Welcome to the UK policing system.

[Sister Sledge]

New here and still reading through the threads. It reminded me of my first bike on the roads - a Yamaha TY50. Far too small for my size but shit I was road legal and having a great time. Until..

I was pulled over in a local town by a policeman driving a panda type car. He grabs clip board and starts his patter on a new driver/rider.
The bike was stock and absolutely road legal. I was sweet and he knew it and so his bull started.
The worst of his bull is something I'll never forget. "Go on admit it. You've de-restricted the bike to make it go faster. Look you've taken the baffles out" he said and to that he shoved his pen down the exhaust. I was shocked. I asked him where the exhaust gases would exit from if it didn't have a hole there. The officer walked away.

I've a stack of similar stories. Anyone have similar run ins??

[DrDonnyBrago]

I've never been hassled on the bike.

Only time I've been pulled over was the day I passed my car test. Passed near Xmas, drove brother to the pub and went for a wander, slowly, nervously, at night, away from the pubs. Got breathalysed .

[rpsmith79]

[chickenstrip]

Two incidents spring to mind, both many years ago.

The first, I was riding my little moped. Just peeled off a roundabout, and a copper on foot waves me into the roadside.
"Going a bit slow, weren't you?", quips he.
To which I just nodded towards the bike.
"Yeah, see what you mean, on your way then!"

The second, I was on my 750 Turbo. Gave it a bit of throttle on the approach to a hill, although not the best place, as it was in a built-up area (there's a speed camera there now). Again, two coppers at the roadside, signalled me to pull in.
Among other 'advice', he noticed my rear tyre was getting a bit bald. Put his hand on it.
"Come here. Feel that. Warm, isn't it? That's how you knacker your tyres out."
I just kept quiet about my thought of, "how's it going to grip if it doesn't get warm then?" I mean, it wasn't as if the rubber was shredded.
Still, just got a verbal and again, sent on my way, and I was lacking road tax and proper silencers at the time, so can't complain I suppose
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[thx1138]

I got pulled over 2 or 3 times a week in the evening for about 3 months.

But, I did ride a Kawasaki KMX125 highly stolen bike, and work in a petrol station, which shut at about the same time as the pub.

Eventually, they all got used to me and ignored me. Doubt it'd happen now, the stop I mean, wouldn't be any police about.

[BrownTrousers]

I've never been pulled over on the bike, in 5 years and 20,000 miles.

Been pulled over 3 times in 15 years (150,000 miles?) of driving and always been treated reasonably:

1) Pulled over because I was in a Citroen Saxo full of teenage boys in the middle of the night. Vehicle checked and sent on my way.

2) Pulled over whilst carrying out a U-turn using the mouth of a side-street that turned out to be a one-way street. Sent on my way with a FPN.

3) Pulled over as I was clearly speeding although he had no speed gun to prove it. He asked me how fast i was going. I said 30. He looked doubtful, breathalyzed me and sent on my way.

All three happened a good number of years ago - hardly see any traffic cops these days.
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[notabikeranym...]

On my Ninja 300 years ago I was pulled while cruising at 20 in a 30.

Officer told me it was cause I had one hand on the steering wheel.

Took my licence, insurance, went to his car. An eternity later he comes back and says in a very condescending manner that he'll give me a warning and that I need to stay safe because if I hit a bump with only one hand on the steering wheel I could lose control.

Since then I've gone over plenty of potholes with one or no hands at much higher speeds than that and nothing's ever happened.

Protip: Don't take your hands off the steering wheel when riding a motorcycle.

Seperate incidents include being pulled over by association due to friends having small plates. One time I dropped my bike as a result of this when being hastily pulled over, and while they got £100 fines, I got £700 in damages to fairings and a bruised ego when not having committed any crime.

I resent pigs. I will never befriend a pig. They are nowhere when you need them, and everywhere when you want them to fuck off.

No communication when my bike was almost stolen and suffered £1500 in criminal damage, other than a crime ref and weeks of daily ignored emails and phonecalls.

[Kentol750]

1 was for a rear light not working. Was trying to ride home at night with brake light flickering on an off. Got a producer and a rectification note.
2 was a missing l plate...car pulled me and they asked where I was going, to which I pointed at my house 50yards away and said 'home'. 1 copper says get it replaced immediately shops open, I ride a police bike in town and if i see you again without one, you'll get fined. Went to Halfords next morning and got a nice solid one and rode home to get it drilled to fit. On way, said copper pulls alongside on his bike and proceeded to pull me over and give it 'I thought I told you to get an l plate or I'd be fining you!' I sheepishly pulled my plates out from inside my jacket and said I'm on my way to fit it. He told me to fucking hurry up.
3 was a dozen years ago when I filtered at a roundabout and cut into left hand lane (left turn only) lights and siren came on as I turned left, he pulled me and apologised coz he thought in was going to go straight on.
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Some bikes.

[Ste]

Back in the days of 33bhp licenses, 17 year old me was riding my ZX6R and I was pulled over by a traffic cop on a bike.

Oh shit I'm thinking but the highly knowledgeable motorcyclist policeman officer thought it was the biggest bike I was allowed to ride until I was 21.

Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir.

It's unfortunate that I was in no position to correct him but ah well.

[Sister Sledge]

This is fascinating.
I live just north of Newcastle upon Tyne so don't know if it was a regional thing. Mind you it was in the 80s when my incident happened and I know a lot has changed since. I drive cars now and have never been stopped in 10 years.

As I'd said in another thread I'm coming back to bikes and it seems a mostly positive thing. Policing has obviously changed lots. It's just mobile phone use and thieves that are cr*ppy these days..

I wonder if it's possible to put a steering wheel onto a bike? Thumb throttle like a quad??

[Evil Hans]

[bigdom86]

generally London police don't really give a crap about bikes tbh but it is a jungle out here now. only been pulled twice:

1. long stretch of stationary traffic, can easily see well down the road if oncoming traffic is coming. crossed double white lines, got pulled over and told is illegal blah blah blah, police asked me for an apology to which i declined and they told me a letter will be in the post, never got one

2. second time was going about 30 in a 30 and scooter riders blasting along at 50, police decide to stop me as it sounded like i was going too fast gave me some advice about going slower and on my way i went

[bhinso]

Similar story to thx1138.
I was pulled over on my KMX, when i was on the way to play golf. Since i didn't have a car, i put the clubs in a bag on my back and off i'd go.
The police thought i'd stolen the bike (favourite with the tea-leaf) and the clubs

[pepperami]

In my college days, I bought a brand new Suzuki DR125.
I’d only had 3 months and I got stopped.
I was in a line of traffic near some traffic lights so I surely wasn’t speeding.
“Routine check sunny boy”
“Why what have I done.”
“ I’ll be the judge of that boy”
“Did you steal this bike?”
“WHAT!?, no it’s mine and I can prove it, I have the paperwork in my bag”
“Yer right of course you have sunny”

I had the paperwork in my bag as I had used it for proof of address for college that day.
I take paperwork out and show PC Bully.

He responded with “ quite a little smartarse aren’t you?”
He then pulled the front brake lever and tried to push the bike and it didn’t move.
He then pulled the clutch lever and pushed the bike along the road and informed me the rear brake was not working?
I pointed out to him that lever was in fact the CLUTCH!

His response was “ you better go before I really find something to nick you for”

What a horrible arrogant Pig.
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Thelostone]

Back in my moped days, in the early '80s I got pulled for having no brake light (back then mopeds didn't need them). We must have argued for a good 15 minutes before another cop arrived by which time I was not a happy bunny.
The 2nd copper asks "What's going on here?"
I say "This idiot's pulled me over for having no brake light, on a moped"
2nd copper says "But you don't need one"
I say "Thank you" and get back on my bike and go to ride off, expecting to be stopped and at least told off for speaking to a cop in such a way, but nothing happens and I'm allowed to go.

It may not surprise you to know that this would not be my last run in with plod #1.

[Thelostone]

Late 80's and I'm now living in London and riding a big bike. As I turn onto a dual carrageway section of the North Circular I'm followed by a police Fiesta with flashing blues on. I allow it to pass and I follow, however he is only doing 40 in what I know is a 50mph section. So I overtake (at 50). He then chases and pulls me over.
Plod then asks "Do you think you can get away with speeding past a marked police car just because I'm on an emergency call?"
A bit of back and forth ensues along the lines of "it's a 50mph section", "no it's a 40". Eventually he says "I got a more important call to deal with now and so I'll let you off with a warning" and gets back into his car.
I get my helmet back on and also set off but as he is again only doing 40 I quickly catch up with him. As I do so I see one of those small reminder speed limit signs and it does indeed say 50. So I pass him again this time giving him my dirtiest look whilst pointing to the sign.
A short distance on we come to a set of red lights so I stop at which point he turns on the siren.
I think "oh shit, what is he going to 'find' to do me for?" but he just turns right.

[Chuffin Nora]

Rozzer: "Good afternoon, Sir. Do you know why I stopped you?"

CustomTankDecals4Less: "Thank you I enjoy story of girl get on Harley motorcycle. Harley motorcycle is for real man only. Harley man have good friends and is always enjoying relations."



Rozzer: https://www.hairybaby.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/400x400/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/b/hbw_i_back_of_the_van_lb.jpg
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There's a fine line between integrity

[Thelostone]

My third tale but this time I am a little bit naughty.

I was riding in Belgravia in London approaching a junction with a side road joining from the left in a type of y junction (Chesham place, I think). There was a marked police car coming from the left, he had good visability and so I was sure that as a well trained police driver (a) he had seen me and (b) he would give way. I was wrong.
I didn't have time to stop and so braked and swerved right into the path of an oncoming van, luckily I just had time to swerve back just avoiding the back of the cop car.

My blood was now up. I accelerated past the copper, brake tested him and then sped off.

Halfway 'round Belgrave square he catches me up and stops me. The passenger gets out and starts having a go at me. I am still very wound up and so reply in a similar manner. I point out that the driver hasn't got out as he knows full well what he did. Plod then threatens to arrest me at which point I say "yes please" and point out "this is Belgravia, there are cameras covering every inch of the area and when his (pointing to his colleague still sitting in the car) superiors see the standard of his driving he won't be driving a police car again any time soon."
The copper then walks to the drivers window, has a quick word with his colleague, gives me his dirtiest look and then walks 'round to the passenger side and gets in. The car then drives off and heads up Glosvenor Cresent towards Hyde Park Corner. I get my helmet back on and head the same way.
As I head up Grosvenor Cresent there they are stuck in traffic. I slowly filter past trying to give the driver my best dirtiest stare but he won't look at me. I then filter to the front of the queue and stop at the red light.
Then I hear the siren and in my mirror I see the cop car pull out of the line of traffic and head my way. "Shit, I've really pushed it too far this time", but the car doesn't stop, just continues onto and around Hyde Park Corner.

Did I learn my lesson? No, not that time as a year or two later I give another car a brake test, this time it was Special Branch (they can be an angry lot).

However after a car had deliberately forced me to swerve into the kerb in Parliment Square I chased it up Whitehall where it was turning into Downing Street following another car, and in the back of the first car was Thatchers (spit) barnet. I had tried to slot into the gap between her car and her protection. I decided to let that one go.

[Thelostone]

And finally, I bet I'm the only person on this forum that has been stopped by:
policeman on foot,
policeman on a horse,
police motorcyclist,
police car,
police boat,
police helicopter.

[Ste]

How the fuck do you get stopped by a police helicopter?

[chickenstrip]

I got worried about one following me on the M11 once. Each time I wound it on, he drifted closer, then when I eased off, he drifted away again.
Of course, in those days, it might just have been drug-induced paranoia
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Chuffin Nora]

[chickenstrip]

[Thelostone]

I was 18 and attending college in Exeter. Instead of waiting 2-3 hours for the next bus home I would run out to the edge of town and hitchhike home. That day there had been a robbery in the town centre and the suspect was last seen heading the way I was running.

As I ran I could see the helicopter and it seemed to be keeping pace with me. Daft idea, why would the police follow me? But as I left the last of the houses behind the helicoper suddenly desended, landed and out jumped three coppers.

Suspect: 5'6'', stocky build, late 40's early 50s, bald, suit
Me: 18 yo, 5'11', long distance runners build, hair long enough to sit on, the loudest jumper the world has ever seen
So you can see why they thought it was me.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Only the once. Group of us were "riding enthusiastically" on the way to the Farmyard rally one year. Pigmobile overtook and gestured for us to pull over into a layby, we did. Pigman was winding up for a long lecture about kitten killing, when another bike shot past at umpteen gazzilion MPH, flicking the Vs. Pigman says "wait here", jumped back in the pigmobile, and shot of after them.

We did not wait there.
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