Rescued!!

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart) 05/30/2018 at 11:13 • Filed to: Two Wheels Good

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$770 later and the Buell is home and undamaged! As a celebratory gesture, I ticked the idle up a notch. Mmmmmm, purrs like a kitten missing a cylinder. :)

Put its cover on. I’ll remember to lock it when I get the chance.

Meanwhile, the scooter will be going to the storage unit.

Some fun notes: There were at least 20 bikes at the impound, all there from the same weekend. This tiny town collected everything from my Buell, to a GSXR, to a very very large dual sport....thing, to a typical HD cruiser.

Per the tow guy, the town hates bikes so much that they actively search out any reason to impound them. Some were there for having loud pipes, some for having bulbs replaced with LEDs, some for having custom wheels (a really cool looking Ruckus), and a surprising lot of bikes impounded for the same reason mine was impounded. Per the tow guy, MSF courses are a cash cow.

Eww... I’m not going to ride through that town ever again.

This screwed my finances, but I think I can sell off enough tech stuff to make some of it back.

Lesson learned: Doing illegal things just doesn’t pay. I lost three quarters of a thousand just because I was too excited to wait. *Facepalm*

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 11:15

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Did the officer ruin your Nashville Oppo Meet trip?

fintail > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 11:20

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That town needs to be roasted at the stake of social media outrage.

It’d be interesting to perform an audit of its finances. Shades of New Rome OH.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 11:25

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Wow! I just read through what happened, and that really sucks. I don’t get how they can immediately impound your vehicle though, seems like you should be able to call someone with a license to ride it to your place.

jimz > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 05/30/2018 at 11:30

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they can basically do whatever they want. Just like rinky-dink towns that set hilariously low speed limits to live off of speeding ticket fines. Just issuing tickets isn’t good enough because those “fix-it” or “missing documentation” tickets usually get waived if you correct things within 5-10 days, and how can you make money on that?

so you tell your police department to impound vehicles on even the shakiest of grounds, then get a nice kickback from the towing company’s “impound fees.”

nothing is as sleazy as a towing company with a municipal contract. little wonder tow truck drivers carry.

punkgoose17 > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 11:40

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What is the name of this sketchy town?

Lokiparts > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 11:58

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The money stings, but you definitely did the right thing rescuing it. Those Buells are cool little beginner bikes and ones in decent shape are hard to find. I’ve always wanted one of those or a Honda CB599... which BTW would make a great next bike for you.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 12:02

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Wait, the town actively searches out bikes to impound? How is that even legal? How do they justify it especially if someone is from out of the area. And how does the tow yard have the authority to impound them? or is it the cops doing it?

This town need to be hit big time by biker Social Media

Mercedes Streeter > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 05/30/2018 at 12:02

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They certainly did. The computer parts I’m selling off are to give me a cushion in case some other fun emergency happens between now and pay day, but otherwise I won’t be able to make it.

benjrblant > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 12:04

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My understanding is that state troopers here are instructed to impound bikes if the rider doesn’t have an endorsement either. It seems unfair and harsh, but it’s really a safety thing. Riding without an endorsement is akin to driving without a license, which means no insurance and you’ll likely be at fault in a collision.

The MSF instructor provided some anecdotal stories about unendorsed riders and crashes, whatnot etc, but I’m unsure as to the validity of those stories so I won’t repeat them. I’m sorry to hear that your situation was so crappy, but happy that it didn’t end worse!

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 12:04

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Darn!

Die-Trying > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 12:06

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find out where the impound auctions are held at for that town/yard. ought to be able to get some cheap stuff......

Mercedes Streeter > benjrblant 05/30/2018 at 12:15

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Yeah...I’m not at all proud of myself...or really happy with myself. I probably should have just let it get auctioned/crushed to teach me a lesson.

Interestingly enough, in this state you can get insurance without the endorsement (the Buell is insured). I think part of it is because the bike needs to be insured in order for you to do the exams, which wouldn’t work if you can’t have insurance before the endorsement. Though, be at fault in a crash and I doubt that matters.

Mercedes Streeter > CaptDale - is secretly British 05/30/2018 at 12:30

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It’s legal because the rider/owner of said bikes are doing something illegal.

The worst part is that I will likely get the ticket dropped when I go to court, however a different judge will determine whether the officer followed procedures when he originally impounded the bike. And if he sides with the officer, I don’t get the impound fee back, even if the ticket has been dropped.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 12:37

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I guess I don’t understand many of the reasons that they are impounding the bikes instead of a nice fix it ticket.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 12:53

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Which town is this?

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher 05/30/2018 at 12:59

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Lakemoor.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter 05/30/2018 at 14:52

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If I ever find myself riding in that area, I shall stay away.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Mercedes Streeter 06/03/2018 at 12:11

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I googled that and it came up as “The Village of Lakemoor” so yeah... any place that is essentially just a suburb of a suburb that wants to call itself a “Village” is probably going to have crap like this...