limits, or whatever, is immaterial.

There are 2 separate issues here, IMHO.

The first issue is cut and dry. I was speeding, got a ticket for it that was completely justified and will pay it. As I said, the officer was entirely professional and while I didn't see the signs, there were plenty of them, the road was well very well posted. In my mind, there's absolutely no question about it, I was wrong and got caught in the wrong. And, to use your words, dumb.

What shook me about the ticket isn't that I was speeding, it's that I was doing double the limit and it felt totally "fine" to me, I didn't feel at all unsafe or like I was "pushing it". Having had a few experiences in the past with overconfidence, I'd like to try to avoid a repeat.

Within personal limits and safe are much more important to me than "legal". The legal question was answered definitively by the video, "NO!" is the answer. Disobey the law, get a ticket or, really mess up like I did, maybe even go to jail. There's a clear path A-B there. The reason I posted the video was to get an honest assessment, not of the legal/illegal nature (again, asked and answered by the footage), but of the safe/within limits question which, IMHO, is far more ambiguous.

What I was hoping for wasn't sympathy or a "that cop was an a**" (he wasn't, not at all, as I've already said), but for people to say "Yeah, that riding looks like you'll soon be dead if you keep it up" or "You were an idiot for riding that fast on a well posted road, but the riding itself looks like what I do, just on roads with 50MPH speed limits, not 25".

In an effort to not continue making bad life decisions, I've taken the video down. Thank you for the discussion though, still not sure what the end result of this will be, speed bump or turning point, but it's been helpful to see opinions of both sides.

 

[crows123]

Pay to play when over the limit. Can't say that I haven't done it. Rule that I have is when you see 25 and 35 posted , time to back off, because you are in a no play zone. Ticket wasn't that bad , could been a lot higher, and you would have been in jail in NH., with mandatory loss of license. Paying the ticket is not the expensive part , it is the premium increase and points for a number of years . In the Northeast the LEO's tend to be more than forgiving , depending on when ,where , time of day , and attitude , but 20 over will always cost you no matter where you are. I'm also with Kbasa on blind corners, can't see, no speed , happens every day , every ride here, the deadly tik tok, gps , instagram , cellphone user , forcing you off the road to score points with their cannibalistic tree and rock friends.. Have fun and safe riding, and also keep a big savings account, you may need it.