[Greengoose]

A co-worker back home (Las Vegas)just got nailed on his ZX1100 for 87 in a 70. He said his ticket was $389.00 and he must appear in court. So I started thinking about detectors. I had one long ago but I may think about getting one again.
So who uses a radar/laser detector on their Burg? If so? Which one?
-Bryan

 

[allwalk]

I can't up here in Canada, there illegal. Are they legal to use in the U.S. ?

 

[rjphoto9]

I USE A RADAR DECTOR

I WOULD NOT BE WITHOUT ONE. IN WISCONSIN THEY ARE LEGAL. I USE AN OLD MAXUM DETECTOR THAT IS VERY SENSITIVE..FORGET ABOUT THE LASER THE MODEL COMBOS....THEY ARE USELESS, RON

 

[mistergib]

Radar Detectors

I put one on my 400....first radar dectector I have owned/used in many,
many years.

I do not intentionally drive over the speed limit, but I have got 2 speeding
tickets in the last 2 years, before that it had been 30 years since I had
a ticket. On both of these, I never thought I was speeding....so, I bought
a detector just to tell me that they are there and to remind me to recheck
my speed......I'm still in shock that I got them (and pissed!).

Gib McKain

 

[minnmax]

RadarTest.com is a good place for info on such things.

Me, I don't have one. I'd be too tempted to speed if I did.

If I recall correctly, the only states in the U.S. that outlaw radar detectors are Connecticut and Virginia. Washington, D.C. does as well, but it is not a state.

 

[mactd83]

i dont feel one is needed on a bike simply because speeding is a mental issue anyway...i tend to automatically speed a little just because of the number readout on the speedo. so i guess its a good thing that most motorcycle speedos are 10% fast :lol: plus i dont know how many of you have had radars in the past but they go off everytime you pass a wharehouse district or shpping center because of the automatic door sensors are in the same band. to me radar detectors cry wolf too much for me to rely on one. i just try to stay with traffic wherever i am, and maybe just slightly faster not too much to warrant being pulled over though.

 

[Chumly]

I can't up here in Canada, there illegal. Are they legal to use in the U.S. ?

Detectors are legal in all states except Virginia and the District of Columbia. They're legal in the following Canadian provinces as well: Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.

 

[Spunkysquid]

I use a radar detector just to keep me alert about what is going around.

The model I use is the Escort Solo S2. What is nice about this one is that it is cordless. I velcroed it onto the top of the dash.

 

[wasions]

Is there an earbud plug on that Escort?

 

[billmeek]

Is there an earbud plug on that Escort?

Yep. But a bit too pricy for my wallet. See : http://www.escortradar.com/solo.htm

 

[Spunkysquid]

Yes, it has a earplug adapter to plug in.

I found I can still hear the tones with my helmet on and driving around. Once I get the autocom system, I will plug this also into it.

Yes, it is a bit pricey ($300.00), thank God for 10% off and 12 month no interest at Best Buy!

 

[Brian]

I often hear people say that they have a RADAR detector to keep them aware of what is going on around them and make them safer drivers/riders. BULL! Lift your head and look around to be a more aware driver. RADAR detectors cost money. Scanning your speedometer from time to time is free.

When I was a policeman I considered RADAR detectors in vehicles I stopped for speeding to be prima facae evidence of intent to commit an offense. After commenting on how the expensive equipment hadn't prevented me from catching them (I'd point my RADAR gun at the ground until they were in my line of sight -- all the RADAR detector did was announce that they'd been had), I'd explain how I usually gave warnings unless people's speed was really eggregious. Then I'd go around checking tire tread depth, headlight allignment, turn signals, etc. Then I'd run a full check on the driver. Usually I'd keep them at the roadside for about 15 minutes, eating up all the time they'd gained by speeding. Then hand them a hefty ticket written for the full amount by which they had exceeded the limit. And I'd always tell them that I had zero tolerance when I spotted a RADAR detector.

Have I ever exceeded the speed limit? Sure. In my teens I even got a ticket once. But my record for the past 30 years is spotless.

And of course, I had to really test my new Burgman (see "How fast will it go" in the General Discussion forum). But I know that if I get a ticket I deserve it, and with rare exceptions I obey the posted speed limits.

And I don't use technology to help me break the law.

 

[Greengoose]

Brian,
Motorcycles are notorious for speeding vs cars. In your experience, is this the case? Are mototcyclists different than the avererage joe automobile speeders? It seems way easier to speed accidently on an open road on a bike than in an automobile.
-Bryan

 

[pauljo]

I received a $200 ticket on my Kawasaki Concours a few years ago in Connecticut. It was a three lane freeway, and I was in the middle lane, in a line of cars, moving exactly the same speed as the cars. Traffic flow was moving 10 mph over the limit, and traffic was heavy. It would have been unwise, and unsafe, to go slower.

The trooper pulled me out of the line of cars and ticketed me. A blatant case of "selective" law enforcement with a bias against motorcycles. That is also a factor at times. There are troopers who will pick out motorcycles, sports cars, and luxury vehicles - and let the Ford Taurus that was passing them go.

I paid the ticket, because on the summons it stated that if I mailed in the payment no points would be assessed. If I had fought the ticket and lost, it would have added court costs, points against my license, and corresponding higher insurance rates on all my vehicles for a few years. Not a worthwhile gamble to take.

 

[Brian]

Motorcycles are notorious for speeding vs cars. In your experience, is this the case? ...It seems way easier to speed accidently on an open road on a bike than in an automobile.

Absolutely. The higher power to weight ratio means that unless one pays strict attention to scanning the ol' speedo things can get away from you very easily. Plus, even a touring bike is more like a sports car than like a luxury car in many respects; so there's there's a certain mentality that comes into play -- outlaw, daredevil, living-on-the-edge -- imagine then what it must be like on a sports bike or a big Burgman...oh, wait, we don't have to imagine.

But the point I was trying to make is that a RADAR detector won't slow you down or make you more aware. Anyone who says that is either kidding himself or trying to kid others. A beeper on the speedometer or a governor on the engine or something -- that could make one a more law abiding rider, but a "cop spotter" won't; it only encourages unlawful driving when one thinks he or she can get away with it.

A blatant case of "selective" law enforcement with a bias against motorcycles. That is also a factor at times. There are troopers who will pick out motorcycles, sports cars, and luxury vehicles - and let the Ford Taurus that was passing them go.

Yeah, unfortunately some do have a bias against motorcycles. But, again, a RADAR detector wouldn't have kept you from speeding -- and you do admit that you were speeding, even if you weren't the only one doing so. If it had been me I might have moved to the right lane and let others pass; a 10MPH speed difference would not have been unsafe or unwise in my opinion.

BTW, I got out of law enforcement a long time ago. I was very strict and "by the book" back then because I always try to do any job I'm doing to the best of my ability. But I'm basically too easy-going and fun-loving, so I chose a different path.

 

[Spunkysquid]

What I said about being alert was just that.

In our town, they use the SWS system (Safety Warning System). My detector will alert me to a emergency vehicle approaching, railroad crossing, etc. Sometimes with the wind in the helmet it can be hard to hear what is going on (maybe a Clearview would help!). When the SWS comes on and tells me emergency vehicle, I can better prepare and be on the look out. The same also goes for the railroad crossings, especially at night.

Does anyone else have the SWS for their town or state?

 

[csachs1]

Regarding insurance, my limited understanding is that if you pay a fine, then the ticket is on your record. Points are merely a way to revoke your license should you accumulate enough in any one period. In other words, the insurance company views a ticket as a ticket, unless you are found not guilty. Paying a fine is admitting your guilt.

 

[pauljo]

I think the rules vary somewhat from State to State regarding ticket handling. I've heard that some States even have a "Right to Speed" law. I'm not sure what the details are on that though.

 

[NormanB]

Have I ever exceeded the speed limit? Sure. In my teens I even got a ticket once. But my record for the past 30 years is spotless.

And of course, I had to really test my new Burgman (see "How fast will it go" in the General Discussion forum). But I know that if I get a ticket I deserve it, and with rare exceptions I obey the posted speed limits.

And I don't use technology to help me break the law.

Well over here Bill, the speed camera has become a government enterprise department - a major revenue earner for Her Majesty's Government that has little to do with road safety. There has been an absolute explosion in their numbers in the most dubious of spots and the cash is just rolling in.

Now then - If speed cameras are about safety - they should cause you to slow down - if you have a camera detector it is no more no less than a safety device because it tells you to slow down. So there you have it the SAFETY objective has been achieved. Now if that pisses off the police or the government because they have missed out on some cash - then bollocks to them thats allI have to say.

 

[Selias]

Radar detectors may make some more aware and with false signals might even make some folks drive slower most of the time but in today's technological age detectors do little more than that. Some of the police that are members here would be a far better source than I am but it is my understanding that laser-radar and 'line-of-sight' detectors are rapidly becoming the standard. Even if you detect them it's often too late (especially with the 'instant-on' line-of-sight models) to do anything but slow down to get your (well deserved) ticket. One of my reasons for getting the 400 was precisely the lower top-end. True, I don't have a power reserve but if I'm doing 70ish MPH the chances of me needing to speed UP to get out of a situation is highly unlikely. Emergancy braking is far liklier. If I had a faster bike I can almost guarentee I'd GO faster even though I try to not exceed the speed limit more than 4 MPH. I posted recently about getting a warning rather than a ticket for going over by 13 MPH. I neglected to see the lowered speed limit coming into an unfamilar town. If I had gotten the ticket I would have taken my medicine. Limits are for safety reasons and I can respect that. I sure don't want some cage flying up by backside doing audobahn speeds!
If I get pulled over i am polite, cooperative and honest and openly communicate. last ticket I had was in a speed trap in a town of about 300 population back in `98 or `99 for passing a gravel truck 10 miles over the limit because it was doing 5 MPH under the limit and spattering my windshield with rocks/gravel. Never got one in Vegas or Tahoe so before that it was in the mid-80's when I was in my 20's.
My take is this: take your chances and take your lumps. Don't whine afterwards if you get caught speeding unless it's rushing to the Emergancy Room or some other warranted reason for driving unsafe.
YMMV!