They got me!

[Squash]

I've been riding my XR650R on the street for most of the year, and part of last year. My "main" bike is a GSXR1000, which is currently set up for track duty, so I haven't ridden it on the street at all lately. I keep telling people the GSXR, while being superior in every performance aspect, was less likely to get me in trouble than the XR, which is so much fun its stupid. Something to be said for being able to get in the gas all ham-fisted and the smoothness of a good old fashioned carb.. I put a set of Avon street tires (on spare wheels) and the thing is awfully competant for being so incompetant (I don't bother with the suspension, I just happily bounce and slide all over the place)..

So today I get pulled over on the way to lunch and get a ticket for doing a wheelie. Clear road, kept it under the speed limit, no biggie. The bike made me do it. Well, not really, but you guys with street kits know what I mean. In Missouri, just about any points ticket can be changed to a non-points by a lawyer, at the expense of much higher fines. I guess I'll write it off as Fun Tax. I'm sure I saved more in gas (vs driving my pickup) commuting to work every day on it than the fine will be.

I'm sure I"m not the only one here to end up in this situation, who else has a ticket story?

[XR 650]

I'm sure I"m not the only one here to end up in this situation, who else has a ticket story?

This spring I was ticketed for riding a wheelie also (650L). My brother on his DRZ 400 & I rode wheelies away from a stop sign & both received tickets.

$280 - negligence driving 1 point

$40 - didn't have registration with me

He reduced it from $580 - reckless driving several points

Thought about fighting it, but didn't have a good excuse.

[InternalCombustion]

I guess that's the risk we take.

Coming home sometimes I cannot resist the urge to clean out the carbon deposits (like there were any there to BEGIN with!!). I almost always make sure there is very limited traffic, as weaving in and out just gives us all a bad rep.

My luck's gonna run out one of these days and The Man's gonna be where I didn't see him. But the 650R on the street (and especially in SM-trim) is just a hooligan looking for trouble...

Ride safe, anyway. ?

[frankstr]

Sounds like you had fun getting it though ?

[wr450fyamaha]

This spring I was ticketed for riding a wheelie also (650L). My brother on his DRZ 400 & I rode wheelies away from a stop sign & both received tickets.

$280 - negligence driving 1 point

$40 - didn't have registration with me

He reduced it from $580 - reckless driving several points

Thought about fighting it, but didn't have a good excuse.

How much of a wheelie was it? Popped the clutch? throttle got stuck? (Ive actually had it happen.)

[rcnutt]

be glad your not in cali. , you'd be impounded.you really have to watch it around here now... back in the 80's I had a few RD400's and they would just write you let you go. times are a changin'...

[Flyer4higher]

Ok you want a story....about a month ago I was riding my 600 home from work on one Very Hot Saturday afternoon down a back road.

I was following several miles behind a un-marked but " Ford Tagged Police Interceptor" Duhhhh.....

When we got up to the next light which was two lanes, I pulled right up next to the officers with their A/C on and windows up.

(Side note it was about 116 degrees that afternoon and felt like I was riding in front of a hair drier I'm my face.)

As I looked over my left side I noticed that the Officer driving had three stripes on his short sleeve.

As we were waiting for the light to change green, the passenger Officer rolled down his window and asked me if it was hot enough out there?

I leaned over and said "Hey Sarge" You breaking in the New Guy?

Ha Ha's came from the cruiser and I said "Do you mind if I lead a while?"

The officer said sure go ahead...

As audacious as I can be, I say.... "OK, Catch me if you can?"

The light turned green ant I popped the clutch with a little extra throttle....

(Mind you I have ZERO points on my Class 3)

The front tire caught about six to eight inches of air across thirty feet of intersection- and then I let off the gas and did the thirty five miles an hour down the road until my turn off.

No hassles that day for me, God I love Santa Rosa Cop's for their hummer!

[XR 650]

How much of a wheelie was it? Popped the clutch? throttle got stuck? (Ive actually had it happen.)

Rode second gear out. Half decent wheelie. The officer came over a small hill in the distance while we were on one wheel. He hit his lights & blocked the road ahead. Owell.

[Homey55]

?

[bluemax250]

?

That's what I was thinking.

It is Santa Rosa after all.

[SniperTeamBravo]

Funny thing happened to me last Sunday. Was taking some food to my Mom on the motard, had the stuff in my backpac and was just cruising because I saw a city police officer in the left lane ahead of me. I get thru an intersection and WHoooo! Look behind me, theres a Sargeant, unmarked FI car, pulling a brotha over! I pull into my old banks parkjinglot and instead of pulling up behind, he comes up beside me. Says, Hello, you didn't do anything wrong, and you are a good rider but can you use your turn signals? I say I was and ask if they weren't working, then turn around and turn one on which works. He goes oh yeah they are working but I didn;t notice them so just be careful because I wouldn';t want you to get hit. I had to thank him for this, and for being concerned, told him Id use hand sigs too and he takes off! Nice!

[ponq]

Amazingly no tickets on the bike.

Squash you in St. Louis?

[Squash]

ponq: Yeah, they got me in Sunset Hills on my way to get lunch. Sending PM.

The wheelie I got wrote for was a 2-3-4 with no traffic around, seated etc nothing special.. I think somebody pissed in the cop's post toasties that morning...

[HawkGT]

I know a guy that was once sentenced to 30 days in jail for accumulating one traffic violation after another (5 to serve, 25 suspended and held over his head during the multi-year probation period)--all on bikes. He finally quit street riding after that. ? Apparently, being a motorcylist was such a strong source of identification and so ingrained into his lifestyle that he didn't know how to quit until there was absolutely no alternative he could envision.

Years later he took his first tentative steps back into street riding with an XR650R. He reports: so far so good. I suspect two things. 1) He's changed and realizes the folly of his youth. 2) The XR650R isn't practical for triple digit cruising like his previous rides--but still an absolute hoot to ride. So, it seems to be working out well for him.

[rebelventurer]

Was riding to the trail on my L model, had a new set off 606's ( know how you hate to get back from first ride , look at the tires and get that sick feeling) on the bike so was riding on the 'soft' shoulder about 4 miles from the house, kicked it up a couple of times and passed a car on the right was actually 15 feet to the right, he comes from nowhere, lights and siren, I stop take my helmet off he gets out says been following you about 2 miles lets see your papers, I say " er, there at the house" 4 more county sherriffs show up, their trying to figure out what to do, I think, or who wants the paper work, I'm thinking did someone rob a bank and take off on a bike, finally the big black one that pulled me over says "Go Home Now", Yes sir, whew, I thought I was toast. No ticket no warning, just go home.

[2000 xr650r]

I have never got a ticket but have been close. Being only 17 years old and using a provisional operators permit does not help. One day i was riding with my buddy on his harley. I pulled up to a stop sign and saw a blue pickup across the street waiting for no reason. I pulled up to the sign and took off, slowly and the front wheel bobed off the ground like a inch or two. A minute later I was stoped talking to another freind and the same blue pickup stops in the middle of the street and a police officer got out. He was off duty. He called another cop that was on duty and they gave me a long speech about the effects of a wreckless driving charge. Next time i should take off my plate and pass the a**hole like this... http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k24/2000xr650r/?action=view&current=MVC-001W-1.flv