General topics » Ever had this experience?

One of the clear downsides to owning an RS, especially in Triple Black with panniers, is that when I'm on my favorite canyon road with a car in front of me, the car will invariably slow down immediately, thinking..."cop!". It's actually amusing...for a while. But sometimes passing opportunities are several miles ahead, and it becomes...tedious.

Ever noticed that, riding your RS?

I have had this I believe as I wear a predominantly white helmet. Which is what our police wear over here. A bit annoying.

I remember seeing a YouTube clip last year of a biker following an unmarked black GS on I think it was the A49 in Shropshire approaching a roundabout when an ar8e in an Audi went steeming off in the other direction, the GS did a U turn, on came the blues and off he went in persuit of the Audi.

I was watching a documentary on Mount Snowden a few weeks ago where they were getting ready to open up after being closed for the winter. On the first weekend the railway and visitors centre at the top was open loads were parking on double yellow lines on the road because the car park was prebook only and there was a biker cop there keeping order as cars were towed away. He was on a black unmarked RS

Agh. Forgot to say I where a HiViz too.

I get a lot of comments on how much the RS looks like a Police machine, having the white with red frame with white panniers .... The cops will do a double take for sure and if parked will often pull out and come up along side the bike. They know what it is and it is rare in these parts. The cops around these parts tend to use white bikes and a lot of RT's but they seem to know the RS as well. I haven't noticed people on the road reacting too it, as I don't wear the same stuff as cops i think ....
I have a 99 Dakota pickup and when it was new it was the same color as the Game and Fish half ton pickups in spite of the size difference ..... that was really noticeable with people waving all the time and other obvious behaviors with them thinking I was the game warden ...

Another experience I've had in this vein is that the cars ahead will sometimes pull off the road to let me pass after a mile or so of me following behind them. When they do, I always honk the horn and wave "thank you!". I can imagine their chagrin when they realize they've not been followed by a police officer, after all.

One day I was coming down-canyon after a nice romp up-canyon. I encountered a few cars ahead, who all promptly decelerated to the (slow) speed limit. Suddenly, behind me, was a Sheriff's vehicle, who had caught up to us. Now not only did I have dawdling cars ahead, but I had a law officer behind. I pulled off at the first opportunity and waiting a couple of minutes for that law-abiding freight train to get well down the road.

One of my favorites, though, is me on the black RS going in one direction in the canyon and a motorcycle police officer going the other direction. We always do the "biker wave" when we pass. It's a fun thing.

The cop bikes in my area are white RT's. I now have a white '23 RS. I really think people believe I'm a cop and change lanes or pull over when I get behind them. I've been riding for over 50 years and have never had this much "courtesy" from cagers. Had one actually signal and pull off into the grass to let me by. Not a great idea considering the drought and wildfire danger happening now. I'll take it any way I can get it.

Frank