Radar Detectors.

[Ketchmi]

I used to work for a county Sheriff's communications dept. and had the responsibility of repairing and calibrating their radar units. I also managed to tune my "state of the art" radar detector for best reception. Instant on = get an ink pen. Laser/Lidar = get an ink pen. You can get scatter if they target someone ahead of you, that's why I still run a radar detector. (Valentine One for me) My detector has saved my license several times let alone cubic dollars and points. Yes, I did lose my license for an extended time when younger and it was due to instant on. Even with instant on you can reduce your speed until their system actually locks on but you need to be pretty quick. Laser, not so. Pretty much an instant correct reading and very hard to fight in court.
With the V1 I have aquired the target with enough time to get really bored driving the speed limit before actually encountering the bogey.
One trick that some will use is getting your speed via "POP". It is not admissable in court, it is only supposed to be used as a reference and then they are supposed to use normal radar format to get a proven speed. Depending on the local and the attitude of the PA that may be all you need to get the ticket thrown out of court. A lawyer is always a good idea and will frequently pay for themselves in reduced insurance on top of ticket reductions.
Radar jammers are illegal everywhere. Laser jammers of "diffusers" are more of a grey area and are also very hard to make work effectivly. It takes a lot of background level to wash out a laser signal and most of the ones for sale simply do not have the required power. Radar jammers are pretty obvious, you go flying by and their radar reads error or a fixed low speed. They can and will dismantle your vehicle searching for it. Laser jammers are more discreet but still easy to locate on a vehicle if you know what to look for. I have "seen" many of them installed...
I will always run a radar detector even though it's harder to do on a motorcycle. I find that the response time is even greater with the wind noise and reduced alert lighting. Just as a reference, I just turned 50 and have finally slowed down to a busa...

 

[Fastfrog007]

Thanks for all the input guys, Im thinkin Ill try to track down a reasonably priced unit. Ive noticed a buddies Cobra unit will pick up radar traps around the bends in roads. It wont help if Im already doing Busa stuff and boosting along in the car, but it'll be a headsup to not do anything stupid for at least a few more minutes

 

[snbusa]

Ok.
I'm a retired traffic enforcement officer, yup, I was.
RADAR units pick up the largest target, so usually the reason you may not get stopped is because it was on another vehicle.
The only time I've been stopped on a bike is when I came over a small rise and was the only target for the RADAR.
With LASER units all bets are off. They work differently, using light reflected from the headlight or taillight reflector. They are
capable of picking out a vehicle in a crowd, but require extra training on the part of the operator.

Is it possible to beat in court? Thanks

 

[ZRXMAX]

I am a believer in radar detectors and my favorite so far is the Valentine One. It has saved me many times and for that I say "thank you Mike". Read tales from the battle zone on the Valentine One website and you will get insight into how much a good detector can do for you.
Instant on KA is your biggest threat after LIDAR. The key to all of this is awareness. By judging accurately how vunerable you are will determine much of your success in avoiding radar tickets. LIDAR is a whole different deal. With LIDAR you need errant laser energy to hit your detector to get a warning in time to slow and avoid a ticket. On occassion I have detected LIDAR because it hit me from under the car in front of me, or, off the side of the car like a bank shot off a wall. You might even get a detectible LIDAR signal through the windows of the car between you and the cop, but that is rare. I would say 90% of the time LIDAR detection is to late to do much about.

Most tickets are beatible, however, getting it done with the cost involved in some cases is probably not going to be worth it in the end. Beating tickets is an industry... seek and you shall find something useful to beat yours.

 

[caspernz]

So on the topic of radar detectors...anyone on here tried the new TPX 2.0 from Adaptiv?

I trialled the original TPX on my bike a few years back, and found it almost useless compared to a decent detector in the car.

 

[1busa]

I have the TPX 2.0 on my busa right now and it seems to pick up the cops radar pretty good. I don't imagine it will save me if im doing 100mph in a 40mph zone but it has given me a heads up a few times when I didn't see them sitting and allowed me time to slow down enough for them not to want to pull me over

 

[skydivr]

The truth is, if it's just you and the officer, and he wants to give you a ticket bad enough, you are gonna get one. You can't beat instant on (well, a lawyer can, maybe), and if the officer is specifically targeting speeders in the range you are riding, you are most likely gonna get caught.

However, if he's just 'trolling' for speeders with/in traffic, the odds are your detector is going to pick up some scatter and give you enough time to slow down. Even if the officer catches you, if he see's you slowing down he MIGHT give you a pass. It's saved my tail more than once. I have an older Escort and it does this for me. A combination of this and knowing where the 'pickup points' are locally, along with maintaining awareness (looking ahead, watching other traffic, using traffic to create a buffer) all seems to help.

However, if you are out there doing 150 plus...not much is gonna help you - so you'd better have a good story when he pulls you over...

 

[Big Bo]

been happy with my Escort Passport 9500ix (paid for itself many times over with the "saves" from tickets)

I have the same unit. Save my bacon a time or two.

 

[Big Bo]

Rooster, the 9500ix will pick up radar on flats up to 5 miles away. Yes I said up to 5 miles away! On rolling hills I have had it go off 2 miles ahead.
It is a smart unit. It does not go off at every signal, BECAUSE it has smart technology. It learns where signals come from. Using GPS it knows where the same signal is, and after 5 times of getting the signal the unit stores the location and ignores the signal in the future. It tells you of red light cameras. It has radar, laser, k band, and a couple more.

If someone does not own a 9500ix, they don`t know of the performance of this wonderful unit. If an LEO is around the corner will the 9500ix save you, no. Will it let you know about instant on yes. But you get to be told about it from the LEO. I also(I believe) has a feature that prevents LEO from knowing you have a radar detector.

I love mine. When I travel on the freeway, you can be sure it is with me. It has paid for its self time and time again.

It is better to have one and not need it, than to need one and not have it.

 

[Turbo-Torch]

watching other traffic, using traffic to create a buffer

In Indiana, we have to be very cautious of any vehicle sharing the road with us. It's as if the police departments have an unlimited budget and will buy any vehicle these days and equip it with hidden lights.
Mustangs and Camaros have been a given dating back into the 80s and surprises no one except those from out of state. Any Charger or Impala in any color is also an automatic suspect.

But now we have Dodge Ram pickup trucks handing out tickets everywhere. Plain old white everyday truck, someone goes by one at 60 in a 55 zone and it's ticket time. They're raking in the cash along I65. There's also 2nd variation with a logo on the side to make it look like an INDOT worker's truck.

One of the newest I noticed within the last month are Ford Explorers pulling people over everywhere. So far just two colors, one a slate blue and the other a very tacky looking smurf blue. Those damn things popped up over night.

I haven't used a radar detector in over 20 years but I'm seriously thinking of buying a good one now.

 

[caspernz]

Thanks #1busa. Good to hear the new one works better. And yeah my thinking is much the same as yours, just a "headsup and behave" when cruising a little over the limit is all I expect. No detector is gonna save your bacon when you're pulling triple digits...

 

[GNBRETT]

Rooster, the 9500ix will pick up radar on flats up to 5 miles away. Yes I said up to 5 miles away! On rolling hills I have had it go off 2 miles ahead.
It is a smart unit. It does not go off at every signal, BECAUSE it has smart technology. It learns where signals come from. Using GPS it knows where the same signal is, and after 5 times of getting the signal the unit stores the location and ignores the signal in the future. It tells you of red light cameras. It has radar, laser, k band, and a couple more.

If someone does not own a 9500ix, they don`t know of the performance of this wonderful unit. If an LEO is around the corner will the 9500ix save you, no. Will it let you know about instant on yes. But you get to be told about it from the LEO. I also(I believe) has a feature that prevents LEO from knowing you have a radar detector.

I love mine. When I travel on the freeway, you can be sure it is with me. It has paid for its self time and time again.

It is better to have one and not need it, than to need one and not have it.

ANY radar unit will only pick up vehicles that far away when the unit is left on. the reality is many cops dont simply leave their radar unit on when stationary and when that happens there isnt a radar unit on earth thats gonna pick up the signal before his unit picks you up when he activates it. ive done many real world tests to prove this which is why a radar unit gives many a sense of false security.

but some cops are lazy and just leave it on and in that case I wud agree its better to have one then not.

 

[Fastfrog007]

In Indiana, we have to be very cautious of any vehicle sharing the road with us. It's as if the police departments have an unlimited budget and will buy any vehicle these days and equip it with hidden lights.
Mustangs and Camaros have been a given dating back into the 80s and surprises no one except those from out of state. Any Charger or Impala in any color is also an automatic suspect.

But now we have Dodge Ram pickup trucks handing out tickets everywhere. Plain old white everyday truck, someone goes by one at 60 in a 55 zone and it's ticket time. They're raking in the cash along I65. There's also 2nd variation with a logo on the side to make it look like an INDOT worker's truck.

One of the newest I noticed within the last month are Ford Explorers pulling people over everywhere. So far just two colors, one a slate blue and the other a very tacky looking smurf blue. Those damn things popped up over night.

I haven't used a radar detector in over 20 years but I'm seriously thinking of buying a good one now.

There's a few Chevy ventures in our area, the Man's gettin pretty sneaky

 

[E Zurcher]

You can thank High Intensity LEDs for all of those stealth cops. Much smaller and brighter ligts that do not need intensive cooling like older units. In the pueblos around abq they use pickup trucks with the lights actually flush mounted in the tailgate and grills. Some are now embedding the LEDs in the stock headlights and taillights. Can't tell until they are on you or have pulled someone over. It's amazing how your mind makes a "database" of potential cop vehicles on the fly.

 

[MoeMar]

jam em New Blinder HP-905 Compact Laser Defense system X-TREME Police Laser gun Jammer No more speeding tickets!

 

[1busa]

The newest cars Ive seen the police in are Ford Fusions. Normally you see them in larger cars or SUV's but I guess gas prices are even hurting The Man so they are catching speeders in hybrids

 

[yzguyfl]

it depends on how the cops work in your area. If they are using laser or some other momentary on system, chances are you are not going to detect it until it is to late. BUT in my area there are quite a few places where they get lazy and leave it on and just sit in the median, and my passport has picked them up before I could see them (from over a hill or bridge).

Cheap detectors are worthless, as they just go off all the time, and then you tend to ignore them like the boy that cried wolf. In my opinion the valentine or passport (maybe some better Bell ones) are about all that are worth the effort.

 

[easportz]

Valentine one... Amazed a few times at how far away it picked up the radar of a cop... I know this seems crazy and not likely but no joke I was with two other riders and signaled to them there was a cop somewhere. we finally saw the cop going the opposite direction 2 miles down the road...
V1 has saved me more times than I can count on the bike... Come to think of it all my tickets have always been in a cage.. as well as all my accidents... Moral: sell the car, buy more bikes