My son worked at a Starbucks, and there was one WPD officer that seemed like he lived in there.... .

 

Actually that is correct, but note that it says "Muffler" here is what the code says
" 46.2-1050. Mufflers on motorcycles.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated any motorcycle not equipped with a muffler or other sound dissipative device in good working order and in constant operation.

No person shall remove or render inoperative, or cause to be removed or rendered inoperative, other than for purposes of maintenance, repair or replacement, any muffler or sound dissipative device on a motorcycle. (1976, c. 65, § 46.1-302.3; 1989, c. 727.) "

My understanding is that the muffler has to be intact (baffles installed) but it doesn't matter how loud it is.

 

I found out a long time ago that LEO attitudes vary based on your attitude...
Don't be a smarta$$, toughguy, jokester, they'll be cool with you(there are exceptions)...
But if you are big enough to challenge the laws, be big enough to pay when they call you on it...

 

I have a set of Vance & Hines on my ride with the baffles intact, so I'm not worried about a ticket. I didn't know/understand if I removed the baffles I could receive a citation. Especially since there isn't any acoustical criteria. You'd probably have to be quite a dick to the cop for him to give you an exhaust ticket in a state that doesn't have a decible law...

 

Not only varies from cop to cop here, but from agency to agency.
When I worked for the prison system and got pulled over by the Highway Patrol, he let me go, but with a condescending attitude. After I began working for the LVMPD and would get pulled over by the NHP, I got a different attitude... kinda like they're pissed because we make more than they do. Just about everyone I've talked to gets some kinda attitude from these guys. Henderson cops (southern part of the valley) have been cool as hell, and LVMPD are alright, too.

I'm sure there are a lot of variables... even down to whether the guy got laid last night, or maybe missed breakfast this morning. We're all individuals, and bring our own baggage to the job.

 

I've met a few cops with attitudes but never got a ticket I didnt deserve. I got pulled over a few weeks ago while riding the Big Dog and thought I was busted for loud pipes,turned out he just wanted to b.s about choppers. He did say that they've been instructed to crack down on the Squids due to the high accident rate involving rockets..

 

Law enforcement is different from state to state and community to community because they are different culturally, and often legally. I certainly don't want the restrictive laws of New York City to be forced upon my little two stop light community here in Arkansas.

I gotta say though, that if I saw a rider with no blinkers, no sticker, illegal pipes and 'numerous other things' I'd be writing a ticket, but I'd be friendly about it because I'm a biker friendly kind of LEO. But if I got muchattitude about itI'd be calling a tow truck to haul it to the impound lot. . . those blinkerless bikes can be atraffic hazard, you know.

 

Yeah, I think it varies from state to state, as well as localities. I've gotten breaks from state police in NC; never got one from a VA state trooper. I've gotten enough tickets to wallpaper one of my bedrooms (most when I was driving a truck) and I deserved all but 3 of them. WV state police have never been anything but friendly when I've run across them. PA always seemed to have an attitude.

That's the state boys. The locals are another story. Around here the sherrifs are considered officers of the court and their primary job is serving papers. Their secondary roll is law enforcement. Most of them are friendly and some don't even like running radar. The local/city police are a different story. They all seem to be a-holes.

Where in VA did you get your ticket? They're both probably beatable if you want to fight it but probably isn't worth your time. If your interested, check out Tom McGrath, THE Motorcycle Lawyer in Va. He even beats the Virginia helmet law consistently.

 

[sm=exactly.gif]

 

Little foreign perspective:

After having moved to New Zealand from California, I was supposed to get a NZ driver's license within 12 months (very generous IMHO) but of course I procrastinated and got pulled over after 1.5 years driving without a local license. I'd pulled a stupid maneuver in a roundabout.

Officer says " This is a $150 ticket, but... tell you what: Being from Australia myself, I know what a pain it is to get all set up in a new country.
So let's make a deal - you show up at our station with a NZ driver's license at the end of January (he gave me 1.5 months) and I'll forget your ticket. Now, if you don't I'll take your bike if I pull you over again."

Needless to say, on January 30th I showed up with a brand new license. So no ticket and he made me get a license! What a cool guy!