 Sgt. Shiels getting his groove on First thing's first. I need to apologize to Sgt. Glen Shiels for taking so long getting this post done. He was kind enough to offer to look it over for me pre-publication. All I can say is that I am no J.K. Rowling, and VicPD's decision to go with the Victory as their new service motorcycle is a subject I've been curious about for a while. Had to do some actual research and stuff. that being said, any bonehead errors here are gonna be mine. My thanks to Sgt. Shiels for his help, and to his team for not only putting on the demo ride for us, but for their daily service to the community. So, a few weeks ago, Ms. Evil Overlord and I braved the Colwood crawl to catch the VicPD motorcycle Unit Demo ride out at the Western Speedway. I had heard about the officers' skill with the new bikes and wanted to check it out in person. Totally worth the drive. The event was hosted by The Vancouver Island Safety Council. (Another big thank you to the VISC, and to Instructor Jeff Irwin for his kind permission to use his photos for this post). a wicked time was had by all.  Notice the evolutionary use of the soulpatch as a balancing aid. Similar to a cheetah's tail Especially by this guy -> (Officer Kenny Featherston) Now I know what you're all thinking, and maybe his S.O. has made him view Titanic one too many times, But he really was flying for a brief moment, and let me assure you, the sight of one of these Victorys getting some air is a sight you will not soon forget. We were assured, however, that riding the cone courses one-handed is a great skills development technique. Forcing the rider to maintain their centre of balance over the bike. As easy as the unit made it look, I still haven't quite worked up the stones to try it on my own machine yet. Something the picture can't get across is the constant grinding of the "highway bars" on the pavement. One of the main safety features on this machine is the maximum 34 degree tipover, protection for the operator's legs in the event gravity decides to suck. Sgt. Shiels also mentioned this as a factor when an officer has to leave the bike in a hurry with a drawn weapon, looked pretty cool when he did it. Not the drawn weapon part, no gunplay at the Speedway today.  <- As this officer, (Kris Greffard) was dazzling us with her journey through the cone courses, Ms. E.O. pointed out, (and when she points, it behooves one in the general vicinity of the pointage to perk up, and pay attention) that It was also good to see the fairer sex being represented. she was an impressive rider, and I found it interesting that she and her partner both had chosen to purchase Victory motorcycles of their own. Speaks volumes about Her confidence in the machines.
Apparently the VicPD routinely practises riding lines and emergency stops for at least ten minutes every day, in addition to their regular training. Now this may not sound like a lot, but when you run the math, day after week after month after year, that adds up to a butt-load of practice with these maneuvers. Something to keep in mind. Hell of a lot more fun than 10 minute abs of steel, too. Now after watching these riders basically make a mockery of what most of us refer to as our riding skills, I was still curious about how the decision was made to purchase them over other options on the market. The previous ride of choice for the VicPD were the Honda ST1300's, and local vendors had bids on the contract, so it ruffled some feathers when the Victorys were chosen. After hearing about the decision process, including servicing support, features of the bike, (like an auxiliary battery for equipment, more efficient controls, etc.) and the reliability and obvious performance of the machines, it became pretty apparent that the local constabulary were pretty Ham Dappy with their new steeds. Other than the lack of a cup holder, a switch from the Dunlop Elite III tires to Avon Cobras, and the current request to Victory to rework the topbox and kickstand to allow officers to dismount the bike on the shoulder side of the road as opposed to the traffic side, everything seems hunky-dory in Victoria Police motorcycle land. If there's one thing I can appreciate, it's having the proper tools for the job, and it's nice to see that local gov't had the balls to make an unpopular choice, to pay attention, and provide the men and women on our streets with the tools they needed to perform their demanding and dangerous job.
Oh yeah, and I learned what a code 3 was. Bitchin'!!! Evil Overlord Seal of Approval Obligatory Eric Estrada pic for any post or article involving motorcycles and police
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This Week We'll Be Giving The Evil Overlord Stamp Of Approval To The New Movie, Why We Ride.
Review: Okay True Believers, Here's the skinny on the new documentary that's got everybody talking, Why We Ride. it's won a bunch of awards and stuff. Unca Evil Overlord is here to tell you why you should shell out your hard earned dough to see this thing.
 Anyways, the flick has appearances by the whole Fam Damily over at Arlen Ness, Troy Lee and Even Kenny Roberts, (who discusses how his flat track racing experiences allowed him to repeatedly throw GP racers into a tizzy as he left them in the dust). Plenty of star appeal to go with what was really a quality show.
And the bikes, good holy jumping Hell, the BIKES!!! Seriously, it was a wrench monkey porno up in there. Anything you wanted to check out during those late nights, clicking on the forums, probably made at least a cameo. From 220 hp climbing machines, to "Eat The World" dragon-size dragsters. This movie will make you say "Wow" at least a couple of times. The movie starts out talking about the old Pacer bikes back in the misty Dawn of Time, and how Indian and Harley Davidson slugged it out on the track. Turns out that there were over One Hundred american motorcycle producers way back when. Did NOT know that! It then wanders through a bit of motorcycle history, talking about Rockers, the original Daytona Beach races and the Bonneville Salt Flats among other such awesome goodness. Where it really comes into it's own though, is when it gets into the people side of riding. Seriously gang, my Grinchy heart grew three sizes. From a multiple amputee Vet, who modified his bike and rode around the world for charity, to a Mother-Daughter-Daughter family of Land Speed Record Holders, to a Breast Cancer survivor who made me sniffle in my popcorn, (no joke, her story about her husband taking her for a ride to the beach during her treatment is about the most awesome thing I've ever heard, go Hubby!) you just aren't prepared for the diversity and emotion that this documentary brings. It stands up very well to movies like On Any Sunday. Strong words, I know, but I'm pretty sure McQueen himself would have gone to see this flick more than once. (Matter of fact, I'm declaring Why We Ride a non-documentary, as of right now. Documentaries are boring classroom drivel with pendulous bosoms and questionable foreplay advice, this film is not boring. If you can leave the theatre not wanting to throw a leg over, there's just something cracked in your soul, seek help, and stay away from pea soup.) When the film starts talking to the founders of events like, A Day In The Dirt, and MiniMoto, (which Why We Ride now sponsors, by the way, way to kick ass at life!) well, just get ready to fight off an overwhelming urge to round up every kid you can find and stick 'em on a bike. Great Stuff. I can't praise this movie enough. It's pretty easy to get wrapped up in the day to day load of deadlines, responsibilities and just plain crap. About halfway through the film, I realized that I've got a shop full of bikes and tools, and a beautiful and amazing woman to share them with. I already had everything I could want to make me happy. So why wasn't I? It really put things in perspective, kinda like getting on a bike and just heading out does. Go and see this film, if you miss it, order the DVD. You'll be glad you did. Total Evil Overlord Seal Of Approval on this one. |
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