Ducati Monster Forum

Hi All,  looking for unique ideas to keep with my blue Monster theme.

I got my first ticket in forever when I was up at Alice's Restaurant (Bay Area SF) this weekend.  A few friends and I came in slow and park for breakfast and  [leo] comes rushing over saying "license and registration"!  Everyone was pretty confused until we discovered he was ONLY asking me, and then everyone was very confused. ???  He then tells me my blue colored windscreen is illegal.  (Never heard this before.  I've only had it on my bike for 10 years.)

(https://i.ibb.co/CP1Z3pb/10170773-10152387686678879-3369765899397499028-n.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CP1Z3pb)

Apparently blue (or red or yellow) could be confusing, and someone might think I'm a cop.  (My blue jacket is a lot more visible than my windscreen, and what about people with blue bikes?? but I digress...)

So I have to fix it.  My bike is a 2002 M750S, and I'm only finding clear, lt smoke, or dark smoke from ZG or Slingshot.  Are there solid carbon fiber options out there?  Does anyone have ideas to keep some blue up front without it being a violation?

Pretty annoyed about this whole thing, and bummed because I thought the blue screen was a nice accent. [bang]

Thanks!

WOW!  been a long time, welcome back. 

How about this one?   https://monsterparts.com/collections/bodywork-carbon-1/products/carbon-flyscreen-fairing
Or  https://monsterparts.com/collections/windscreens-1/products/puig-cockpit-windscreen

Can't speak for Ca, but here in NYC people have been ticketed for made up equipment violations.  Blue lights make sense.  Blue windscreen :-\

Thanks Howie! Good to be back. I went a while not riding the Duc due to Gremlins no one could diagnose, but I still have the old girl. Finally got that sorted out last year, and this was my first ride since October after recovering from an injury. Not the way I wanted the day to go today...

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out!

That sounds ridiculous. What statute did he quote on the ticket? I'd make sure it's actually illegal before changing it. Just because he wrote you a ticket for it doesn't mean he's right.

What kind of seat and luggage rack do you have?

I am looking into the actual law. It doesn't make sense at all. It's a "fix it" ticket, so the cost is $25 but I have to fix it and then go to court or a CHP to prove I fixed it and have them sign off. The officer literally told me he was writing me a ticket just to show others he was up there writing tickets so the word would get out and people would leave or avoid the area. But he's just trying to make it safer... I'd rather he write up real safety violations. There were plenty of others to choose from but for some reason he picked the only girl in the parking lot and a very silly reason.

I have the Ventura rack on the back and my seat is the stock one shaved down with a gel insert (I have an old tutorial on here I think) and a Corbin seat cover.

This.

Do you know Warren? He may be able to help.

Sheet of adhesive vinyl (mount on fresh wax for harmless removal), get it approved, remove vinyl, wait ten years for next idiot encounter.

 [Dolph]

Much like how I'd roll with this issue.

You definitely can't count on cops to know the law. Do a little research, and evaluate what your time to fight is worth verses a "quick" fix. Lamesauce [thumbsdown]

Well I discovered it's a ridiculous but real law and is specific to California.

26701(d) "No person shall sell, offer for sale, or operate any motor vehicle equipped with red, blue, or amber translucent aftermarket material in any partitions, windows, windshields, or wind deflectors.”  [thumbsdown]

Ah, to prevent knuckleheads from playing copper I wager.

"But I like those red and blue plastic panels on my roof rack. It's festive!"
"Sir, you cannot impersonate a police vehicle."

It's why we can't have nice things.

Sorry to hear that.

This reaffirms my want of a solid blue or CF blue screen in place of the translucent blue one...

Waitaminit.

The above quoted VC says "translucent".

Searching several dictionaries online reveals that "translucent" requires obscuring the visual details of things on the other side.

To distinguish it from "transparent".

I can't see your screen real clearly, but I suspect it's actually transparent.

That looks like a rather large loophole that allows your screen.

I suspect the way the law defines 'translucent' (because the officer said it has nothing to do with being able to see through the screen, which is why dark tint is ok) is from the roots trans = through and lucent = giving off light.  So if whatever your screen is made from allows light to pass through it and it is one of the offending colors, it is illegal.

All things transparent are also translucent, but all things translucent are not necessarily transparent.  I feel the language in this law makes it more restrictive, not less.

And yes, the cop said it was because someone could misidentify me as a  [leo].  I find that VERY hard to believe, but it must have happened at some point which is why it's a law.  But only in California.

He does have a point, I've lived in California for 56 years and I've seen thousands upon thousands of LEOs on the job riding blue Monsters.
Plus, I'm sure your riding gear was exactly the same as standard-issue Moto-LEO.
So you were obviously trying to impersonate.

 [roll]

I don't know it for a fact, but I wager that legal cases have been tossed on far smaller differences.

What's the chance of a repeat encounter with the same LEO?

I think what we have here is a LEO enforcing the law as written, not intended.  This is why it happened once.  I see only two possibilities of getting around this since you might run into this person again.  One is go to court and hope the court rules in your favor.  Another is hit your side with flat black, vinyl or whatever so it is no longer translucent.

Posting the pic from BADOC so everyone can get a better view. (let me know if you want me to remove it mangeldbug)

I still think you should put black vinyl on the inside so you no longer have any translucent or transparent to it.  It just turns into a blue fairing at that point. Other bikes have blue fairings so why not.

(http://www.mikemo.org/bikes/BlueTint.jpg)

Well, that's proof, obviously a police bike and that's regulation graphics on that helmet too.

 [roll]

Thanks Heath!  I have tools, so I can handle the install, but thanks for the offer.  [beer]

Im almost positive Ive seen that LEO up there before, and he seemed pretty happy to be the guy his station puts up there "to write tickets" so its possible I run into him again.  I did buy a dark smoke shield just to satisfy the fix it ticket, but I think making my blue shield into a blue "fairing" is my plan.

I was holding to say this, but ...

one thing you can do (in the future) is to avoid the spot like Alice's, especially in weekend, especially in spring / summer, when the weather is nice.

I know it's not entirely your decision when you are riding in group, but it (avoiding popular / well known spot) makes pretty big difference (that is, if you have many "gray zone" items on your bike).

If I were frequently hanging around at Alice's in weekends, I WILL get ticket (at some point) about my "kicked up for satellite view only" license plate. (and possibly straight through ARROW pipes. And my Non-DOT helmet.)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/4499/37104914093_d6e45b2f37_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/YwQofa)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/4370/36578946826_d91e98374e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XJmEv1)

(The plate is not readable from Crown Victoria's driver's seat. But, (fortunately for me), now almost all CHP and local PDs are using Explore, so the angle of the plate doesn't look that bad from their point of view.)

Crown Vic
(https://live.staticflickr.com/8253/8982295531_566f84efef_b.jpg)

Explore
(https://live.staticflickr.com/2806/11093023275_52d5e9045f_b.jpg)

Totally agree with you!  Usually we don't stop at Alice's, just ride by or bypass altogether because there is usually traffic. A few times we will stop to meet up with larger groups. This particular morning we had intended to stop early, well before the crowds, just to get a bite before doing a loop. A series of misfortunes led to a long delay in getting there and we arrived right at peak craziness.  [thumbsdown] :P

I meant remove the pic because I snatched it off Facebook. :p I have no doubt you have tools.  Always loved that blue theme on your bike when I have seen it at Monster Mash each year.   That and the MIVVs.

No, it's cool, you can leave it up.  And thanks! 😊