NYPD cop confiscates motorcycle for reckless driving, then drives it recklessly and crashes it

No, this one flushed through Ploughing.

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Moped is a low speed vehicle different rules apply. Not sure if New York limits 2 stroke engines. That’s why I put “might”
To get a green sticker(to ride trails off road here) you need a pre 1998 for a 2 stroke engine.

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Today in “lazy NYPD excuse or plot of a Berenstain Bears book?”

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A License Plate would be nice.

I guess this cop was really -pauses to put on shades- pounding the pavement.

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Ehhh, that’s a little cart-before-the-horse.

You get a plate for being registered as a street-legal vehicle. You don’t become street-legal by getting a plate.

From the NY State DMV:

Highlights - headlight, stoplight, tail light, turn signals, brakes, horn, muffler.

Nothing I can find says you can’t ride a two stroke on the street, as long as it has those parts. “Dirt bikes” make great city bikes, bc they aren’t as easily destroyed by potholes and curbes, and tipovers (such as when cagers hit your parked bike and knock it over) don’t usually smash expensive parts. Dual sport bikes are kinda the best of both worlds (I do not have one, I currently ride a Vespa), and look like dirt bikes to most folks.

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One wonders if the motorcycle throttle, which increases acceleration when the rider is jerked back by acceleration, was designed by a jerk as a way of getting rid of jerks.

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I think in a lot of places police are allowed to drive classes of vehicle they aren’t licensed for in an emergency, and the force’s insurance covers them at least under some circumstances- usually to let them move abandoned vehicles out of the way of traffic.

For instance, I have a friend who uses a wheelchair and drives a modified van with hand controls that she gets into via a ramp at the back. A couple of years ago, somebody parked (inconsiderately and illegally) behind her- a passing policeman offered to get into the van via the side door and drive it forwards so she could get in. AFAIK you are only allowed to drive that sort of modified vehicle, where the normal controls have been replaced, if you passed your driving test in one.

(Of course, being unfamiliar with the controls, he then proceeded to damage them- but it’s the thought that counts…)

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was that in or out of the bike lane

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This is the type of bike my Dad learnt to ride on:

Among their other quirks, they didn’t have a return spring on the throttle (so that you could shoot without slowing down). It also had no rear suspension.

So, my Dad was learning to ride, going around a dirt oval in the Australian bush, wearing rubberised canvas overalls (because leather was thought to be too rebellious for the Army).

Things were going okay until he hit a pothole. That kicked him out of the seat into a handstand above the handlebars. Naturally, his hands involuntarily tightened up a bit, so that when he fell back onto the bike in flying-Superman pose, he accidentally wound the throttle on full.

He was also no longer riding around the oval; he was now charging straight into the bush. And, thanks to the lack of throttle spring, he couldn’t shut it off by just loosening his hand.

He managed to shut it down eventually, but he’d bounced off quite a few trees before that happened. :slight_smile:

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I had that happen on a 650ccm Dnepr motorcycle and it was quite scary (sidecar was detached at the moment, so the bike had surprisingly good acceleration). Fortunately nothing bad happened, but friend broke his neck in a similar accident on 750ccm Kawasaki (it was his first motorcycle and he owned it only for two weeks). Now when I ride more powerful motorcycles (160-200hp), I always hold one or two fingers on the clutch.

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I’m with you, but if you’re riding that in the City, it’s illegal. You can’t drive an unlicensed motor vehicle. That makes it eligible for impound. If there is no way to get a license for it, all the worse.

And when you get your vehicle back, the department charges you impound fees. If it’s $30/day you owe $900 a month later when they decide to give it back to you.

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I like the saddle holster.

My dad used to ride a motor cycle, but sold it after having kids. He commented how tame they were back in the 60s and 70s compared to the HP the new ones of today have.

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I noted a distinct lack of emergency taking place.

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Thanks, I misunderstood what “confiscate” means in this context. I thought that vehicle stops being your property.

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as a motorcyclist? — the officer has little to no riding experience, and should not have been on the bike

his feet were never on the foot controls, no gear, etc.

everything about this is bad.

as for 2-strokes?

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As not a motorcyclist, I picked up on that.

Oh are those the ones that startle me when they pass?

I’m not scared, I’m startled.

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I see illegal vehicles on the street all the time in NYC (eBikes with throttles, electric scooters and skateboards and unicycles) and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one confiscated.