Watched the local police training today
Thread Starter
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May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 35
From: Rochester, NY
Watched the local police training today
I was riding the bike over to the vets office to pick up some vitamins and flea/tic pills for our dogs when I passed a large parking lot full of traffic cones.
I thought it might be the local collage's motorcycle safety class but they have their own lot on the other end of the city.
I didn't think about it again until I was on the way back and there were three police bikes going around them, so I had to stop and watch for a while.
I actually entertained the idea of asking if I could try it on my bike until I realized exactly how tight the course was they had set up.
DAMN those guys can ride, they were scraping the floorboards all over the place. They never dropped a bike or stopped but they were getting their full dressers around in turns that were only a little wider than the bikes were long. Even if they did tip a cone or two over, they did it very rarely.
I have a copy of the "Ride Like a Pro" DVD and like to practice the lessons in it. But it would still take me quite a while to be able to duplicate the kind of skill they displayed and there is no way I would try it on my bike.
I'm sure I could do it on a small Dirt bike or maybe a Sportster, but not my Softail. Its too long and the steering geometry just isn't set up to make turns that tight and I'm too chicken to try.
But I did wished them a safe riding season when I left and hoped they didn't notice how poorly I rode.
I thought it might be the local collage's motorcycle safety class but they have their own lot on the other end of the city.
I didn't think about it again until I was on the way back and there were three police bikes going around them, so I had to stop and watch for a while.
I actually entertained the idea of asking if I could try it on my bike until I realized exactly how tight the course was they had set up.
DAMN those guys can ride, they were scraping the floorboards all over the place. They never dropped a bike or stopped but they were getting their full dressers around in turns that were only a little wider than the bikes were long. Even if they did tip a cone or two over, they did it very rarely.
I have a copy of the "Ride Like a Pro" DVD and like to practice the lessons in it. But it would still take me quite a while to be able to duplicate the kind of skill they displayed and there is no way I would try it on my bike.
I'm sure I could do it on a small Dirt bike or maybe a Sportster, but not my Softail. Its too long and the steering geometry just isn't set up to make turns that tight and I'm too chicken to try.
But I did wished them a safe riding season when I left and hoped they didn't notice how poorly I rode.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,035
Likes: 8
From: Western Canada
True they can ride....but
the first thing their taught is 'the bike isn't theirs' so they're not worried about dropping them. Where as we are. Once you get over being worried about laying down the bike, then it becomes much easier to be aggressive during maneuvering. Many of you are probably just as good or even better riders than the motor cops because you treat your bikes with respect and know that if you drop it, then you pay for it.
Being in the military I get to practice on training course. The military is so srict on motorcycle saftey that we have have saftey briefings once a month. Last briefing we did T-CLOCK and rode the course, well it was the first time taking my eglide on the course and I did pretty good the only thing that gets me is figure 8's in the box. I don't want to put the bike down so I don't push it as far.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,186
Likes: 6
From: Gray's Creek NC
I was riding the bike over to the vets office to pick up some vitamins and flea/tic pills for our dogs when I passed a large parking lot full of traffic cones.
I thought it might be the local collage's motorcycle safety class but they have their own lot on the other end of the city.
I didn't think about it again until I was on the way back and there were three police bikes going around them, so I had to stop and watch for a while.
I actually entertained the idea of asking if I could try it on my bike until I realized exactly how tight the course was they had set up.
DAMN those guys can ride, they were scraping the floorboards all over the place. They never dropped a bike or stopped but they were getting their full dressers around in turns that were only a little wider than the bikes were long. Even if they did tip a cone or two over, they did it very rarely.
I have a copy of the "Ride Like a Pro" DVD and like to practice the lessons in it. But it would still take me quite a while to be able to duplicate the kind of skill they displayed and there is no way I would try it on my bike.
I'm sure I could do it on a small Dirt bike or maybe a Sportster, but not my Softail. Its too long and the steering geometry just isn't set up to make turns that tight and I'm too chicken to try.
But I did wished them a safe riding season when I left and hoped they didn't notice how poorly I rode.
I thought it might be the local collage's motorcycle safety class but they have their own lot on the other end of the city.
I didn't think about it again until I was on the way back and there were three police bikes going around them, so I had to stop and watch for a while.
I actually entertained the idea of asking if I could try it on my bike until I realized exactly how tight the course was they had set up.
DAMN those guys can ride, they were scraping the floorboards all over the place. They never dropped a bike or stopped but they were getting their full dressers around in turns that were only a little wider than the bikes were long. Even if they did tip a cone or two over, they did it very rarely.
I have a copy of the "Ride Like a Pro" DVD and like to practice the lessons in it. But it would still take me quite a while to be able to duplicate the kind of skill they displayed and there is no way I would try it on my bike.
I'm sure I could do it on a small Dirt bike or maybe a Sportster, but not my Softail. Its too long and the steering geometry just isn't set up to make turns that tight and I'm too chicken to try.
But I did wished them a safe riding season when I left and hoped they didn't notice how poorly I rode.
Thread Starter
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May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 35
From: Rochester, NY
You guys "maybe" right but I'm not young (read stupid) enough these day's (I turned 60 last December) to try lying to myself about my ultimate low speed bike riding abilities.
Especially on a bike configured the way my Custom is.
Its laid back riding position and forward controls are not things designed to engender a lot of confidence at very low speeds.
Though you might be right in that its more a matter of perception than actual steering geometry.
In the end though I just don't think I would be good enough to keep up with them on that course and I wouldn't even try until I have two things.
The first would be a spare clutch, because it was obvious that those guys were cooking theirs riding the friction zone as long and often as they were.
The second would be a really good set of crash bars (padded) so I don't bend, scratch or break things if, or when do screw up.
Especially on a bike configured the way my Custom is.
Its laid back riding position and forward controls are not things designed to engender a lot of confidence at very low speeds.
Though you might be right in that its more a matter of perception than actual steering geometry.
In the end though I just don't think I would be good enough to keep up with them on that course and I wouldn't even try until I have two things.
The first would be a spare clutch, because it was obvious that those guys were cooking theirs riding the friction zone as long and often as they were.
The second would be a really good set of crash bars (padded) so I don't bend, scratch or break things if, or when do screw up.
Last edited by In Memoriam Citoriplus; Apr 21, 2010 at 08:38 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: South of the cities, MN
The training is precision oriented. Look where ya want to go!
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 110
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From: Palm Bay, Florida
About 15 years ago, the department put me thru the state police motor school. I hadn't ridden motorcycles in nearly 10 years and they sent me to the school on a nearly new FXRP full dress. The largest cycle I had ridden until that time was my 350 Honda. The first week was all slow speed cone courses. I must have dropped that bike 100 times. I did graduate, but jeeze I was glad it wasn't my bike. 2 sets of Clutch/brake handles and at the end of 2 weeks, it cost them 6000 in new chrome and paint. I was the only one of the class of 20 who did not have to have my bike towed home at the end of the day. I think the class went thru 15 clutch replacements. Hardest physical police school I ever went thru, but by the end of 2 weeks I was pretty confident I could ride that motor in just about any situation, off-road, up and down stairs, thru a junkyard, one way street u-turns with cars on both sides, with people throwing things to include garbage cans, 2 by 4's, bricks and other assorted debriis in front of me and having to go over it. Best training I ever took, but I was sure I was going to wash out any day. 20 started the class, only 10 finished it and I'm proud I was one. Since I had been away from motors again, when I bought my Sportster last year, I started practicing again, but my circles and patterns were at least 50% larger than we used back then. I just got the Ride Like a Pro videos to watch and refresh myself, since I want to practice on my new softail, but I'm sure I'll be starting with oversized patterns again since now I'm paying for any damage!!!
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,646
Likes: 40
From: Midtown Tulsa
The Tulsa PD motor practices next to the highway in a large parking lot for some soccer fields. Always like to stop and watch them; from the parking lot not the highway.
I'm am always amazed how well they do (local guys are on cop Ultras)...sweet.
I'm am always amazed how well they do (local guys are on cop Ultras)...sweet.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,727
Likes: 11
From: TN
About 15 years ago, the department put me thru the state police motor school. I hadn't ridden motorcycles in nearly 10 years and they sent me to the school on a nearly new FXRP full dress. The largest cycle I had ridden until that time was my 350 Honda. The first week was all slow speed cone courses. I must have dropped that bike 100 times. I did graduate, but jeeze I was glad it wasn't my bike. 2 sets of Clutch/brake handles and at the end of 2 weeks, it cost them 6000 in new chrome and paint. I was the only one of the class of 20 who did not have to have my bike towed home at the end of the day. I think the class went thru 15 clutch replacements. Hardest physical police school I ever went thru, but by the end of 2 weeks I was pretty confident I could ride that motor in just about any situation, off-road, up and down stairs, thru a junkyard, one way street u-turns with cars on both sides, with people throwing things to include garbage cans, 2 by 4's, bricks and other assorted debriis in front of me and having to go over it. Best training I ever took, but I was sure I was going to wash out any day. 20 started the class, only 10 finished it and I'm proud I was one. Since I had been away from motors again, when I bought my Sportster last year, I started practicing again, but my circles and patterns were at least 50% larger than we used back then. I just got the Ride Like a Pro videos to watch and refresh myself, since I want to practice on my new softail, but I'm sure I'll be starting with oversized patterns again since now I'm paying for any damage!!!
After reading the above, do you really think most peeps can ride as well as a Motor? I guarandamtee you that if you pulled riders off the street, maybe one in a thousand would get through a standard MOTOR course layout.
Bwana