posted June 26, 2006 08:00 PM
state trooper got killed in my area trying to chase down a 20 year old kid on a crotch rocket by driving the tahoe around a dead man curve straight into a tree without his seat belt on. they caught the kid a few days later with the publics help. had hundreds of cops in town for the funeral with the governor....needless to say....they dont like motorcycles in my area. about a month after this happened the area cops and troopers with the county sherrifs heleicoper had operation eagle eye on a friday night that was pure harrasment for bikers...safety check points everywhere for bikes and following you with the copter waiting for you to speed they would then send a ground unit to your house and wait for you...if they found anything wrong with your bike it ended up on the back of a tow truck. it reminded me of word war 2 with the germans going after the jews. I drove down the interstate and parked on the side of the road was 8 cop cars all with their radar pointed at me. the next day on the news the cops said they did it for the bikers to make the general public more aware of motorcycles and make it safer for us on the highways....what a line of crap...they say they are going to do it all summer at different times. the kid on the bike did not have a lic. and had a police record....he will never se the light of day if the cops have anything to say about it
posted June 27, 2006 04:44 PM
Take this advice from a seasoned speeder (where appropos and safe).
I look at speeding in school zones, residential zones, construction zones, bad weather and heavy traffic as careless and stupid.
I look at speeding tickets when I am in the middle of nowhere with none of the above as an involuntary tax and I pay enough income tax already, so I am not into giving more.
Straight roads, curvy roads - you just have use brains, logic, your sixth sense and some electronic gear.
I've picked up instant-on as far away as 5.2 miles with my 8500. What many people fail to understand is that rogue beep IS telling you something. It mean's that somebody X miles ahead of or behind you just got gunned.
If I had $1 for everytime I whacked my speed down to the limit and people behind me flew by at the speed prior, and got the point to the side of the road 2 miles later I'd have about $500 more in my pocket than I do right now.
The last interesting event I encountered was out in the middle of nowhere Wyoming coming home from the Black Hills. I was in my pickup with my 12 in the back and the cruise control set at 95. Zeppelin cranking. I was on a secluded (that generally describes Wyoming anyway) two lane about 50 miles from Lusk, WY.
I hadn't seen another car or cow for about an hour, when all the sudden full on Ka hit at about 50%. I hit the binders hard and got the truck down to 60 (65 mph limit) without ripping my 12 over the roof of the truck and kept getting hits about every 5 seconds for 1.8 miles (yes, I always look at the odo when I get gunned) and sure enough, there he was.
Out in the middle of fucking nowhere sitting on a rural road hidden by a barb wire fence and lots of tumble weeds was a shiny black Wyoming State Trooper. He was definitely eyeballing me as I went by, but no lock, no cigar.
I had another similar situation a couple months back coming home from skiing. Same situation, same outcome. Different state and silver car.
There are rules to speeding. Fish alluded to some good one's above, in addition I'd add never go so much faster than the speed limit that you cannot react to and slow the vehicle down (fast) before you get locked on and never speed faster than you can afford the fine/points for because no matter how good you are sooner or later the odd's will catch up.
My rule of thumb is no more than 20% over the posted limit for extended periods of time where appropriate and safe. Around here in the city if you are doing 90 in a 75 you are getting passed by minivans right and left so it's easy to blend.
And lastly, please do not take this as anti-LEO. I'm not. They have their job (giving speeding tickets) and I have mine (not getting speeding tickets).
____________
"BTW....You need to get a girlfriend who's last name isn't .jpg"
posted June 27, 2006 05:07 PM
Good advice Blitz. A detector needs to be used with a good deal of mental interpretation and just plain 'ol common sense to be effective.
____________
Speed has never killed anyone,
suddenly becoming stationary...
That's what gets you.
posted June 27, 2006 05:33 PM
Knowing were the non patrolled or unpatrollable spots are doesn't hurt unless ya catch up to one @ mach 4 (oops) then the detector can't help either.
I'm a firm believer in bel from way back. I've had the escorts and others, just like my bels(and whistles)
____________
Later days, better lays
07 BLACK ZX14 Getting customized waiting for the white stuff to go away
06 BLACK ZX14 GONE Recall was a little late.
posted June 28, 2006 06:49 PM
knowing where they are is half the battle... here cops have sat in the same spot for as long as I can remember ... for like 30 years... they STILL catch people... makes me laugh.
____________ What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
quote:knowing where they are is half the battle... here cops have sat in the same spot for as long as I can remember ... for like 30 years... they STILL catch people... makes me laugh.
Same thing here. They sit in plain sight in the same place with the radar on. No laser or Instant on. And night after night it's like shooting fish in a barrel. All the cars they can pull over for as long as they want to sit there.
____________
Speed has never killed anyone,
suddenly becoming stationary...
That's what gets you.
posted June 28, 2006 07:01 PM
what's up with that anyways? are people just plain stupid or something?
____________ What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
quote:what's up with that anyways? are people just plain stupid or something?
Yup!
That's why radar detectors are so effictive in most cases. The cops know hardly anyone bothers with them so they just cruise with the radar on. I know this for a fact. On my last bike (well the bike before my last bike) I got a ticket for 10 over by some cop who was just cruising with the radar on. I came over a hill and that was that. A 25mph zone to add insult to injury. It's been a detector ever since. Saved my wallet and license more than once.
____________
Speed has never killed anyone,
suddenly becoming stationary...
That's what gets you.
posted August 27, 2006 10:37 AM
Anyone know if any of these detectors can beat the Virginia "radar detector-detector"?
____________
1987 Red/White Ninja 750
1988 K1
1991 FatBoy
2004 VROD
2005 K1200S
2006 ZX-14 - Red
posted August 27, 2006 04:02 PM
top of the line bel sti will...nothing will detect it and its even preforms better than the rx 65 . the down side is it costs 449.00 but its worth it for the best
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Posts: 3212
posted September 01, 2006 09:10 PM
Okay, fish (and quite a few others here) knows that my BEL repair service experiences, with several models.... SUCKED! Most of my in-warranty repair returns to BEL took over 4 weeks.
One warranty return took almost six weeks and the unit they sent back to me was a refurbished lesser model. When I contacted them about it, they told me that I had to sent the other one back and when they received it, the would send me one that was comparable to what I sent them. That exchange took another three weeks. When I asked them if they would extend my warranty two months, since that was the amount of time I was without a detector... they said no.
To be fair, that was several years ago. I would hope that their service has improved since then.
In March '01, I bought a V1 with a remote audio and remote display. After having it for only six months, it quit working. I called them asked to speak to someone in warranty repair. She said she'd help me and asked for my unit's serial number. In just a short moment, she referred to me by name and told me to just sent it back to them and they would fix it.
I had not even told her what my problem was. I asked her if I needed to enclose a letter describing the problem and she ask me, "It's not working properly, right?". Well... yeah. "That's all we need to know. We'll get it fixed and get it right back to you.". I sent it to them next day air, and it was back in my hands in less than a week.
After five years of reliable service, it quite picking up any signal. Well, except for the small piece of electrical tape holding the rear lens that covered the rear detection part, next to the display. I had cracked it when I dropped it getting out of my truck. I checked on their website and they said they had a flat fee for $45 for all out of warranty repairs. All I had to do was ship it to them with a check or credit card number and they would take care of the rest.
Just to be sure that the fee was still $45, I called them. After being on hold for about 25 seconds, a salesman go on and I asked him if the fee was still the same. He said it was. I then asked if it would be quicker to send a check or just enclose a credit card number. To my surprise, he said neither. He told me not to send anything. They would call me when they got the unit and I could do either at that time.
While at their site, I checked to see if there were any upgrades available for my 4 year old detector. All I had to do was enter in the serial number and it would tell me what was available. There was an updated firmware that allow far more programmability and a new POP feature available. Both for a cost of $75.
Interestingly enough, they said that these options were not necessary and what I had was still more than adequate for early notification. But it was no just me wanting the "latest and greatest" that sold me on the upgrade. It was the fact that if I did get it, they would issue the unit a new serial number and give me a full one year warranty from the time they shipped it back to me. So I put a note in the box saying I was interested in the upgrade and shipped it out yesterday, UPS Next Day Air.
At about 10:30 this morning, I get a call from them. I confirm that I wanted the upgrade and asked if the total cost would be $120. $45 for the repair and $75 for the upgrade. They said no, they cost would just be $75 and they would pay for regular ground shipping to me. Seeing how I just saved $45, I asked what it would cost to send it back Second Day. He said it would be an additional $14. Then I asked about Next Day. He said it would be $20.
So, for $95, I will get the updated firmware that allows for extended programming, the POP feature and the best part is... I'll have it back before the NEXT WEEKEND! Even with it being a short work week. Admittedly, I could be getting a "refurbished" unit, thus the new serial number, but I don't care. It will be equal to me spending $399 and getting a brand new one with a one year full warranty.
On the other hand, that is not to say one could not "upgrade" their BEL detector. According to their website, you can get up to $80 toward the purchase of a new detector (depending on model), by "trading in" your old one. I wonder how much they would give me for a one that was five years old?
BEL also requires that for all repairs, you call them and get a "Service Number" Once you get that, you are to ship the detector and enclose the following:
1. Your Service Order Number (V1 doesn't have this "feature)
2. Your name and return address
3. Your daytime telephone number
4. A description of the problem you are experiencing (V1 doesn't have this either)
5. Your sales receipt or dated proof of purchase (unless you ordered directly from Beltronics - as a courtesy, we maintain order records for customers who purchase directly from us)
Of course, since you can only buy the V1 direct, like BEL, they keep those records on file.
BEL's website also states:
NOTE: For out of warranty repairs, include prepayment in the amount you were quoted by the Beltronics Customer Service Representative. If your Beltronics product has been damaged, abused or modified, the repair cost will be calculated on a parts and labor basis. If it exceeds the basic repair charge, you will be contacted with a quotation. If the additional payment is not received within 30 days (or if you notify us that you choose not to have your Beltronics product repaired at the price quoted), your Beltronics product will be returned, without repair.
I guess my taped up rear lens and the dinged up case (I've dropped it more than once since I cracked the lens) did not count as "damaged" according to the folks at Valentine.
For those of you that can afford to buy the most up to date detector every other year, I envy you. For those of us that have to save up our money to just get a "runner up", one might want to think about the cost of upgrading and repair service a year or two later (or five) when you put down that big of a chunk of your hard earned cash.
It might not be the most stylish or have all the cool blue lights and it is obviously not the best choice for use on a bike, but for use in both my 10R and my truck on a daily basis (including 30K of race and track day trips over the past three years), my V1 has served me well for five and a half years. Okay... not counting the two weeks it will have spent in their shop being fixed... twice. Now, with a new one year warranty, it looks like it will be good for a total of 6 1/2 years, at least. All for $95 over the original purchase price. Which was $399 even back in '01.
BTW - the suction cup that come with it don't last for ever either. Good thing they put a spare set is included in the original box. I had to swap them out after three or so years, since the original ones quit sticking to the windshield.
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
posted September 01, 2006 10:46 PM
Edited By: fish_antlers on 1 Sep 2006 23:50
Here's an important note before you consider anything other than a Bel... (read this next part carefully Redelk... it WILL effect you!).... in the last 2 months we've travelled in excess of 8000 miles on bike and in car. During this time we began to pick up Ku band hits.. first in LA, then in Oregon, and now back home in Vancouver. All appeared to be legit, and timed specifically with passing police units. Until now this was never an issue, and we forgot to mention it in the article as the Bel was the only Ku Band enabled detector in the test. Never once in the previous 1.5 years use had we picked up a SINGLE Ku band hit.
Make sure you're covered because Ku band is in use! Check with your manufacturer to make sure their radar detector picks up Ku Band!
____________ What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
posted September 01, 2006 11:02 PM
V1 does have Ku, but you have to activate it yourself by reprograming the unit. Can any members in traffic enforcement confirm that Ku is now in use in the US or Canada?
redelk, it sure is great to hear about the tremendous level of customer service you experienced. that's a refreshing tale.
posted September 02, 2006 01:37 AM
Aw just use a jammer and watch the F##ed up expression on the cops face when his gun reads 0 then pulls you over to see what's up http://www.auto-radar-detectors.com/phazer1.html]
posted September 02, 2006 05:38 AM
Very interesting reading guys.... unfortunately I too am with "zerMatt" on the V1. I've had one for YEARS, I've transferred from several previous bikes (2-VFR's), My (2)-Z/28's, and my Grand Prix as a Company car (outside sales), and has paid for itself so many times over I couldn't begin to count. I too have dropped it occasionally and it has NEVER failed me. I had it in for 2 upgrades, and one wasn't just software. They sent me a NEW unit as an upgrade. I sent it in once to be checked out for what I thought was false Laser hits and it was fixed for FREE. The suction cup mounts in my car easily last over a year, and on my old VFR I used a small dab of silicone on the cups and it was on the windshield for over 3 years, and never budged.... until I sold it and they came right off. I too could care less about the looks of the unit if it works, and mine WORKS. It's good the competiton has FINALLY caught up with the Industry Standard. I won't be selling my V1 anytime soon for one of the plastic competitors though. I'll be installing it on the ZX-14 probably this weekend or next as time allows. Thanks for the info!
____________
Black 2006 ZX-14
BEL refers to the Ku band as one that is used in Europe. Obviously, it's not just in Europe now. V1 has a separate "European" setting that does not relate to the Ku band, but deals with frequencies and antenna focus on their photo radar and such.
Also, the POP feature on the V1 covers both K and Ka bands, instead of just Ka. The V1 can not be detected by VG2, BUT, it probably could be picked up by a Spectre RDD (currently in use in Canada).
BEL DOES offer protection against Spectre RDD and now, their top of line, STi, come with a magnesium housing. The only feature that had always made the V1 "bulletproof" (i.e. safe from clumsy hands and drops) and now BEL has it too.
So, BEL, with their $449 STi, has caught, if not actually surpassed to a small degree, the "Jimi Hendrix" of radar detectors in style and performance. Still, when it comes to spending $400 on a detector, you could say I'm looking for a "wife" instead of a "girlfriend". Paying $75 for a "make over" and still having all of today's features, beats the hell out of getting "up to" $80 (depending on model) for trading in my detector for their "latest and greatest".
Fish, I guess to make the "comparison" fair, are you using the same BEL detector today that you were using five years ago? Does it have Ku capabilities or can it be upgraded for Ku? If not, how many have you had and what was the total retail value of those units you had in those five years? Have you returned any of those units for repairs or did you just go out and by a new one? If you did send one back, how long did it take and did you always get the same model as the one you sent to them?
Motorcycling might not be a "welfare sport", but when shopping wisely, buying a high end radar detector can be. Freeing up money one can spend on motorcycling. I'll stick with my wife and you can enjoy your new girlfriend. I know we are both happy with our choices.
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
posted September 02, 2006 03:25 PM
The unit I am using is the RX65. Previously I owned the 945i which I had repaired several times after dropping it and smashing it apart (my own fault). Bel offers a similar upgrade/trade up program as V1. I've never had the turn around issues that you have had.
I'll let you know how things go as the Bel yesterday flashed "service required" on it's display.. I'll let you know how long it takes to swap out/fix or whatever.
If your V1 can pick up Ku, then you'd better have it switched on!!!
____________ What business is it of yours where I'm from, Friendo?
posted September 02, 2006 03:41 PM
No radar detector will get you out of a ticket all the time...you'll get caught 5 out of 10 times...regardless...yah, ya might save a few tickets here and there, but you're goin' down one way or the other and that's a fact, Jack
Active laser jammers do a better job, but they only work with laser, not radar.
____________
FYYFF!!!
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Posts: 3212
posted September 03, 2006 08:40 AM
quote: Previously I owned the 945i which I had repaired several times after dropping it and smashing it apart (my own fault).
I too had a 945i. I also had a 850 (I think that was the #). Can't remember the other two BELs I had after I trashed my Fuzzbuster. I also had a remote system for a while (in the early 90's), but I can't remember what brand it was.
quote:Bel offers a similar upgrade/trade up program as V1.
Oh really? How does it work and what are the costs? All I could find on their website was the $80 (up to, depending on model) trade in. Since my son-in-law is about to buy a detector, I would like to tell him about any additional offer BEL might be offer. I couldn't find anything about upgrading or flashing an existing unit to new firmware. Can you give me a link to it so I can send it to him?
He really likes the 8500. I'm really trying to be "fair" about telling him about what else is available. Including referring him to your review. Even though he doesn't have a bike, your test is another viewpoint worth reading. I know that I must be halfway "fair" when he repeatedly asks if I'm trying to sway him toward a V1 or a BEL.
quote: I've never had the turn around issues that you have had.
Well, since they were asking me to send my BEL detector to a Buffalo, NY address and then forwarding it to a Canadian repair center, that might have something to do with turn around time. It will be interesting to see what the turn around if you have to send your unit to the U.S.
quote:I'll let you know how things go as the Bel yesterday flashed "service required" on it's display.
Interesting feature. I think it's cool that it gives you a warning concerning needed service when one might think everything is fine.
quote:I'll let you know how long it takes to swap out/fix or whatever.
Hopefully, Since they have merged, that Escort's repair staff and methods aren't as bad BELs "flaky Canadian customer service" and you can send it to them directly, instead of sending it to a Canadian address where it is forwarded to their Ohio facilities. If your sending it to a BEL facility in Canada, it's a moot point.
quote:If your V1 can pick up Ku, then you'd better have it switched on!!!
I thought we (frEEk and myself) said it does, so why the "If", Fish? Where's the love, bro? I assure you that it does and when I get it back, I will enable that feature. At least like the BEL, the POP for K and Ka bands feature will already be activated by default.
Oh snap! I'm sorry. The BEL line only has the POP feature for the Ka band. They don't offer any protection for POP in the K band which the MPH Industries Enforcer radar systems can operate in.
Still, you gotta give kudos for BEL units being "invisible" to not only VG2 (like the V1), but also is against the new Spectre RDD (unlike the V1) that is currently being used in Canada and Virginia (where detectors are also illegal). Since detector use is still legal in the remaining 47 continental states, I think I'll be able to live without that feature for now.
Having many friends who own a variety of brands and models (including RX65 and 8500), I would agree that there are several models that are better suited for bikes. Controlled environment testing, as well as real world experiences seem to indicate on a "performance only" scale, they are all very close. For every person that says their V1 picked up a signal when the others did not, I can equally find someone that will say the same thing about (insert brand of choice here).
No matter how in depth and controlled testing might be or "real world" experiences might be, I find that just about any high end detector will be very effective in early notification of most conventional forms for radar. I also agree with most who say it is hard for any detector to give protection against Instant On and LIDAR.
Most importantly, I want to be clear that though I prefer the V1, it is solely due to the economics of being upgradeable. I don't necessarily agree with those that say that it could cost "a pretty penny". Since mine was over five years old and only had a single upgrade of features and firmware, the cost of $75 doesn't seem that steep. I'd think that if someone had an even older unit that needed several updates, the folks at V1 would likely roll the costs into a lower price. Just like they did for me on the repair cost (normally $45) and the upgrade ($75).
Again, if BEL or Escort offer a similar upgrade, where I can send them my five and a half year old unit and they will send me one that has all the latest features for $75, I'll have a great interest to looking further into it. Someday, I would like to have a second detector specifically for my bike. The only thing that keeps me from doing it is that I would like to permanently mount it in a concealed location. On the other hand, I'd think that with the voice features of the other brands, being able to see the display wouldn't be that big of a deal.
Currently, when I use my V1 on my 10R, it sits in the small area just above the air intake and behind the instrument cluster. I actually can still see the arrow part of the display and I also use the remote audio unit. On my 12R, I removed my "City Light" (left the lens in place) and placed it there. I had the remote audio unit permanently mounted on the left top side of the instrument cluster and the remote display mounted on the right top side. I have yet to find a place to put the remote display on my 10R.
On both bikes, neither location required any mounting hardware or even velcro. I guess the V1's "bulky" size is a benefit in this case, since it sits snugly in this location, yet still had effective detection of rear signals. The only "downside" is that to install or remove the detector, since I use it daily in my truck, is that I have to remove the six screws on the windscreen. I don't feel comfortable with my detector on a Techmount. I'd hate to go to pay for gas and come out and see my $400 detector had been ripped off.
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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Posts: 3212
posted September 07, 2006 03:32 PM
Well, I just got my V1 back from the factory.
Of course, I'm sure paying $23 for Next Day Air return shipping (thought it was $20), as well as sending it to them the same way, had something to do with the fact that it was only out of my hands for 4 business days (and a 3 day holiday weekend).
Since I was getting a "upgrade" (w/ a one year warranty), they said they would be assigning a new serial number to my unit, I assumed that they would just send me a different unit that was probably refurbished. Nope. Even though all the plastic and rubber parts are new (and the electronics as well, I assume), it's still my old unit. Okay, basically, they replaced everything BUT the case. That is unless there is a refurbished unit out there with the same dents and dings that I had in my case... which I doubt.
Though likely not a big deal in Arkansas, I will be sure and activate the Ku band as soon as I put it in the truck after work. Not realizing that I would be getting all kinds of "adjustably", I might be spending a hour just playing with all it's "new" features.
Here's hoping Fish has a similar experience in returning his BEL to address that "Service Required" issue.
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
posted September 07, 2006 06:17 PM
An addendum to my take on the reviewed detectors: in the last couple of weeks i have _finally_ come to automatically recognize what bands the different sounds represent, and this kills the advantage the Bel has of announcing the band via voice synthesis, and also makes it less important to look down at the display (tho i find visual data input is still significantly superior). This means after a potentially lengthy familiarization period, the V1 and escort are one and a half steps closer to the Bel for usability. However they still fall short in my experience. If only the V1 could make the display easier to read, which would mean primarily tilting the display up (altho this would make it harder to read in a cage). Nad of course there's the audio jack issue, which is my single biggest complaint about the V1. i am blown away that they have not rectified this situation as of yet. they must get frequent complaints about it.
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posted June 26, 2006 07:37 PM
I got a ticket for 10 over by some cop who was just cruising with the radar on. I came over a hill and that was that. A 25mph zone to add insult to injury. It's been a detector ever since. Saved my wallet and license more than once.
Edited By: 
