# Do the police ever go after speeding sport-bike riders? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582 "2004-07-11T17:39:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/41 "2017-11-01T20:34:00Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Is there a reason even a mediocre attorney couldn’t make a reasonable doubt defense out of that? Depends on the law in the state. Some states (I think in a response to defenses against camera tickets) hold the owner responsible no matter who was driving. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/42 "2017-11-01T23:00:57Z")
> [@testiva](#): > > I know this is a very old thread, but I thought I would post this video of a Kawasaki H2 who says he was just cruising along at about 100 mph minding his own business when a cop flashed him. He utterly destroys the cop car. If you jump to 4:02 of the video he hits speeds of around 200 mph. > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WrtWGyhUvw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WrtWGyhUvw) I realize how immature and dangerous this is, but I cannot help but have a small bit of admiration for the machine and someone willing to drive it that fast. There’s absolutely no way I could get even close to those speeds unless it was a closed track or something. I had a Mustang GT and the top speed was governed at I think 147 MPH. I found myself all alone on a late Sunday afternoon in Northern Kentucky on 275 and decided I was going to hit the limit in the car. I blasted along in 3rd gear and shifted into 4th at about 120mph. I got to about 130 as I was coming downhill towards the Carroll Cropper bridge and then things began to get really intense. The hood was shaking (2008 Mustangs are not very aerodynamic with that chopped off, blocky front end), things were really starting to move extremely fast, I started thinking about potholes, a blowout, sailing over the side of the bridge into the Ohio River, and then just had to stop. It was all my nerves could handle. I was in 4th gear at about 5200RPM and had about 1300RPM to go. I just couldn’t do it. Way too scary. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/43 "2017-11-01T23:42:27Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > So the police have the license plate and a person in riding gear including a full helmet on the dash cam. What’s to keep the owner from claiming that he had lent the bike to his friends Curly, Moe, and Larry while he was playing X-Box? Curly, Moe, and Larry confirm that they had possession of the bike but all deny riding it when the incident occurred. The bike will probably be impounded, but then all the owner has to do is pay the impound fee and take it back home. > > Is there a reason even a mediocre attorney couldn’t make a reasonable doubt defense out of that? That’s possible. Or the owner’s cell phone records will show it to be a very bad and obvious lie, because he was nowhere near his X-Box at that time, and he gets charged for that instead. > [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Depends on the law in the state. Some states (I think in a response to defenses against camera tickets) hold the owner responsible no matter who was driving. But I think this would only work for pretty low-level stuff. Like, maybe the owner could be held responsible for speeding no matter what, but I doubt that would extend to a felony charge for eluding. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/44 "2017-11-02T04:00:06Z")
We had a motorcyclist killed trying to evade the police here in early September. The police chased him for a bit but broke it off when the motorcyclist exited the freeway. Unfortunately for the rider, he lost control and ended up being ejected from his bike over the edge of the overpass, ultimately landing on the freeway he had just exited. No helmet, but it’s unlikely that would have saved him. > **[Motorcyclist ejected, lands on I-494 in deadly police chase](https://www.fox9.com/news/motorcyclist-ejected-lands-on-i-494-in-deadly-police-chase)** > > A police chase in Eden Prairie ended in the death of a motorcyclist after the driver went over the edge of the 169 south onramp, landing on westbound 494. Not to sound callous, but the best thing that these people can do (cop evaders as well as motorcyclists who refuse to wear gear) is to make sure that they volunteer to be organ donors. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/45 "2017-11-02T04:33:35Z")
I just wonder how often one of these punks who rides sport bikes swill ignore the signs and speed limits and smack into the side of a gruck; and the truck driver will punch him so hard he can’t walk straight any more. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/46 "2017-11-02T13:07:54Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I realize how immature and dangerous this is, but I cannot help but have a small bit of admiration for the machine and someone willing to drive it that fast. There’s absolutely no way I could get even close to those speeds unless it was a closed track or something. > > I had a Mustang GT and the top speed was governed at I think 147 MPH. I found myself all alone on a late Sunday afternoon in Northern Kentucky on 275 and decided I was going to hit the limit in the car. I blasted along in 3rd gear and shifted into 4th at about 120mph. I got to about 130 as I was coming downhill towards the Carroll Cropper bridge and then things began to get really intense. The hood was shaking (2008 Mustangs are not very aerodynamic with that chopped off, blocky front end), things were really starting to move extremely fast, I started thinking about potholes, a blowout, sailing over the side of the bridge into the Ohio River, and then just had to stop. It was all my nerves could handle. I was in 4th gear at about 5200RPM and had about 1300RPM to go. I just couldn’t do it. Way too scary. There is a big difference (maybe not legally, but certainly from a safety and responsibility standpoint) between driving very fast on an open, empty road and doing so on a crowded highway or surface street filled with cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians. Even an empty road isn’t safe, but it’s a lot better than zooming past cars at two or three times their speed. Most people hardly use their rear-view mirrors as it is, and they certainly wouldn’t see a cycle zooming up behind them. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/47 "2017-11-02T14:36:03Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I just wonder how often one of these punks who rides sport bikes swill ignore the signs and speed limits and smack into the side of a gruck; and the truck driver will punch him so hard he can’t walk straight any more. if the former happens, the latter would be unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/48 "2017-11-02T15:10:14Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > There is a big difference (maybe not legally, but certainly from a safety and responsibility standpoint) between driving very fast on an open, empty road and doing so on a crowded highway or surface street filled with cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians. Even an empty road isn’t safe, but it’s a lot better than zooming past cars at two or three times their speed. Most people hardly use their rear-view mirrors as it is, and they certainly wouldn’t see a cycle zooming up behind them. You’d be surprised how “stationary” other road users are when you’re going twice or 3 times their speed. You’re in their circle of influence for a small fraction of a second, and they will only move a small amount laterally (and potentially into your path). Give them a wide enough berth and you’re actually a lot safer than an armchair analyst would assume. For visuals of this phenomenon, check out Ghostrider’s YouTube uploads, I recommend the following: [Ghostrider’s Uppsala Run](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwicTKbWam4) He passes cars at incredibly small distances because he knows that objects on the highway just don’t move laterally that fast. > [@dougie\_monty](#): > > I just wonder how often one of these punks who rides sport bikes swill ignore the signs and speed limits and smack into the side of a gruck; and the truck driver will punch him so hard he can’t walk straight any more. That’s a weirdly specific revenge fantasy for you to have against an anonymous stranger. Thanks for sharing anyways! ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/49 "2017-11-02T15:21:55Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > For visuals of this phenomenon, check out Ghostrider’s YouTube uploads, I recommend the following: > > [Ghostrider’s Uppsala Run](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwicTKbWam4) > > He passes cars at incredibly small distances because he knows that objects on the highway just don’t move laterally that fast. Holy :eek:, that’s insane. He’s weaving in and out of traffic at 280 kph / 175 mph, and splitting lanes at 240 kph / 150 mph. Looks like he hit a top speed of about 300 kph / 185 mph, and averaged about 170 mph. I didn’t watch the whole thing, but enough to see that the bike rider is absolutely nuts. There is far too much traffic to be doing what he did… even if he did survive. Living on borrowed time. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/50 "2017-11-02T15:58:36Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Holy :eek:, that’s insane. He’s weaving in and out of traffic at 280 kph / 175 mph, and splitting lanes at 240 kph / 150 mph. Looks like he hit a top speed of about 300 kph / 185 mph, and averaged about 170 mph. I didn’t watch the whole thing, but enough to see that the bike rider is absolutely nuts. There is far too much traffic to be doing what he did… even if he did survive. Living on borrowed time. He’s [alive and well](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Rider_(motorcyclist)) (wiki link for Patrik Furstenhoff). Although he was arrested in 2016. He’s produced quite a number of motorcycle videos. I believe his speedo is limited to displaying ~300 kph, but the bike actually exceeds that quite a bit. He’s got a record for longest wheelie at 200 mph (322 kmh). ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/51 "2017-11-02T16:22:44Z")
As a rider, I’m amazed that the rider doesn’t just slow down and take evasive maneuvers like u-turns where the cop car would be unable, or riding through a park. There’re plenty of places a bike could go where a car would find it difficult to follow. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/52 "2017-11-02T16:48:17Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > As a rider, I’m amazed that the rider doesn’t just slow down and take evasive maneuvers like u-turns where the cop car would be unable, or riding through a park. There’re plenty of places a bike could go where a car would find it difficult to follow. foresight is not their greatest strength. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/53 "2017-11-02T16:51:02Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > You’d be surprised how “stationary” other road users are when you’re going twice or 3 times their speed. You’re in their circle of influence for a small fraction of a second, and they will only move a small amount laterally (and potentially into your path). Give them a wide enough berth and you’re actually a lot safer than an armchair analyst would assume. This works great, until you have a split-second of indecisiveness or imprecision. When the speed differential is 120MPH+, the window of time in which a rider can assess the scene, make a decision and then successfully act on it is so brief that small errors have a very high probability of resulting in a disaster - not just for the rider, but for anyone he collides with. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/54 "2017-11-02T19:55:06Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > You’d be surprised how “stationary” other road users are when you’re going twice or 3 times their speed. You’re in their circle of influence for a small fraction of a second, and they will only move a small amount laterally (and potentially into your path). Give them a wide enough berth and you’re actually a lot safer than an armchair analyst would assume. I used to ride a motorcycle but I think that I never went faster than 80. I’ve never done more than 100 in a car. So I do not pretend to know what it’s like to go 150+. However, I know a little math. I would tend to agree about your conclusion about the “circle of influence” but you do not take into account the planning horizon. Even [someone with the best possible reaction time needs about 700 ms](http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/reactiontime.html) to detect and respond to a driving situation. At a 175 MPH (280 KPH) with other traffic going 60 MPH, you have a closing speed of 115 MPH. You have a planning horizon of about 118 feet to react to the actions of traffic in front of you. If a car 118 feet in front of you and to one side changes lanes unexpectedly to be in front of you might be able to steer to one side to avoid a collision. If a car closer than that executes a panic swerve to avoid something in the road you are going to be decorating the rear bumper. That kind of sudden panic action by a driver doing 60 on a highway seems unlikely. But in risk assessment we consider two things: Probability and consequences. The probability is very low but the consequences are going to be death. There is an image on the internet that is not hard to find of a motorcyclist hanging off the back of a truck by his helmet wedged into a gap in the trailer. It appears that he never had a chance and the first responders seem to be letting his body hang there while they figure out what to do. I do not know what he did to get there or what he was riding. But you can bet that at some point he said, “Aw, that ain’t gonna happen to _me_. I’m too good.” ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/55 "2017-11-04T03:39:51Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > That’s a weirdly specific revenge fantasy for you to have against an anonymous stranger. Thanks for sharing anyways! Judging by the attitudes expressed by some of these bike riders–and I have seen quite a few of them in my years behind the wheel, as I observe riders who have unquestionably hateful attitudes–I am giving as good as I get. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/56 "2017-11-04T08:20:51Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > This works great, until you have a split-second of indecisiveness or imprecision. When the speed differential is 120MPH+, the window of time in which a rider can assess the scene, make a decision and then successfully act on it is so brief that small errors have a very high probability of resulting in a disaster - not just for the rider, but for anyone he collides with. Yes, it would certainly lead to a collision if you tried to do that in a car. I can’t say that M/c are in any way safe – I stopped riding myself because I no longer felt flexible enough to keep watch while riding – but it is entirely false to judge the “risk of collision” based on experience only as a car driver. In particular, at the same speed, a m/c rider has a much longer time in which to asses a scene, make a decision, and successfully act on it, than a car driver does. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/57 "2017-11-04T13:38:08Z")
Here’s my anecdotal contribution: In 1986, I was younger and foolisher. I had a few beers at my GF’s house and then got on my 1985 Honda V65 to ride home. Going through a neighborhood on a main road (four lanes), I gave it some gas and probably touched 110 MPH briefly. (I had installed Dynojets and was running a 4-into-1, so it had a bit more pep than the standard model.) As I flew by a side street, I saw a police car sitting about a block down to my right. I immediately rolled off the gas, took my expected right turn on the highway at the next light, and, sure enough, was pulled over about three blocks later. I was absolutely sure that I had at least a speeding ticket (more than 15 MPH over) and probably a DUI. The officer looked at my license and registration and then asked me, “How fast do you think you were going?” I contritely told him, “Too fast.” He said, “Slow down and go home.” That was it. I was later talking to a friend who is a police officer in the same city and told him about the incident. He told me, “You probably just got a warning for two reasons: First, you didn’t try to run. Second, he couldn’t accurately estimate your speed when you flashed across in front of him for that second or two. If he had been able to pace you, you definitely would have had the ticket. As for the beers, ‘There’s a special providence that looks after fools, drunkards, and small boys.’” ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/58 "2017-11-04T13:55:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Second, he couldn’t accurately estimate your speed when you flashed across in front of him for that second or two. Exactly. Unless he was sitting there all set up to monitor speed (Vascar or stopwatch if he was sitting perpendicular to your road), there is no way he could measure your speed. Sure, it’s easy to tell you were going too fast, but to make a ticket stick if you took it to court, he had to be able to explain how fast you were going and how he measured it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/59 "2017-11-04T16:51:01Z")
My sportbike-riding buddy in Missouri tells me they won’t bother to chase you there. Can’t confirm actual policy, however. I’ve dusted a couple on my dirtbike, but that is too easy. Turn down a tiny trail into the hills and gone! Ditched one on my RZ by hiding behind a snowbank. Guy pulled me over about a half-hour later and asked if it was me earlier. “No, not me officer!” Like there were two RZ’s in Tahoe that day… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582/60 "2017-11-04T17:49:27Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > Question: When you flee the police and get away, don’t they have your license plate from the dashcam? Is there no way to come after you with that? It’s not uncommon for bikers to remove the normal tailkit and mount their plate under the rear fender at an angle, making it very hard to read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-police-ever-go-after-speeding-sport-bike-riders/254582.md?page=4)