Something big must be going on in London today. On the way in to Southbank, it took me at least 15 minutes to get from the Park Lane Hilton to Westminster bridge, because of all the motorcades. Each one had a number of limousines and big vans, a police range rover on each end (with armed police sitting in them), and was flanked by at least six motorbikes each - both the white ones from the City of London Police and the striped ones of the Met Police. I’m sure they had all bikes from both forces out on the road! I was held up by at least four of these motorcades on that short stretch - one pulling out of the Hilton right in front of me as I was coming down Park Lane, another near Buckingham Palace, another at the turn to HorseGuards parade, another when turning onto Parliament Square. All very serious people with “will take no ****” looks on their faces. Must be an international summit of some kind…
Mate if you just stuck all those officials into Addison Lee cars nobody would even look twice. By doing what they done they are moving targets and sitting ducks at traffic lights.
When people like the Chinese Presedent stayed at the Savoy in the days when I worked next-door but one I was often unable to ride into or out of the office due to armed motorcycle police blocking the way. I always found them to be very polite and reasonable when holding us up and got us out of the way ASAP when they were able to.
However, when riding escort, they have ot be very focused on the job in hand as it is all about safety and timing and there is not a lot of opportunity to be civil.
I too would defend Met Police motorcycle coppers. I’ve always found them polite and helpful whenever I’m on the bike.
Don’t know why, but it’s still pretty unnerving to have them riding alongside of filling your mirrors. I start riding so safely they must be wetting themselves laughing.
All have been pretty good to me too.
About 2 weeks ago I blasted away from the lights and I saw a bike following close behind. We took some sharp bends pretty quickly and just then I noticed it was a police bike! I let him get ahead and we stopped at some lights… I was sheepishly behind him. He told me to come forward beside him. I was expecting a bollocking he just wanted to talk about the weather.
Actually I agree with you OG and Julian. I think they’re great. Today they were very focussed and you wouldn’t want to mess with them - but then that’s their job in that circumstance! The armed police in the landrovers looked even more aggressive (or maybe that was just the automatic weapons).
I was just making an observation that there were many today! I didn’t think there were that many in the whole of London
I only get wound up because I want to be one of them
What I’m actually sick of is people getting ferried round london as if they own the bloody place… I’ve lived here all my life and get around like all the other normal people, so I don;t see why I should be expected to hold up my journey so some other person can get to their location quicker
I got my 3rd pull over to the side of the road today by the bike cops . And again one sat on my bike and started fiddling and tossin around … Guess what… he could find nothing wrong either Apperances book by cover etc etc . I even told him why don’t you just go for a ride on it I will follow on yours … He wern’t having that lol
Szymon - I believe the process of becoming a bike copper is thus:
Apply to join police force
get rejected because they’r not recruiting
don some special constable tryouts
work a bit for free
apply for the police again
get rejected
become a PCSO
Apply to the police again
work the beat for two years
apply for traffic
get accepted to work traffic in cornwall or east anglia or somewhere like that
apply for bikes the year after
get bike approval, ride the bike once a week if you’re lucky
Apply for traffic in the met
work met traffic
perhaps get to ride the all white police bikes that escort people around
Chances are low! I would love it though…
Perhaps BusaBaz could correct me? Or another biker bobby on LB?
The pipes are 2 canniblised SR Pipes with custom bend by carefull application of scaffold tube and shoulder . Then lagged up with pipe wrap and joke baffles screwed in the end . . They do feck all about noise but I made the effort . No link or balance pipe like the standard pipes I think have? . . I duno I never bothered to check what they should look like anyways
Apperances book by cover etc etc . I even told him why don’t you just go for a ride on it I will follow on yours … He wern’t having that lol
