The "Sons of Hell"

[Lucky_Lou]

I went to one of my favourite Wild West Haunts at the weekend and found it to be over run with Hardlies, The Harley owners club and the "sons of hell" (they used to be called Hells Angels untill some got caught buying deodorant).
They had booked all the cabins and quite a few were camping which all stacked up to having a fun weekend.Having had a few sherbets i surveyed the scene at the bar where there was a group of about 6 of the SoH enjoying a beer....me being in full western gear sporting a shiny pair of Colt Army .44,s i felt pretty invincible so i tapped the biggest one of them on the shoulder and said
 "you guys dress funny are you in a gang or summat?"
When they stopped laughing they bought me a beer......
Just call me "Lucky"
Lou

[nhmaf]

We recently had an incident at a nearby pizzeria and beer pub involving a group of bikers from the Hell's Angels MC, the Outlaws MC, and the Milford & Co. MC.  These gangs usually despise each other so how all (3) ended up together at one place is also suspicious.  They managed to have a bit of an argument with some blades and eventually resorted to shooting at each other as they left the pizza place.  Unfortunately it appears that the only person injured was an innocent kid who was just picking up a pizza to take home - it is too bad they didn't thin each others ranks a bit.

[Dizerens5]

Interesting to see that one of your Yorkshire Harley-Davy goons has asked for  -  and paid for - a personalised registration including number 666 with all the supposed satanic help or disaster. I can confirm this is garbage. For some time I lived in Belgium, where you can't get personalised numbers, and had several motorcycles. One, a Kawasaki GT550, was issued with registration MKL 666 and I had it for about 6 years. Nothing special happened to me, good or bad. So there!

[nhmaf]

Are your normal motorcycle registration plates REALLY that large?    That was so large I thought that it must be a fake plate.  Which if it was, I'd consider that the owner might be a bit of a scofflaw and be wary about him.  But, if that is truly what we call a "vanity plate" over here, well, that's a horse of a different color..

[Darwin_R65]

plate looks big enough to act as an air brake.

[Lucky_Lou]

Are your normal motorcycle registration plates REALLY that large?    That was so large I thought that it must be a fake plate.  Which if it was, I'd consider that the owner might be a bit of a scofflaw and be wary about him.  But, if that is truly what we call a "vanity plate" over here, well, that's a horse of a different color..

Thats a UK standard plate size for anything after 1973 (9x7)the ones before that would have been the same size (approx) but black with silver letters.The police here are very hard on "illegal"plates especially the micro plates sometimes seen on bikes.The legislation covers the size and shape of letters/numbers also anything else displayed on the plate.Alot of riders have a micro plate for rallys events ect and switch them back for on the road.
That plate is illegal however due to the small "MC" and logos around the edge.Heres a police discussion board.
http://www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk/index.php?/topic/33510-registration-plates-motorcycles
scroll down the page a bit !!!
Lou

[Barry]

Heres a police discussion board.  

I never thought policemen would have their own forum. After a good read through to try and get an angle on how they think, they seem just like normal guys and many of them ride bikes too.

[aussie]

Have to say that after reading their forum - all I can say is that it was a lively bit of chat.....

[Dizerens5]

The police forum seems to be non-available now. The reason for all the hoo hah about registration plates in this country is this: they have to conform exactly to a specifici design, size, font etc., so they can be read by ANPR cameras. This means automatic number plate recognition. It's linked to the police central computer and instantly flashes up doubtful vehicles, like not on insurance database and so on. Millions have been spent on this and it soon became mostly wasted as the criminal and just money-saving guys simply use cloned plates copied from a similar vehicle (the legit owner of which gets all the parking tickets etc!). We have several thousant workshops authorised to make plates, so that's plenty of mechanics willing to make a bit of cash by running up copy plates. No problem and loads taxpayer money thrown away.  

[Lucky_Lou]

Interesting point of view from Constellation.....does anyone know of anyone who has had a speeding ticket issued for the average speed cameras that are appearing at roadworks, these must be linked in to the ANPR system ?? personally ive not seen one case prosecuted in our local paper which contains court reports and as we live near the main intersection between the M1 and M62 you would expect them to be brought to court in our police area as there are endless road woks.
Lou

[nhmaf]

That's really terrible - what a wate of money all around!

And here I thought that you had such huge registration  plates because your policeman had bad eyesight...
 

[Melena]

Interesting way you Brits get your vehicle license plates.  Here in California the DMV mails them to us with the registration stickers when we get a new vehicle.  Then that plate stays with that vehicle forever.  (well, there are certain exceptions like when someone gets a "vanity" plate - they pay extra each year for that and so they get to keep it)

I do believe the plates are made by the California prison system, so they are "under guard" until delivered to DMV.  

There are cameras around that take pictures of the plates.  Not everywhere.  Mainly at traffic lights to take pictures of those that go through red lights, and at toll bridges when you don't pay.  I've seen the pictures taken at the bridges and they turn out really good.  So I don't know why they would have to be so big just to have a picture taken.  Oh well.  Someone's bright idea I guess.

[Motu]

When we changed plate styles in New Zealand - going from a thick alloy plate in black with raised lettering machined off to be shiny,to a thin plate with pressed lettering,white reflecting colour with black lettering.The motorcycle plates came square,and they gave trouble,shattering with the vibration.I fitted 3 to a new XT600 in 3 weeks,until I made a new mount.After a lot of pressure from motorcyclists they reverted to the old rectangular plate.Actually the square plate fitted my old XS1 Yamaha perfectly,so it must have been designed for that shape.

[Dizerens5]

Hi Lou, no I've not heard of anyone getting into trouble over these "average speed check" cameras (seem to be spaced about 1/2 mile apart). I have wondered if it's maybe a con trick and the cameras are just normal ones. Or dummies! As for cloned number plates, there have been loads of cases of legit owners getting tickets and (worst case it seems) of non-payment of London congestion charge, also a camera-based thing. Transport for London and some local authorities just will not accept that cloned plates are now widely used and go ahead chasing people who've never even been there.

[Lucky_Lou]

As for cloned number plates, there have been loads of cases of legit owners getting tickets and (worst case it seems) of non-payment of London congestion charge, also a camera-based thing.

I had a visit not too long ago from two detectives who wanted to know if i had been to Liverpool in my Ford Mondeo as the number plate was picked up on security cameras during a bank robbery.Fortunately i could account for my whereabouts that day there was a clue though the plate was on a Transit Van !!.
Lou