# High-speed motorcycles proving too fast for cops



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS *

Lou was going 168 mph on his Kawasaki 1000 motorcycle last year when he noticed the flashing lights of an Illinois State Police car behind him on the Bishop Ford Freeway in Chicago.

Figuring he'd be hit with hefty fines if he pulled over, Lou, a 33-year-old Englewood resident who asked that his full name not be used, took off instead.

The trooper "hit his lights, and I was gone," he said. "I never looked back because I knew I had him."

With motorcycle injuries and fatalities on the rise, putting the brakes on excessive speeding is a priority, police say.

But the task has become increasingly difficult with the growing popularity of high-performance sport bikes that can reach 100 mph in seconds.

State police are lucky to catch 15 percent of these so-called "crotch rockets" when they whiz by on the expressways, state Trooper Brian Walker said.

Quite often, other vehicles or obstructions slow these bikers down, not the squad car behind them.

State Trooper Margaret Madrigal recalled one incident where a biker was dragged under a semi and killed, less than five minutes after she and other officers saw the biker fly past them at 120 mph on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

For safety reasons, state troopers aren't authorized to chase someone for a non-felony traffic violation. Chicago police have a similar policy.

"We try to enforce (the speed limit), but when you got a guy driving up and down Lake Shore Drive at 100 mph, plain and simple, he got away," said Sgt. Maurice McCaster of the Chicago Police Department Major Accidents Unit. "It's frustrating."

Lake Shore Drive, the Eisenhower Expressway and Interstate 57 are the favorite destinations for late-night, high-speed riding. The Dan Ryan used to be one, too, before this year's reconstruction project turned it into an obstacle course.

Last year, state troopers ticketed 98 bikers in Cook County for speeding, two dozen more than in 2004. But for every person they ticket, at least one gets away, troopers said.

However, specific data on just how many bikers don't get caught wasn't available because troopers aren't required to note these incidents in their field reports.

Law enforcement officials say the problem has gotten worse in recent years because the sport bikes keep getting faster and more people are riding them.

"Ten years ago, the most powerful bike would have had ... a max speed of 170. It didn't approach the speed ... of some of these other bikes that can consistently reach 190 and 200 mph," said Walker, a member of the motorcycle patrol unit for the state police's Chicago district.

Not only are they able to outrun the police, but many bikers bend their license plates or ride without them, so they can't be tracked down. Some also turn off their headlights and taillights at night.

State police say they're trying a few new tactics that seem to work.

One involves using an air support helicopter to keep up with bikers, so that troopers on the ground can intercept them. Similarly, troopers are being stationed at exit ramps and traffic lights to head off groups of bikers who were clocked speeding on the expressway, said state police Master Sgt. Dave Byrd, who runs the special enforcement unit.

But ultimately, Byrd said, there's only so much law enforcement can do when people are riding bikes that are built for speed. 
"It's like a Mustang. People don't buy them to do 55 (mph)," he said. "You just hope these guys don't go out there and kill someone."


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## creeperjeep (Jan 12, 2006)

Why do you need a bike that does over 80?


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## Nightstalker (Jul 25, 2006)

> "Ten years ago, the most powerful bike would have had ... a max speed of 170. It didn't approach the speed ... of some of these other bikes that can consistently reach 190 and 200 mph,"


A CV couldnt do a 170 mph 10 years ago and cant do 200 now. Theres no difference. I ride a "crotch rocket" as they put it which happens to be capable of 200 mph. If you ride like an idiot you will die like an idiot. Statistically, whats the life expectancy of an idiot hugging his tank at 200 mpg?


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## Gil (Jun 15, 1998)

Don't waste your time chasing bikes, nothing good can come of it. There is no way you are going to catch them in a vic. At the very least you beat the hell out of your car for no reason, worst case you get into an accident and kill yourself or an innocent bystander. I am not against chasing down the bad guy but you have to weigh all the factors involved.


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## Andy0921 (Jan 12, 2006)

You cant really catch them in any car, the bikes are so small they go in and out of lanes between cars. Most of the time you couldnt catch them in a high performace car, simply because they can maneuver through traffic better then cars.


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