Police Radar

[Robert]

I was riding 95 and doing a bit over the speed limit and went by a radar trap, but then began to think. I wonder if these new Valkyries have less of a radar signal to reflect back at the radar, so this makes them harder to target. With all the angles and the headlight bucket not being there its hard to find a flat spot from a frontal view to reflect radar back. The 117 stealth fighter was created with that in mind and our bikes definitely have a lot of angles. I imaging laser would even have a harder time since the beam would have a hard time finding a surface to reflect back at any strength.  Even the riders are not a real good reflector for radar so, what do you guys think?

[st2sam]

I think you were damn lucky you didn't get a ticket!

The trooper was probably asleep or talking on the phone.

You owe one.

[Jess from VA]

Stealth is all hard angles, and no curves*.  Your bike has lots of curves.  

I think sometimes the cops realize that more people slow down when they are sitting with the radar on, than when they pull someone over and are out of action for a half hour (esp on busy freeways).  In my county, they sit empty cruisers all over the place (bottom of the hill, just around the bend, the fun riding spots).  It works.

A bit over the limit rarely gets a ticket, in my experience.  

*

[bscrive]

Same here Jess, sometimes they just stick a car out there to slow down traffic.  No cop around.  Just the sight of the cop car makes people brake.

[mrtappan]

Regardless of how hard angled the bike is, the rider and windshield aren't........

[Daniel Meyer]

Heh...short answer...no.

Even those cheap sign-mounted radars (Your speed: "") things pick motorcycles (and new Valks) up just fine.

[_Sheffjs_]

Radar is the only thing they have that will catch the new Valk!          

[The emperor has no clothes]

Robert, I think you should flesh this out a little. Go back thru at 20 over. If no ticket try 30 over. 

[Jess from VA]

Robert, I think you should flesh this out a little. Go back thru at 20 over. If no ticket try 30 over. 

Wow, solid advice here.  How much do you charge for it? 

I need some help with my taxes............ not!

[The emperor has no clothes]

Robert, I think you should flesh this out a little. Go back thru at 20 over. If no ticket try 30 over. 

Wow, solid advice here.  How much do you charge for it? 

I need some help with my taxes............ not!

Jess, my fees are very minimal. Even a retired Lawyer could afford them. 

[Robert]

If you look at Police radar or laser they really need a focal point to reflect back the beams. Sometimes they have to actually point at the headlight bucket when the surfaces don't reflect well. To me it was worth the thought and I know we have some pretty technical guys here.

Meathead I was thinking of a little less costly way to find out, but thanks anyway 

[F6Dave]

There used to be frequent articles on radar in magazines like Car and Driver.  While the targeting technology has improved, the basics have not.  Police radar generally calculates the speed of whatever moving object returns the largest radar signal.  In the moving mode it gets more complicated, as the unit reads the speed of both the road surface and approaching vehicle, and subtracts one from the other.

The size of the vehicle makes a difference, which can be either an advantage of disadvantage to motorcycles.  When approaching one of those informational 'Your Speed Is XX' electronic signs at the roadside, I often notice the speed displayed is obviously not that of my bike.  Then I'll check my rear view mirrors and see a truck or some other large 4-wheeled vehicle behind me travelling at a different speed.  Since that vehicle reflects far more of the radar signal, the unit ignores my bike.  I'm sure LEOs are trained to be aware of this, but it could get you another guy's ticket in some cases.

The upside of this is that a motorcycle needs to get closer to police radar to give an accurate reading, so you get a bit more time to slow down once you see it, or after your detector warns you.