Quote:

Out of curiosity , being that experienced what kind of things did you learn? (I would imagine as a motor cop you had training)



AAMOF, I got zero training. I worked for the city of Palo Alto, CA. I had never ridden a motorcycle when I won the motorcycle opening position. I simply had to demonstrate that I could ride a large Harley which I borrowed from an acquaintance. We used to take our motorycycle home, and I'll never forget riding in to work the first morning. I was trying to avoid stops, because I felt so awkward everytime I tried to stop that large Pan Head with big steel bags, and monster radio mounted on the rear. It took me about a year to feel totally comfortable, and out of the 5 motors on the department, I would have rated myself the worse rider. In contrast to what I did, the California Highway Patrol had an extensive course for their motor officers at their academy in Sacramento. After an officer graduated, he would ride with an experienced officer for awhile, and then come back and take an advanced course. I did ride with another officer for a week. On the first day, we got an emergency call up in the Palo Alto hills, and I remember stuggling to try to keep up with the other officer as I watched him disappear through the twisties.

When I did take the course I had been riding my own motorcycles for many years, and although years removed from the course I cannot remember the exact things that I learned, I remember that I learned lots of new things, and practiced things that I had never ever practiced. I remember being told that taking the course on my big VTX 1800 was going to be difficult because of all of the tight maneuvering required, but I remember being able to turn inside of a lot of the guys taking the course on crotch rockets.

Pedal Till You Puke