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radar and laser protection

ton123

New member
Fellow Members: I am ready for a top notch radar and laser detector/blocker. any suggestions would be much appreciated. I'm ready to travel this season but don't need anymore tickets! Ton
 
I'm sure there's going to be a lot of "just drive the speed limit comments" but I'll do what I can to help out.

There's only one moto specific radar detector on the market right now. IIRC it's called the TPX. It's weather proof so that's kind of nice.

Blocking radar and laser is a sticky area. Radar jammers are illegal period. They violate FCC rules and can lead to a big fine.

Laser jammers are legal in lots of areas but there are other areas where they are illegal. They became illegal in Texas during the 2011 legislative session. There are a few out there that are proven to work but they are expensive and again legal in some areas and not in others.

The Valentine 1 is considered the "best" detector on the market usually but I prefer other units from Beltronics and Escort (same company really). I run a Beltronics Vector 995 on my bike with a Mark Parnes visual alert device on top.

Passive detection and smart riding are going to do you the best good. Get a good quality detector and keep your eyes scanning. Don't rely entirely on your detector. Scan ahead, watch what traffic is doing (are they slowing down for some unknown reason?) and try not to be the fastest vehicle on the road.

A motorcycle already has pretty small radar cross section so you are harder to pick up via radar.
 
Lots of old threads on this, one from last year. It'll just be d?®j?á vu all over again if this thread keeps on...
 
Passive detection and smart riding are going to do you the best good. Get a good quality detector and keep your eyes scanning. Don't rely entirely on your detector. Scan ahead, watch what traffic is doing (are they slowing down for some unknown reason?) and try not to be the fastest vehicle on the road.

Good advice. :thumb
 
Fellow Members: I am ready for a top notch radar and laser detector/blocker. any suggestions would be much appreciated. I'm ready to travel this season but don't need anymore tickets! Ton

Valentine1 is the gold standard-
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There are many who criticize the V1 but usually it's really the price that they are complaining about. Sure $400.00 sounds like a lot of money but it really isn't if you add up the consequences and total fees for a ticket. There is the fine and the insurance surcharges- usually over a 3 year period. The end result, really, is one save and the unit is free.
If you like to go fast it will help, and if you are just looking to cut down on the very prevalent revenue enhancement that is going on, it will help a lot. The only drawback I find is that it's really not weather resistant but there are cases that take care of that.
HTH OM

http://www.valentine1.com/
 
Valentine1 is the gold standard-

It's the old gold standard. The new one is the Escort 9500ix, which has a GPS database of red light cameras, speed traps, and it locks out false alarms the third time you ride through them. It also has networking via smartphone, so anyone else with the "smartcord live" on the road you're on will auto-transfer his alerts to your device. If you're riding into police activity, you're gonna know about a mile ahead of time. The other big advantage is monthly updates via downloads from Escort. And yeah, it costs more than the V1. The only thing the V1 has going for it is the directional arrows, but hey, if I get a Ka band alert, it doesn't take me long to visually scan in all directions.
 
You can mitigate ticket risk without a radar detector. It's not that I don't ride fast, I do believe in having speed separation with surrounding traffic, and I'm the one going faster. Just not blatantly so. I'm not a big fan of riding with others, mostly because they generally ride slower than I like.

I have always practiced "tactical riding". I probably pass 90% of the traffic and 10% passes me. There is a time and place to go fast. It doesn't include built-up areas, or where police potentially have cover on open stretches of road. With the current police radar and laser units that can be left turned off and then "blip" you, a radar detector doesn't help until it's too late.

I probably get pulled over going "sensibly" fast every couple of years, but haven't gotten tickets as the officers didn't think the circumstances warranted a citation. I'm rarely dissatisfied I can't go fast enough, but haven't had a ticket in over 25 years. For me, money on a radar/laser detector would be wasted.
 
......... which has a GPS database of red light cameras, speed traps......... and it locks out false alarms the third time you ride through them.......... It also has networking via smartphone, so anyone else with the "smartcord live" on the road you're on will auto-transfer his alerts to your device........ The other big advantage is monthly updates via downloads from Escort.
That's all interesting Tom, it looks like V1 has some new wizz-bang going on also- http://www.valentine1.com/v1info/v1connection/
I would have to wait a while on that technology/features from either company....we all know of GPS roads to nowhere... I've never really bought into the notion of "false alarms" as it's a receiver and something set it off. IMO a big part of operating such a device is the reception of those pesky "false alarms", realizing what they are- microwave dish on a tower, door opener at the mall and learning to differentiate between them. It would seem to me that if locations of a speed trap was programmed into a device, it would be real easy for someone in an aggressive enforcement to move the trap and foul things up. It's like 290 in Worcester when there are 3 in a row in a 4 mile stretch :banghead

BTW guys as this has developed into more of a Gear kinda deal...it's off to the Gear section :bolt
 
I've never really bought into the notion of "false alarms" as it's a receiver and something set it off. IMO a big part of operating such a device is the reception

False alarms are very bad in urban areas, and so is the explosion of local police departments with mobile radar on their cruisers. I can't leave town without getting painted by a radar transmitter three times. Locking out the false alarms makes you pay attention -- the only time my detecter goes off, it's a real threat. V1 is fine in the boonies. We have no boonies left in eastern Massachusetts.

Glad to see Mike Valentine is being an engineer again with an improvement, but he's still got a way to go to catch up on the social networking aspect of connecting devices together. It's a good start, but I'd add the Waze app which gives you more info about threats beyond your immediate surrounding.
 
You can mitigate ticket risk without a radar detector. It's not that I don't ride fast, I do believe in having speed separation with surrounding traffic, and I'm the one going faster. Just not blatantly so. I'm not a big fan of riding with others, mostly because they generally ride slower than I like.

I have always practiced "tactical riding". I probably pass 90% of the traffic and 10% passes me. There is a time and place to go fast. It doesn't include built-up areas, or where police potentially have cover on open stretches of road. With the current police radar and laser units that can be left turned off and then "blip" you, a radar detector doesn't help until it's too late.

I probably get pulled over going "sensibly" fast every couple of years, but haven't gotten tickets as the officers didn't think the circumstances warranted a citation. I'm rarely dissatisfied I can't go fast enough, but haven't had a ticket in over 25 years. For me, money on a radar/laser detector would be wasted.

Very good synopsis of how to drive smart, Dave. Well said.

I have been driving all sorts of two, four and six-wheeled vehicles since 1969 - I have never been issued a traffic citation - for speeding or any other offense for that matter, and it hasn't been just dumb luck. I operate responsibly and respect the laws.

Your reference to the ability of LEO's to 'blip' a suspected speeder is spot on. Radar and laser detectors only work with lazy cops - those who leave their units on continously, flooding the airwaves with detectable radiation. Smart LEO's visually ID a hazardous violator, and then touch a button that confirms their speed faster than any human can physically react to the 'alert' that their vehicle has been electronically monitored.

There is a robust market for radar detectors, deer whistles, lucky charms and road gremlin bells - the snake oils of our modern soceity.

However, in the interest of lawyers and those of us who wisely hold stock in radar detector firms, don't rock the boat too much! :dance
 
Just did a install on my 1600GT. Chose a escort 8500CI hidden system. Antenna mounted in oil cooler opening( no difference in oil temp) this portion of unit is water proof, brains of the unit under right speaker and control unit mounted on dash. This is for the time being a visual system only, no sound as I am still researching how to tie into 1600's audio system. I really wanted a hidden system, and the CI fits the requirement
 
Smart LEO's visually ID a hazardous violator, and then touch a button that confirms their speed faster than any human can physically react to the 'alert' that their vehicle has been electronically monitored.

So you've been using the transmitter and I've been using the receiver for 30 years or more and why is it that I get your perspective and experience, while you don't get mine? Pop alerts are nothing new. When they happen, every good radar receiver in the neighborhood knows there is a cop in the area. Yeah, instant-on can be a hazard, but there's a high probability the cop is around the bend, on a cross street, or targeting someone else. I get alerts all the time before there is visual contact between me and John Law. You've said how you travel at 7 or 8 over, and plenty of towns where I live nail you for that on secondary roads. That's why I use a detector. I need to keep my license to earn a living and I want to know when there's somebody around trying to take it away from me -- my riding and driving is conservative, but I don't always have my eyes glued to the speedo. Never had a ticket when using the detector -- 50k miles a year for the past 35 years.
 
You can mitigate ticket risk without a radar detector. It's not that I don't ride fast, I do believe in having speed separation with surrounding traffic, and I'm the one going faster. Just not blatantly so. I'm not a big fan of riding with others, mostly because they generally ride slower than I like.

I have always practiced "tactical riding". I probably pass 90% of the traffic and 10% passes me. There is a time and place to go fast. It doesn't include built-up areas, or where police potentially have cover on open stretches of road. With the current police radar and laser units that can be left turned off and then "blip" you, a radar detector doesn't help until it's too late.

I probably get pulled over going "sensibly" fast every couple of years, but haven't gotten tickets as the officers didn't think the circumstances warranted a citation. I'm rarely dissatisfied I can't go fast enough, but haven't had a ticket in over 25 years. For me, money on a radar/laser detector would be wasted.

When they "blip" their radar every detector on the road is going to go off including beyond the range the unit will receive a reading back. Laser is a bit trickier as the beam is VERY narrow but you can pick up "scatter" sometimes. But at this point Laser still isn't in widespread enough use to be as big of a threat as radar. At least in my experience. During a 5k mile cross country trip though 14 states I counted 2 lasers in use the rest of the time was radar.

Here the only guys who use Laser units are the dedicated traffic units and usually only the motocops are using it.
 
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First, I use an Escort 8500x50 with the Marc Parnes LEDs on top, mounted on top of the "dash", behind the windshield. The LEDs are bright enough to catch my eye in all but a bright sun from the rear. This set-up works very well, is easily removed (Velcro!) and didn't cost a fortune. The Beltronics mentioned above is a very similar unit. Not that if you want to use the Marc Parnes LEDs on a Valentine you need the extra-cost audio adapter dongle which adds significantly to the bottom line and makes the whole system cumbersome. I can't speak to which brand works best, tho you can easily find comparisons on the internet. I don't find much value in the Valentine's arrows. Their website has long-winded explanations of "bogeys" and "bandits" and why it's important to know where they are. If my Escort goes off I'm looking and slowing, and frankly don't care where the "bogey" is. The Escort 9500 with GPS memory as mentioned, may be of some value. I like simplicity - it fits my over-stimutated brain for which more info isn't necessarily better.

Second, radar/laser (LIDAR actually) detectors are becoming less and less valuable on the road. Instant-on radar will beat you every time, unless you get lucky and catch some scatter from a vehicle being targeted ahead of you. Laser has such a narrow beam width that you don't even have that. Your small target size is your only hope of being hit.

Last, on the highway I like to pick-up a "tow" from a vehicle (preferably a red convertible driven by a young blonde woman) that is going about the speed I'd like to go. Let her get a 1/4-mile ahead and stay there. Not that I ever exceed the posted speed limit, mind.

pete
Teachers make all other occupations possible.
 
So you've been using the transmitter and I've been using the receiver for 30 years or more and why is it that I get your perspective and experience, while you don't get mine? Pop alerts are nothing new. When they happen, every good radar receiver in the neighborhood knows there is a cop in the area. Yeah, instant-on can be a hazard, but there's a high probability the cop is around the bend, on a cross street, or targeting someone else. I get alerts all the time before there is visual contact between me and John Law. You've said how you travel at 7 or 8 over, and plenty of towns where I live nail you for that on secondary roads. That's why I use a detector. I need to keep my license to earn a living and I want to know when there's somebody around trying to take it away from me -- my riding and driving is conservative, but I don't always have my eyes glued to the speedo. Never had a ticket when using the detector -- 50k miles a year for the past 35 years.

I think the reason you and I don't see eye to eye is in your very own words "I want to know when there's somebody around trying to take it away from me -- ," refering to getting caught for speeding.

Your comment paints the law enforcement officer as the bad guy "trying to take your license away" and the motorcyclist who is choosing to break the law as the good guy. Not a philosophy I'd ever wrap my head around, so we go our separate ways on this discussion.

And it's not as black and white as "I transmit and you receive." I transmited only when it was time to document my evidence of excessive speeding, so my transmission is intended for an individual target. True - that signal can be detected by others in the vicinity who are also speeding; but after I have dealt with that motorist, I return to a stealth posture that all the radar detectors in the world can't discover until it's too late. That was my point.

I realize I'm tilting at windmills here - those who wish to break speed laws will spend the $$$ and put their faith in detectors. Those who are charged with keeping roads safe will, with proper training, have no difficulty whatsoever defeating such 'defenses.' Age-old game of cat-and-mouse, except that with the ability of an LEO to withhold any detectable signal until needed, the 'cat' is now invisible.

Sometimes, LEO's run radar to intimidate a large volume of traffic into slowing down - what we call passive enforcement, with no aggressive effort at issuing 'performance awards.' Other times, cops can just be lazy and leave their units on 24/7 - not hard to avoid those geniuses. Certain jurisdictions use strict enforcement as a revenue stream - I don't respect them any more than you do.

But for the well-trained radar operator, not a gizmo out there will save you. Better to slow down and spend your $$$ on something else for the bike. :thumb

As for the OP, I hope he finds the detector unit he wishes to spend his money on.
 
I generally detect from a mile or more away from any transmitter. Even if you POP or Instant On and I get a blip I'm going to slow down till I see the threat/determine what made my detector blip for a second even if I have to "putt" around for a few miles.

Watching traffic ahead of me helps a lot. The detector isn't a catch all ticket shield it's just another tool in the electronic warfare toolbox. If I'm looking ahead and see cars brake for no apparent reason in one lane or multiple lanes I'm slowing down cause around here there's most likely a FWPD car sitting over that hill that those folks just topped.
 
I think the reason you and I don't see eye to eye is in your very own words "I want to know when there's somebody around trying to take it away from me -- ," refering to getting caught for speeding.

Your comment paints the law enforcement officer as the bad guy "trying to take your license away" and the motorcyclist who is choosing to break the law as the good guy. Not a philosophy I'd ever wrap my head around, so we go our separate ways on this discussion.

That's the problem, Kevin, I don't run over the limit intentionally, but you assume I'm trying to break the law when the opposite is, in fact, the real story. The detector keeps me legal. As you recall, I was a military electronic tech, radar specialty, electronic countermeasures if you want to break it down further. Radar receivers work, you'd get no reading on your transceiver at all if they didn't.

EDIT: Speeding tickets and every other citation are very expensive where I live, but it isn't the $85 ticket (or whatever the cost is (it's been a long time since I've had one). It's the insurance surcharges we get tagged with for the following six years, something like $135 per year times the number of vehicles registered. So any citation ends up costing $600+ per vehicle by the time it all scroll off. I will do everything I can to minimize that risk.
 
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my experience

thanks to all for the new information. In response to Kevin, didn't know you were from the dark side. Still like your column. If only the officers who have pulled me over were as reasonable as you. It is so easy on a motorcycle to go over the limit by 10 mph without realizing any movement in the wrist. A little warning and all the other posts will help. thanks to all. Ton
 
thanks to all for the new information. In response to Kevin, didn't know you were from the dark side. Still like your column. If only the officers who have pulled me over were as reasonable as you. It is so easy on a motorcycle to go over the limit by 10 mph without realizing any movement in the wrist. A little warning and all the other posts will help. thanks to all. Ton

Thanks for the compliment. I too wish more LEO's took a more reasonable approach to speed enforcement, seeking out the idiots and just chatting with/warning all others. I found that those whom I warned the previous week were driving more responsibly when I saw them days later. I enjoyed getting chewed out regularly by my supervisors for NOT issuing as many tickets as many other officers did. Had to live with myself at the end of the day, you know.

As a veteran LEO motor officer, touring enthusiast and MSF instructor, I'm well aware that it doesn't take much twist of the wrist to drastically alter your speed. I always enjoyed the opportunity to converse with a motorcyclist rather than cite him/her. In the final days of my career (May, 2006) NBC station WTMJ-Ch 4 out of Milwaukee actually followed me around and videoed my traffic stops while on my police Harley for speed violations, and compared and contrasted my approach with that of the Racine Co. Sheriff's Dept. (WI). Still have that clip on a DVD - I definitely was the guy you wanted to be stopped by!

Ride Safe and Often. :thumb
 
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