Radar Detectors

[Flylooper]

So here's the deal:

Location: Southbound on Oregon US Hwy. 97 between Maupin and Madras

Road condition: Perfect. Surface smooth. Sweepers and straights through rolling hills.

Weather: Clear, cloudless.

Traffic: Nada, zip, zed. I own the highway.

Prima facie Speed Limit: Posted 55 mph.

My speed: Incredibly excessive.

So, I'm just hauling along, minding my own business, the Feejer is humming along like a sewing machine, coming up over a rise---and into the waiting radar gun of a Deschutes County Sheriff. I look at him as I go by and he's just flipping his lights on. I pull over and just wait for him. His "pursuit" lasted for about 100 yards.

I turn off the bike, unbutton my gear, yank out the earplugs, swing one leg over off the bike, turn around and see him just pulling up behind me.

ME: What'd you have me at?

Mr. LEO (A "pimply faced kid" of no more than 35 years): My gun says 87.

ME: Oh, crap!

Mr. LEO: Yeah. Really. [Looking at the bike] I'll bet that thing will go a lot faster than that!

ME: [slightly smiling] Probably about twice as fast. (I overstated it a bit, for dramatic effect!) So...what the hell are you doing out here in the middle of absolutely nowhere?

Mr. LEO: Just doin' my job. You got your stuff?

ME: Yeah. [i open the top case and get out my ziplock bag with the registration and proof of insurance and dig for my drivers license and hand them to him] Here....

Mr. LEO: I'll be right back. [Now the semi and 2 cars I passed 5 miles back go by, probably having their laugh of the day and thinking, Finally! A cop when you need him.]

ME: Hey! I'd appreciate a break if you can find it in your heart! (Being a retired sales and marketing dude, I know that you don't get nothin' without asking for it. Also, it's advisable to wear the most sheepish look you can put on your mug. The LEO has the hammer and you are the anvil. Never forget that.)

5 minutes elapse and I'm trying to figure out if there's enough money in my checking account to cover the massive fine I'm going to get and whether or not to offer Mr. LEO a night with my girlfriend's incredibly gorgeous daughter in exchange for looking the other way. I decide to "take it like a man" and not have to worry about having to take a bullet from my g/f's pistol.

Mr. LEO: [Coming back to me after checking out the bike on his computer] Bob (I guess we're now on a first name basis), I gave you a hell of a break! I got you for 20 over. That'll cost you $145, as opposed to $450 if you were 21 over. Also, you can write to the judge at the Circuit Court and they may let you go into a diversion program (known in California as "traffic school") so it'll stay off your record.

ME: Well, damn man! I guess I owe you a beer or two.

Mr. LEO: No. I just got lucky last night with the little lady so I'm feeling pretty good. Just take it easy will you.

-THE END-

At that point I resolved to mount a radar detector I've had in my car onto the bike. It's an old Cobra Model ESD 9110.

I found out yesterday, after being tracked on my bike by another sheriff, the damn thing doesn't work for s**t! The sheriff was behind me about 100 yards and my radar detector was registering Level 1. I thought, This is nonsense. It should be screaming at me from that distance! Later, the thing went off again at Level 5 just as I passed the LEO's radar gun! (Huh?)

Here's the point: I'm doing all this internet research on radar detectors (amazon.com, "Radar Roy", who seems to shill for Escort and Beltronics) and I'm so damned confused as to what to buy I don't know what the hell to do. One thing seems certain, there is a relationship between cost and effectiveness up to a point but I'm no sure whether to lay our $450 for a Valentine 1 or $295 for a Whistler Pro 78 which seems to get plenty of good notices on the internet. And even with the most expensive, I can find negative reviews.

So what are the congnescenti here running to keep the long arm of the seekers of revenue for the county at bay?

Thanks for reading this far!!

 

[ShawnKing]

I'm doing all this internet research on radar detectors (amazon.com, "Radar Roy", who seems to shill for Escort and Beltronics)

Why do you call him a shill? I've always heard those two companies make the best range of detectors - why wouldn't Roy say the same thing? And if he agrees with what a lot of others say, why does that make him a shill?

 

[ngarider]

V1, never let me down. Just remember, when you see 'em with laser guns, you're screwed. Slow down or pay. No R/D out there will help you with laser.

 

[Flylooper]

I'm doing all this internet research on radar detectors (amazon.com, "Radar Roy", who seems to shill for Escort and Beltronics)

Why do you call him a shill? I've always heard those two companies make the best range of detectors - why wouldn't Roy say the same thing? And if he agrees with what a lot of others say, why does that make him a shill?

Because if you check out his site, he doesn't give half the exposure to the other makes and models which, upon research, are reputed to be equally as good. Also, if you check out various reviews--particularly in amazon.com of selected (and highly touted by RR) models of Escort, notably the 8500 X50, you will find owners who think they're crap, as well as Escorts Customer Service. Beltronics and Escort are the same company. Radar Roy is not Consumer Reports, which is why I'm a little suspicious of what he says. And why I'm coming here for additional commentary. It's entirely likely-or at leas possible-he has a business relationship with that maker.

 

[ionbeam]

Somewhat lucky 'looper, take a look at these two threads:

How far does the LEO's radar reach?

Radar Detector Signal Types, What in the H*ll Does it All Mean?!

While these threads won't tell you which radar detector to buy, it will arm you with enough background knowledge to help you wade through the BS and select the best dollar to performance ratio detector that meets your needs.

 

[Flylooper]

Somewhat lucky 'looper, take a look at these two threads:
How far does the LEO's radar reach?

Radar Detector Signal Types, What in the H*ll Does it All Mean?!

While these threads won't tell you which radar detector to buy, it will arm you with enough background knowledge to help you wade through the BS and select the best dollar to performance ratio detector that meets your needs.

Thanks, Ionbeam, for the addys. Terrific threads, both. I particularly enjoyed the Portland LEO's commentary. I pretty much agree with him. You don't win any battles being a jerk-off when pinched. Human nature is human nature whether in uniform blue or not.

My intention is to at least try to be alerted if/when I'm out there winding up the bike. As I said, the conditions were so perfect that no moto rider worth his salt would at least consider pushing it along.

And yes, I was incredibly lucky, but I also treated "Jason" (the sheriff's deputy who pinched me) as I would treat anyone. I was respectful and I knew he was doing his job (getting revenue) just as I was sort of doing mine (having a hell of a good time!). We both knew the game. No speeches about the innumerable fatalities at the cite of the pinch or similar rationale. I really would have bought the guy a beer if he'd have let me.

So many brands, so little knowledge!!! LOL

 

[CAJW]

So what are the congnescenti here running to keep the long arm of the seekers of revenue for the county at bay?

Thanks for reading this far!!

Sounds like you handled the situation fine and kudos for the officer at least giving you a break. As far as a detector, using my Escort 8500 X50 (purchased from Radar Roy, after exhaustive research) I've kept my extra cirrcular activites in check when a LEO is in the area. Utilizing it and a H.A.R.D. display https://www.cyclegadgets.com/products/product.asp?Item=HARD I've kept myself out of trouble and only wick it up when conditions are right, i.e. like you did, no traffic, good roads, visibility, out in the sticks, etc... I've read many LD riders use the Valentine, but many tests I've read rate both of them very closely so to me it boiled down to did I want to spend $100 extra for arrows. My .02 worth

 

[lnewlf]

What CAJW said! I"ve got the same settup[from Radar Roy] and it has saved my sorry arse more times than I can count..Truck and bike.. I don't care about arrows- when it beeps I cool it..

 

[luvtoride]

DELETED

 

[Flylooper]

Well, thanks to all the folks here for their comments. I didn't want to lay out four big ones for the Valentine, and the arrows aren't a big deal for me. So I could see that owners of the Escort 8500 are pretty darned satisfied with their RDs, plus one of my riding buddies has one, and older one, and he said that's the one to get....so that's the one I settled on.

So once that was determined, then it became a price issue. I could go with amazon.com, Radar Roy, or whomever on the internet, but Escort advises against buying from non-Escort approved resellers because it voids the warranty. I then went to Best Buy and Voila! They had them on sale nationwide at $299.99. They are in stock at my local store here in Salem, so there was neither a wait, nor shipping charge nor sales tax (in Oregon). Done deal!

I just registered new 8500 X50 with Escort! Now I can spend the next 2 weeks learning how to use the damn thing!

 

[bes]

So here's the deal:
Location: Southbound on Oregon US Hwy. 97 between Maupin and Madras

Road condition: Perfect. Surface smooth. Sweepers and straights through rolling hills.

Weather: Clear, cloudless.

Traffic: Nada, zip, zed. I own the highway.

Prima facie Speed Limit: Posted 55 mph.

My speed: Incredibly excessive.

So, I'm just hauling along, minding my own business, the Feejer is humming along like a sewing machine, coming up over a rise---and into the waiting radar gun of a Deschutes County Sheriff. I look at him as I go by and he's just flipping his lights on. I pull over and just wait for him. His "pursuit" lasted for about 100 yards.

I turn off the bike, unbutton my gear, yank out the earplugs, swing one leg over off the bike, turn around and see him just pulling up behind me.

ME: What'd you have me at?

Mr. LEO (A "pimply faced kid" of no more than 35 years): My gun says 87.

ME: Oh, crap!

Mr. LEO: Yeah. Really. [Looking at the bike] I'll bet that thing will go a lot faster than that!

ME: [slightly smiling] Probably about twice as fast. (I overstated it a bit, for dramatic effect!) So...what the hell are you doing out here in the middle of absolutely nowhere?

Mr. LEO: Just doin' my job. You got your stuff?

ME: Yeah. [i open the top case and get out my ziplock bag with the registration and proof of insurance and dig for my drivers license and hand them to him] Here....

Mr. LEO: I'll be right back. [Now the semi and 2 cars I passed 5 miles back go by, probably having their laugh of the day and thinking, Finally! A cop when you need him.]

ME: Hey! I'd appreciate a break if you can find it in your heart! (Being a retired sales and marketing dude, I know that you don't get nothin' without asking for it. Also, it's advisable to wear the most sheepish look you can put on your mug. The LEO has the hammer and you are the anvil. Never forget that.)

5 minutes elapse and I'm trying to figure out if there's enough money in my checking account to cover the massive fine I'm going to get and whether or not to offer Mr. LEO a night with my girlfriend's incredibly gorgeous daughter in exchange for looking the other way. I decide to "take it like a man" and not have to worry about having to take a bullet from my g/f's pistol.

Mr. LEO: [Coming back to me after checking out the bike on his computer] Bob (I guess we're now on a first name basis), I gave you a hell of a break! I got you for 20 over. That'll cost you $145, as opposed to $450 if you were 21 over. Also, you can write to the judge at the Circuit Court and they may let you go into a diversion program (known in California as "traffic school") so it'll stay off your record.

ME: Well, damn man! I guess I owe you a beer or two.

Mr. LEO: No. I just got lucky last night with the little lady so I'm feeling pretty good. Just take it easy will you.

-THE END-

At that point I resolved to mount a radar detector I've had in my car onto the bike. It's an old Cobra Model ESD 9110.

I found out yesterday, after being tracked on my bike by another sheriff, the damn thing doesn't work for s**t! The sheriff was behind me about 100 yards and my radar detector was registering Level 1. I thought, This is nonsense. It should be screaming at me from that distance! Later, the thing went off again at Level 5 just as I passed the LEO's radar gun! (Huh?)

Here's the point: I'm doing all this internet research on radar detectors (amazon.com, "Radar Roy", who seems to shill for Escort and Beltronics) and I'm so damned confused as to what to buy I don't know what the hell to do. One thing seems certain, there is a relationship between cost and effectiveness up to a point but I'm no sure whether to lay our $450 for a Valentine 1 or $295 for a Whistler Pro 78 which seems to get plenty of good notices on the internet. And even with the most expensive, I can find negative reviews.

So what are the congnescenti here running to keep the long arm of the seekers of revenue for the county at bay?

Thanks for reading this far!!

BUT........nothing works for instant on. From my experience, all alone out in the sticks, LEO will be sitting waiting to turn the gun on as you pass. Instant on = instantly screwed. I have a V1; extremely pleased with the operation and ease of use, but I learned the expensive way about the false sense of security of being invincible because of a state of the art detector.

 

[Flylooper]

BUT........nothing works for instant on. From my experience, all alone out in the sticks, LEO will be sitting waiting to turn the gun on as you pass. Instant on = instantly screwed. I have a V1; extremely pleased with the operation and ease of use, but I learned the expensive way about the false sense of security of being invincible because of a state of the art detector.

True enough. But (here comes another short story) a month ago I rode with a buddy up to Idaho from here and most of the time I led - at a pretty good clip, too. Anyway we were somewhere just over the Idaho-Washington border when on a downhill stretch I zipped by a LEO who was busy pinching a motorist. I had noticed my buddy had dropped back a ways but figured he'd catch up in a mile or two. The LEO did a double take on me as I went by. So I slowed down, my partner caught up, and before you know it two LEOs were out scoping us in the oncoming lane a few miles ahead. Clearly the first guy has radioed the others and told them to keep an eye out. At least that's my take.

Long story short, when we stopped, Bob, my buddy "I tried to tell you I was getting beeps on my RD. I was tapping the top of my helmet to let you know. (I didn't pay any attention!) So, Bob led the rest of the way, with his RD kind of doing picket work, if you will.

Four times, his RD (an old Escort 8500) warned us well in advance that a LEO was up ahead. We had plenty of time to react. That trip, plus my little run-in with the guy in Madras that I originally wrote about above, convinced me of the usefulness of those things.

I'm headed down on a rally in Roseburg today and I'm going to try out my new Escort 8500 X50 and I'm anxious to see how it performs.

I agree 100% about the false sense of security. I know I read like some kind of maniac on a bike here, but the truth is that I am far more conservative in my riding habits that I appear here. I'd just like to know what's out there when I'm on a ride. I also figure two escapes equals a paid-for radar detector if I'm going too fast and have a chance to slow down.

 

[Bounce]

V1. With the cost of the ticket's you're collecting, it's a wash for just the price of the tickets. Once you figure in insurance rates and such, it's a deal for the V1 over the long haul.

The reason I say that is because I was making the same excuses too before buying my V1. "It cost too much." (yada yada yada). Then I got nailed for ticket that I wanted to appeal. The first court didn't do deferred adjudication (and I was still within my time limit for another traffic school) so i had to appeal... "that'll be DOUBLE the usual cost of the ticket ROUNDED UP TO THE NEXT HUNDRED DOLLARS, please." (just to appeal???). SIX MONTHS and $400 later I finally got everything processed through the system, got my deferred adjudication approved (many long-distance phone calls & certified letters later) and was told my 90 day probation started once the judge handed down his ruling (NOT when i first got the ticket). More phone calls & certified letters later and I got the judge to approve "time served".

Bottom line, the V1 seems very affordable after all that. And since getting one, I've not had such a recurrance. Any roadside discussion has been based on marginal transgressions and nearly always resulted in a verbal warning (1 exception). I chalk this up to knowing soon enough to at least drop anchor and get down to nearly the limit in those cases where I didn't get below it quickly enough.

 

[HartClimbs]

After a similar event - I picked up the new Escort 9500i.

Mounted on the right brake reservior....works like a champ.

 

[FJamR]

I'm doing all this internet research on radar detectors (amazon.com, "Radar Roy", who seems to shill for Escort and Beltronics)

Why do you call him a shill? I've always heard those two companies make the best range of detectors - why wouldn't Roy say the same thing? And if he agrees with what a lot of others say, why does that make him a shill?

Because if you check out his site, he doesn't give half the exposure to the other makes and models which, upon research, are reputed to be equally as good. Also, if you check out various reviews--particularly in amazon.com of selected (and highly touted by RR) models of Escort, notably the 8500 X50, you will find owners who think they're crap, as well as Escorts Customer Service. Beltronics and Escort are the same company. Radar Roy is not Consumer Reports, which is why I'm a little suspicious of what he says. And why I'm coming here for additional commentary. It's entirely likely-or at leas possible-he has a business relationship with that maker.

I've had a Escort 8500 X50 mounted for 2 years and it's paid for itself tenfold. I was caught in rain for a few hours and forgot to cover the detector with a sandwich bag and rubber band I use. Nedless to say it no longer powered up. After getting home I opened the detector and let it dry for a couple of days. Put it back together and it still didn't work. I called up Escort and was honest with them about what happened because I just wanted it fixed. They repaired it and sent it home to me free of charge. That's what I call customer service!

The Escort and the Valentine detectors would be the only 2 I'd choose from.

 

[Qwindelzorf]

To all of you with the Escort 8500, how did you mount yours to the bike? I've got mine stuck to the front brake reservoir with heavy duty velcro, but something more secure would probably be a good idea.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Qwin,

I have mine mounted just like yours but I bolstered the mounting by Velcroing/Zip Tying a 3" long x 1" wide (bent at 90 degrees in the middle) aluminum or steel strapping material with Velcro mounted on the top angle piece and at the bottom of the RD for easy removal. I believe it is pipe strapping material you can buy at hardware stores.

 

[Last Chance]

So here's the deal:

Location: Southbound on Oregon US Hwy. 97 between Maupin and Madras

Road condition: Perfect. Surface smooth. Sweepers and straights through rolling hills.

Weather: Clear, cloudless.

Traffic: Nada, zip, zed. I own the highway.

Prima facie Speed Limit: Posted 55 mph.

My speed: Incredibly excessive.

25 years driving big rigs and lots and lots of experience avoiding tickets coupled with my love of exceeding the posted limit has taught me how to "minimize" my chances of getting a performance award. (only one in 10 years or so and I put 150,000 miles on a year)

A good R/D is a valuable "tool". Any of the three are good, I'm trying Beltronics next. I currently have the Escort.

A CB radio is more valuable for "monitoring" the trucker channels. They do talk to each other and pass on information re: current LEO positions. (If you can stand all the BS on the CB, I can't)(Those big rigs passed might have passed on a little info about your speed. I've had it happen to me, but that's another story. And I've passed on information, "Don't know which highway he took officer, but it was red and very fast and you are at least a mile behind him.")

The most valuable tool is common sense, your EYES and local knowledge. I never speed "excessively" in conditions you described. Rule one, if you can't see if there is a cop, assume there is one. Oregon is the worst. From CA to Idaho you go from a state that is rational, NV which allows a reasonable limit 70-75 and a 5 mph cushion on top of that, to Oregon. An anal place with a excruciatingly slow speed limit of 55 over hundreds of miles of desert. Impossible! However, I've observed there is at least one LEO working between every town from the NV border to the Idaho border. And, they all run radar often setting up a trap just over the hill, or around that "sweeper". My solution is to find someone like yourself that wants to fly and follow about a half mile to a mile behind. Radar detectors are useless against an experienced LEO operator if you are the only target around. Often they run their radar on all the time which, means they are lazy and then the R/D helps. But, if they use instant on and only shoot those they know are speeding, without a sacrificial lamb you are toast. This makes speeding at night in the wide open space states, risky.

So, I don't speed until all the conditions are in my favor....Then hope for some good luck.

Like they said, laser makes the game really hard. Getting to the point it's only "safe" to speed in high density traffic, with lots of cover....just the time you shouldn't. As far as I know, they haven't developed a "moving" laser set-up yet and must operate from a stop. But soon to come, I'm sure.

 

[EODSarge]

One thing, though, terminology wise: Every RADAR sold today is "instant on". "Instant on" refers to the fact that the radar is powered on, but not transmitting. It doesn't transmit until the operator presses the transmit button. Early radars would transmit continuously when powered up; when radar detectors came into the market, it was easy to receive an alert a long way from the operator. To combat this, some operators would leave the unit powered off until a vehicle came into view, and then switch it on. These older electronics needed a "warm-up" period and might give false readings while warming up (thus the "turn-on power surge error" I still see on some "how to beat a speeding ticket" websites). "POP" mode refers (as mentioned in the linked post) to a very, VERY brief microwave pulse that is (for older detectors) too brief in duration to alert on, but still capable of providing a speed reading. Unfortunately (for the operator, at least), it's so short that you don't get an audio doppler tone. You must have a valid tracking history to issue a citation and that doppler tone is part of it, so POP is really only useful for getting quick glimpses of speeds... but since you have to have a visual speed estimate anyway (another part of the tracking history), I don't see any point in using POP.

One warning about those "how to beat a speeding ticket" websites and books- most of them tend to concentrate on the technical aspects of radar and encourage you to attack your ticket on that basis. Radar is a well known, long used technology; attacking the radar unit itself is usually fruitless. The skill in operating radar comes from the operator interpreting what the unit is telling him, and that's where mistakes will be made (as well in laying the foundation in court) by a lazy operator.

Since it's not Friday, I'll admit to teaching both a radar and lidar operator's course last week.