Ducati Monster Forum

Well, after a year and a half of having my yellow headlight lens, and being seen by "almost" every sheriff, chp and local in the county without a problem, I got stopped yesterday, 5 mins from home.  [roll] It must have been a "training" opportunity as there were 2 of them and one was clearly "running things" and being a dick.

I gave them my "papers"  [laugh] and awaited my additional paper. I kind of vegged out for a sec (I was wondering if I was gonna make it home before it started to rain) and turned around to see "dick" probing the exhaust pipes with a collapsible baton and telling the "noob" (very nice guy, I guess not yet corrupted) "no baffles, those are illegal" and something about no reflector on the back of the bike and then something about my windscreen....  :o

After a very long wait (I think they actually had to look up the VC section pertaining to the color of the lens) I got my ticket and low and behold ("dick" was now being nice, they usually are when they are at the point of giving you the ticket) I only got written up for the headlight lens!!  ???  [thumbsup]

It then started to rain as I geared up and rode home....

I wrote this up cuz I was actually shocked that he physically checked the pipes and all the other stuff he mentioned and to remind everyone out there that they are enforcing this stuff, albeit somewhat randomly (given the aforementioned 1.5 years without issue and even longer on the pipes/reflector/windscreen etc). And this was a first for me in 30+ years of riding. I always got hassled back in the day for window tint...

The cost of a fix-it ticket is now up to $25 PER ITEM, plus court fees I'm sure.... Man, it was some 12 years or so ago that I got one of these and it was $10 for now matter how many items!  [laugh]

 

Which agency was it that stopped you? CHP? Local sheriff?

Why do you have a yellow headlight lens? Is there some visual advantage?

CHP

Huge visual advantage. Not one vehicle ever pulled out in front of me since I did the mod. Gonna miss it... :'(

My condolences. I got stopped and written up for no license plate light and no rear reflectors about a month ago, just coming off the Marin side of the Richmond bridge. Fortunately the guy said he, "didn't have any room on the ticket" to write up the Termignonis. Whew.

That's really interesting. I always wondered why there weren't any cars with yellow headlights around here. In northern Europe its pretty standard in foggy places. Shit, the fog here has got every place beat that I've ever heard of. I mean, there's fog almost every day. wtf?

You should tell your story to the judge and get the law changed. This is BS. You'd have to get a jury etc.
I know the a-holes want their money, but
We need to our safety equipment.

I wonder where BAM and AMA is with this these days.

in the fog.  [roll]

Well, I tried that with GM recently, about an issue I have with them forcing a Rear Park Assist system on me (and charging me for it!) and destroying the beautiful look of my new Camaro!! All I got was a polite "make the beast with two backs you, we are not gonna do anything about it, you are screwed if you don't like it".

I really haven't had any success with anything like this since getting a petition together and going to the city council (in Marin) to get bikes allowed in the carpool lane. But that was waaaaay back in the day when you COULD make a difference...  [puke]

Funny thing, I told the officers that the European/other countries bikes run them for safety reasons and the one being a dick says, "Well, what country do you live in?".  [roll]

May have been training but CHP is typically two to a car, I'm told.

When I got busted for registration in 2007, it as a Sheriff and there were two in the car. It was opposite, the young gun was trying to rake me over the coals. The old timer cut in and just said, "If I let you go will you go straight home and park the bike until you get this straightened out?" I said yes and he let me go.

I went home, which was some families garage I was living in at the time, parked the bike and got it handled :D

Sucks about the tickets, but I'm glad my next bike is going to stay as factory as possible, reflectors and all.

I wonder how many Harleys with their loud pipes rolled by you while you were pulled over... [moto]  CHP would ticket their own grandmothers, so don't feel bad.

In my neck of the woods, it is one to a car. Had to be training.


Funny you should mention that. There had to have been 2 dozen cars with make the beast with two backsed up shit (broken etc) on them, that rolled by. And every one with an exhaust, chopped it and went by as quietly as possible....  [laugh]

It is hella funny the looks you get when you are being ticketed! I felt like a demonseed or something (OK well, I can be used as a bad example!).  [evil] For a few minutes I was standing with my hands behind my back as it relieves the ache in my broken shoulder and everyone was looking at me like I got handcuffed or something!!  [laugh]  [laugh] Two younger boys in the back seat of Dad's car had the wide-eyed look until I showed them my hands.  ;D