Are bike cops our friends or enemies???

Riding along a dual carriageway today I saw a bike cop on the other side at the side of th road. He was parked up in front of a car and was obviously giving the driver a ticket. 'Bastard' I thought to myself.

Then 2 minutes later another bike cop went past and even though it was a dual carriageway with armco in the middle gave me a distinct nod.

Made me think that maybe bike cops should be treated as a bikers friend as they obviously have our interests to heart. My usual attitude to traffic cops is that all they are after is giving me a ticket therefore inhibiting my freedom.

What do people think???

I have not had any conversations or anything like that with any, but I wave to them as we drive by each other, and they always wave back. Seems if they were pricks, they would not acknowledge me at all.

In Ireland the Garda motorcycle riders are generally very friendly. I always salute them, afterall its only a job and behind all that gear lies a human.

Most dont salute back (too snobbish or "professional" to do so) but some do! The motorcycle gardai we have generally spend years on the streets before being promoted to the traffic corp...they've gone the hard road and in my view command more respect then the other gardai on the streets...so they always get a nod from me!

Our "local" Mc Coppa is a cool dude! ,- He will whip your ass if he catches you speeding excessive, but on more that one occasion he has just overtaken me while making the "don't do that" gesture with his head. (Makes you pay attention to the speed limit )
However cages don't get away with anything!!

we have two motorcycle policemen here,they ride harleys. they both take there job very serious but at the same time Love to ride motorcycle on and off duty. they often throw out a hand in a biker wave

All I have to say is what a great job! Get paid to ride.

I think of all you guys as my friends:rockon: I'm not a motorcycle officer, but I honestly think police officers are just like most other folks. We put our pants on one leg at a time, and enjoy the feel of the wind on our faces.

My great uncle Sam,was a motorcycle cop her in shreveport he was a Lt. he died of natural causes when I was 10,but from what I remember and the stories my Dad told me about him he was super cool!I met 2 m/c cops when I was working at the yamaha shop.I put their personal bikes back together after they wrecked into each other out touring around on their off day's.they were really cool.I asked them if they had ever been in high speed pursuit's with any sportbikes they both laughed and said the Harley's wouldnt run faster than a 100mph.they did say that they would follow as fast as they could to make sure the guy was'nt lying in a ditch dying or crashed into a car.so to sum this all up they are definitly our freind,s!!!:cheer:

Bike cops are cool. The city just issued a fleet of BMW 1200RS bikes to them. One of them was even pulling my chain in a 30mph zone saying I was doing 38-40mph. I told him my speedo showed 30-32mph and it is speedohealer corrected. He just laughed as his was not I guess. lol

I always wave but they never wave back. I still wave though just to make them think I'm being legal LOL

I've waved at quite a few, and a few have nodded/waved back . . . however, I know a buddy of mine got a ticket for doing 5 over in a 45 zone by a m/c cop, we're still puzzled by that one . . . and yesterday, I pulled onto a major road, saw a m/c cop several cars ahead of me, he actually pulled over into the middle of the next intersection . . . where I turned in to start making a left. So I sorta caught up to him, he hung out for a minute, then pulled back out and continued on straight. I'm still not sure why he did that, but I have a hunch, he was hoping I would pass him . . . ????

Motorcycle cops are few and far between around here. Police are regular guys, some dicks, some cool as hell. I'll give them this - even with all the high speed chase cars the PDs around here get to patrol the Interstate, the only time I see them with a bike pulled over, it is invariably a crotch rocket with a mohawk-helmeted rider (one of the guys that do the 70 mph wheelies in traffic then shoot off at about 100). When a cop car pulls up next to me at a light I almost always get a grin and a wave. If I pass any of our elusive mc cops, I'll give them a wave unless they give me reason not to!

On the commute home in the dark of winter I happened to be progressing at pace and noticed the distinctive headlights of a Pan European behind me. The mounted copper pulled past me with a stern look on the face but nothing more; no ticket, no patronising conversation. It was enough to slow me down and make grateful.

If you ain't being stupid then the bike cops round here are great, and most will return a nod (or a wave if on point duty).

They have been particularly good when escorting large ride outs, last year it was a well known biker funeral that they helped with and just over a week ago with an egg run [nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM32W9yX0SI[/nomedia] which set off from the police operations centre to a local Children's Hospital. They did an amazing job as only 200 bikes had been expected, about 1500 turned up! Even had the Police helicopter in on the fun.

End of the day they are bikers, they run the same risks as we do, and are out in all sorts of weathers, they deserve our respect for that if nothing else.

they're ok, often stops you just to have a look at yer bike, no problem if you have everything in right order. speeding - it depends where you do it, but if they catch you in the city center they have no mercy which i find reasonable.

they usually wave back here in warsaw, even the famous zzr 1400

As with all police I think you can't generalise. They are all individuals and all have their own personalities, some probably like to push the boundaries of the speed limit themselves when on their own bikes going down a open country road, and will understand you pushing too if are being safe. Others as flamewulfe discovered will give you a ticket for going 5 over and riding a supersports.

I've seen quite a few motorcycle CHP in the bay area and it always seems like they turn a blind eye to motorcycles unless you're weaving about like a drunkard. I was zapped by moto cop doing about 20 over the limit and he didn't seem to care.

Yesterday I was riding around and there was a moto cop doing a speed trap. He watched me ride by but it looked more like he was a friendly dude admiring another bike than someone who wanted to eat me alive.

I think due to the fact that they ride, they will understand our wants and needs better than a pure cage cop. But they are everyday people who can and will be a-holes if that is their personality.....or vise versa

I never once and never will get mad at a cop for pulling me over. if they get me then they get me. I am the type to where a mohawk on my helmet and do the occasional (backroad, never highway) wheelie. Around here cops really hate sportbikes, but the majority of them leave you alone if your not doing anything stupid. it all comes down to taking responsibility for your own actions, dont blame the cops. Besides, when you go down, no matter what you were doing, they will be there for you.

I am an ex police officer..firearms not bikes. I have a different view obviously, but I found our bike riders just like normal bikers, with one exception. They are far more experienced at riding fast and safe.

They have a job to do and it is not just jollying round on a bike all day, it is a bit more complex than that.

Steve