2012 SML Shootout

Last week I did my annual pilgrimage of riding the bike out to Texas for the SML Shootout.  Even though the ride is long and hot, I've always looked forward to the trip.

I left the office on Wednesday afternoon and got on Interstate 10.  As expected, I had to fight LA traffic and pretty much had to split lanes until Riverside, and then it was wide open.  I was cruising along pretty good and came upon my first threat in Palm Springs. I was going along pretty well around 90, when the trusty TPX Detector started going off on a weak Ka band.  I immediately let go of the throttle and got my speed back down to around 70.  The alert would fade in and out for about 15 seconds, then it ramped up to full alert in a hurry.  Sure enough, shortly after I spotted a CHP cruiser coming up from behind in my mirrors and went speeding past me.  Count that as a save!

I finished off the ride in Mesa, AZ and spend the night there.  It just so happens that Miss Arizona was holding their pageant there that weekend and all the contestants were staying at the same Days Inn that I was staying in.  I wished I could've stick around for a few days, but, I had to go to Texas for something more important, at least that was what I was telling myself.

For day two I took the scenic route, taking US60, which had some long sweeps and it was a few degrees cooler as it went up the mountains, then over to US70, then back to I-10 in Lordsburg, NM.  As I approached Las Cruces on I-10, the TPX Detector recorded another save.  I was going up a long, gradual incline going at a pretty good pace, and as I was approaching the crest, a K alert came on.  Again, I backed down immediately to the speed limit of 75 and sure enough, once I crested the hill, there was a New Mexico trooper waiting in the median looking for speedsters coming over the hill.  I would've been toast for sure had I not had the TPX Detector!

This year at SML, we tested production unit of TPX Detector Version 2.0 as last year we tested a pre-production unit.  As expected, it detected everything accurately and with plenty of range.  We also tested something else that I can't tell you right now and let's just say, it passed the tests with flying colors.  You'll hear about it as soon as we can let the public know what it is!

After three days of getting cooked in the Texas sun, we finished the tests on Sunday and I hit the road back to California.  I spend the night in Goodyear, AZ, and finished the ride the next day.  Believe it or not, I didn't have a single encounter with any cop on the way back.

The ride to Texas and back was also the first time that I took the GlowRider Jacket on a long trip in some serious heat.  I'm not going to spin it, I was hot riding in 100 degree weather with it, even with all the air vents open, but it wasn't intolerable.  The true-flow air vents definitely helped me stay cool and I'm pleased with how the jacket handled the extreme heat.

All and all, another great SML Shootout weekend, and I'm looking forward to the next one already!

Radar Detector Shootout 2011

In the radar detector business, the end of June only means one thing: the annual get together of radar detector manufacturers, laser jammer manufacturers, radar and laser gun manufacturers, radar and laser gun instructors, and law enforcement agencies for Speed Measurement Lab's "Radar Detector Shootout" in El Paso, TX.

As with years past, I got on my bike and rode my way out to El Paso for this event.

I left my office right before noon on Wednesday for a full day of freeway riding.  The ride was hot and went about as nicely as a ride could get on Interstate 10.

The ride through Arizona was very different between last year and this year.  Last year I had to worry about photo-speed traps, and since then, they had ended the program and it's one less thing that we all have to worry about going through Arizona.  I finished up the day in Casa Grande, AZ, without seeing a single cop on the freeway.

The next day I made my way to El Paso, again, did not see a single cop anywhere.

We tested our Detector Version 2.0 (hint, it's coming), and our Laser Jammer, and both performed really well.  I can't share the results just yet, but SML will post the results to the public on their website in the next few weeks or so for all to see.

On Sunday afternoon, I set out to return to LA.  I decided to take the scenic route, where I went from I-10 to US70 in Lordsburg, NM, and then cut over to US60 in Globe, AZ to finish up the day in Buckeye, AZ.

US70 was a nice, desolate road, with little traffic.  I was able to open up a little and have a little fun.  US60 actually had some decent twisty sections, but the traffic was much heavier than I had expected and was on my best behavior.

The next day I finished up the ride and got back to LA a bit after noon.  It is also on the last day that I saw the two only cops for the entire trip, both within a 10 minute period shortly after I had crossed into California.  The TPX Detector did sniff out radar from both cops, but I wasn't speeding at either encounter.  I was thoroughly surprised at the lack of police presence on this trip.  I'm pretty sure it's a good thing.

Got MotoGP coming up, can't wait!

2010 SML Radar Detector Shootout

We were back in Texas last weekend again for the 2010 Radar Detector Shootout, conducted by Speed Measurement Laboratories.


As with years past, I rode the bike out there from LA.  I left on Wednesday afternoon around 3, which was a couple of hours later than I wanted to.  I ended up fighting LA traffic for the first couple of hours just to get out of town.  Thankfully we are allowed to split lanes here in California or else it would've put me way behind the schedule that I had in mind.  After getting out of town, I was able to open up the throttle a bit.  As always, CHP was out in force, but I was on good behavior and didn't encounter any real threats.  The cops were also out and about in Arizona, as the state is notorious for dishing out speeding tickets.  Again, I didn't encounter any real threats, although I did notice a significant drop in their mobile radar camera units on the side of the road.  It probably has something to do with the fact that the entire radar camera program is going to go away comes middle of July.  The ride through Arizona was a scorcher and I ended the day in Chandler, AZ.  When I got off the bike at 9PM, it was at a balmy 105 degrees!


I left early next morning, trying to avoid some of the heat... but to no avail.  It was pretty damn hot at 7AM already.  I made my way through Arizona into New Mexico, and finally, arrived in El Paso in mid afternoon.  Again, didn't encounter any real threats along the way.


We spent the next 3 days testing a few prototypes under the blazing Texas sun.  I'm happy to report that overall, the testing went well.  I don't have the official results to share, as they won't be ready for another couple of weeks or so, but I will reveal this: the much asked Laser Jammer tested very well, and looks like we can finally put the final touches on it and finally move into production phase.


After the last test finished up on the third day, I hopped back on the bike to head back to California.  Nothing too eventful for the first hour or so, but the TPX once again proved its worth going through New Mexico in the next few hours.


If you read my blog entry from my trip back from last year's SML, you'll remember that the TPX saved my butt a few times in NM on the way back.  I definitely remember them on the ride and I was being careful while speeding through the state.  The first save took place right outside Las Cruces.  I was approaching town, and was on a long incline on the interstate.  As I got close to the crest, the TPX started going off with a weak K band.  Immediately, I backed off on the throttle and let my speed drop down to the posted speed limit of 75.  I got to the top of the crest and the K band grew to 3 bars.  On the other side of the crest was a downhill bend, which I couldn't see much past the bend because of the trees lining along the side of the road.  As I started to go into the bend, what do I see on the side of the road hidden behind the trees?  A New Mexico state trooper waiting for speedsters.  Count that as a definite save.


As I went along, maybe an hour later, in the middle of nowhere, K band went off again, and it started weak but got to full tilt very quickly.  Again, I backed off on the throttle immediately and sure enough, a few seconds later, a cop hiding behind some overgrown bushes in the median was catching speedsters going in the other direction.  How do I know that he was catching speedsters going in the opposite direction?  The fact that I had a relatively short warning and I was able to pick up the signal as I headed away from the cop for the next mile showed that the cop had his radar pointed at the opposite direction.  Not a save, but it's always good to slow down in the presence of cops.


The same scenario would play out two more times before I crossed into Arizona.  I guess the cops were just focused on traffic going east in NM on that particular day.  I finished off the day in Goodyear, AZ.


Since I was pretty tired from 3 days of testing and the ride from the day before, I slept in a bit and left for the road a bit before 9 the next day.  Going through AZ I encountered a couple of mobile radar camera units and Arizona troopers, but no real threats.  In California, the TPX came through again.  I had just crossed into California and was going at a pretty good pace, when all of a sudden the TPX went off again.  It started as a weak Ka and stayed there for a while.  As always, I backed off on the throttle.  After receiving the weak signal for a bit, the signal quickly ramped up and I could see a CHP coming from the opposite direction.  I'm not sure if the CHP was catching people going in his direction or my direction, but I've seen cops making a quick U turn across the median to pull people over for speeding, so I would consider this as a save as well.


I made it back to the office in the mid afternoon safe and sound, and after over 1,800 miles, still no ticket!  And the best part is we are that much closer to having the Jammer available!

2009 SML Radar Detector Shootout

Originally posted 6/23/2009


The Duc at SML.

We were at Speed Measurement Laboratory's 2009 Radar Detector Shootout in El Paso, TX last week. We were there to test a few prototypes, and I'm happy to report that things went well and we are very hopeful that our "Remote Laser Unit" that we've been promising for a while will be ready by the end of this year. That's about as much as I can reveal at this time.

We also saw some cool new stuff (but not so cool from a motorist's point of view) from radar gun manufacturers. Stalker had this new slick radar set up for patrol cars that is being used by law enforcement agencies throughout the country as we speak. It is capable of picking up the fastest vehicle and the speed of the largest vehicle at the same time in both directions! I've never seen anything like this before and the capability of being able to pick out the speed of the fastest vehicle in a pack is a great arsenal for them. Drivers beware!

As for the trip out there, I rode the Little Monster out to El Paso from Los Angeles. Unlike last year, I didn't hit any bad weather, that is if you don't count scortching heat as "bad". This is my first long trip with the Monster and found the Monster to be a pleasant long trip bike. A bit buzzy, a bit under powered, and a small tank, but othen that, not bad at all. Would be nice if the bike can go a bit faster, as I found the top speed for the Monster is at about 120mph and it cruises comfortably at around 90mph. And it would definitely be nice if it had a bigger tank, as I got stranded near the Arizona-New Mexico border because I ran out of gas. A full tank of gas gets me about 125 miles before the fuel light comes on, and from my experience, I was able to get about 25 more miles before the tank is completely dry. My fuel light came on just as I had passed the last gas station in Arizona. I didn't think it was a big deal because usually if there is an extended stretch without gas stations, there would be a sign informing motorists. I didn't see it so I just assumed that the next gas station can't be more than 15 miles or so away. So I rode. About 15 miles later I came to an exit in New Mexico with a couple of gas station signs, but only to find both gas stations to be closed as I pulled up to them. To my despair, there wasn't anything else at the exit except for a Motel and a closed tire repair shop. I went into the Motel and asked where the nearest gas station is and the guy at the motel told me about 15 miles either way on the interstate. Not exactly what I wanted to hear. I told him that it's unlikely that my bike can go another 15 miles and asked if anyone in town might have some spare gas, and he told me that the owner of the closed tire shop might have some. So I went over to the tire shop. The owner lived right across from his shop in a RV and after waiting around for about half an hour, I finally got about 3/4 gallon of gas into the bike. Paid $10 for it but it was well worth it.

As always, I had the TPX with me. I was expecting the TPX to get a real good workout going through Arizona, but to my surprise, I didn't encounter as many DPS as last year. The state of Arizona have installed portable and permenant camera traps to catch speedsters, and they are all over the place once you get into Phoenix and Tucson. The portable traps does use radar, but the radar signal that they emit are so low that you won't be able to pick it up until you get real close. Bad news for radar detector users but the good thing is that they have to put up warning signs about a quarter mile out to let you know that you are approaching the trap, so you can just slow down when you see the sign to avoid getting a ticket. The permenant ones use sensors inbedded in the road. Same as the portable speed traps, warning signs are also posted a quarter mile out.

The TPX, however, did save me twice. Both on the way back. The first time was in New Mexico. I was cruising along at about 95 in a 70 when K band started to go off. As always, I backed off on the throttle and looked around for patrols. I didn't see anything and thought it might've been a false positive. I wanted to pick it up again but the signal stayed at 3 bars for a few more seconds and then started to go up, so I decided to stay at 70 for a bit longer. Sure enough, as I came over a little crest in the road a few seconds later, a trooper was parked in the median. Good thing I didn't speed up at all or else I would've been toast for sure. The second time was in Arizona, just past Tucson. I was riding along, around 95 again, when the TPX picked up a weak Ka. The traffice was relatively busy and there were numerous trucks, so I thought it might've been a fase positives from one of the trucks around me either using a radar detector or with their garage door openers. But unlike the usual false positives, the weak Ka signal didn't go away. It stayed. So I kept my speed legal and sure enough, a few seconds later, there was a DPS trooper traveling on the access road! If I hadn't been using a radar detector and paying attention, there was no way that I would've noticed the DPS and I'm sure that the DPS was trying to catch speedsters from the access road.

1,856 miles and two sure saves thanks to the TPX! Can't wait for the next trip!

TPX Shined at SML's Annual Radar Detector Test

Originally posted 8/19/2008

The results for this year's Speed Measurement Laboratories' 2008 Annual Radar Detector Test is finally up at http://www.speedzones.com/!

How did we do? We did very well. In the Radar and Laser Detection tests, we picked up and identified all the signals just as quickly and accurately as some of the best, and most expensive, radar detectors in the market today. In the Long Range test, the TPX picked up radar from pretty far out; over 9 miles with X band, close to 6 miles for K band, and most importantly, close to 8 miles for Ka band. We also conducted a long range laser test, which wasn't included in the results, and the TPX picked up laser from over a mile out.

For complete detailed results of the tests, go to http://www.speedzones.com/.

Interview with Radar Roy

Originally posted 8/3/2008

At the 2008 Speed Measurement Lab's Radar Detector Shootout a few weeks ago, Radar Roy shot this video of me explaining about the TPX System for his newest project, RadarRoysBuyersGuide.com.

"I was just basically blown away by the System," said Roy, who added, "I was really impressed... you really took the time and effort to build a quality radar detector, but also a good performing radar detector. I really praise you guys for that."

Here's the video in its entirety:



Thank you Radar Roy!

2008 SML Radar Detector Shootout

Originally posted 7/11/2008


Me and my new friend, Fat Bob!

A couple of weekends ago we went out to El Paso for Speed Measurement Laboratories' 2008 Radar Detector Shootout. Speed Measurement Laboratories, or SML for short, is the leading independent radar and radar detector evaluator in the country. They have over 20 years of experience in radar and radar detection technology, and is the leading expert in providing independent analysis and research to the radar and radar detection industries and government agencies. Their Shootout follows strict and rigorous guidelines in evaluating radar detectors in the marketplace today and provide unbiased results for everyone to see. They don't sell any of the products that they test, so there isn't any incentive for them to askew any of the results.

This year, SML wanted to really test the TPX, as it is the first true motorcycle radar detector to participate in the Shootout, and had arranged for a Suzuki Hayabusa and a BMW R1150RT for testing. They couldn't get their hands on a Harley to round out the three street segments (sport, touring, and cruiser) for the Shootout, so they asked us if we can somehow get a Harley to the event. Using all the resources that I had, I was able to get a 2008 Harley Davidson Fat Bob, but it was out in Phoenix. No biggie, it just meant that I get to ride it from Phoenix to El Paso!


What's the TPX doing on a cop bike?

Now, I haven't been on a cruiser in a while, and believe it or not, I was excited about the opportunity to ride the Fat Bob. Not that I don't love my SV anymore, it's just that I've ridden it for about 6,000 miles this year already and I'm looking forward to a change of scenery.

So on Thursday I got into Phoenix and picked up the Fat Bob. First thing that I did was to install the TPX onto it. The installation was simple and took me about 20 minutes. Once it was installed, I was on the road! I was decked out in my full face helmet and sportbike jacket, and I was thinking to myself I must've looked real funny on the Fat Bob with what I was wearing. But who cares, I'm on two wheels and that's all that matters.


TPX on the Fat Bob.

The weather in Phoenix on that day was a warm 107, without a single cloud in the sky. I was thinking that I'm in for a warm ride all the way to El Paso. Not so. The ride was one of the most interesting rides I've ever had.

The ride was nice and toasty for the first hour or so, then, as I got close to Tucson, I start seeing dark rain clouds on the road ahead. Sure enough, before I knew it, I was riding in a severe rain storm. Not only was there rain, but also thunder and lightening all around me. I know it's always a bad idea to ride in a lightening storm, but the Shootout was the next day and I couldn't miss it, so I braved my way through the storm.

About an hour later, I rode out of the storm. I was soaked from head to toe and believe it or not, cold. But the weather warmed up quickly and soon I was dry again. The TPX? Weathered the storm like a champ. Now that the road is dry again, I decided to see if the Fat Bob was capable of reaching the 120mph mark indicated on the speedometer. Yeah, it's capable of doing 120. Took a while to get there, though, but it did. After verifying the top speed, I settled down at around 95, as it felt like it was a speed that the Fat Bob was "comfortable" with.

And this is where Wayne thought he was going to get his first ticket of the year. How is it possible if he was riding with the TPX you might ask? Here's what happened. So I was cruising at around 95. The traffic was light with a vehicle here and there. I was cruising along, catching up to vehicles ahead and passing them. The road was long and straight so that I could see vehicles up ahead from ways back, and I'm sure they can see me catching up on them from their rear view mirror. So I was passing and passing vehicles, then, as I was catching up to this one particular vehicle, I started to realize that it was an Arizona DPS. The DPS was doing the speed limit of 75 and I'm sure that he saw me catching up to him from way back. Of course, I once I realized that it was a DPS I just hung back and maintained distance. Even though the DPS wasn't running radar, I'm sure he could've still giving me a ticket for going faster than he was. So I was hanging behind him and just waiting for him to pull over on the side of the road, let me pass, then pull me over, but he never did! He went off the freeway right before we reached New Mexico and I was thanking him in my mind for not pulling me over.

By now, it's late in the afternoon and with the remaining rain clouds in the sky, it started to get dark. A few miles into New Mexico I see signs on the road reading "Severe Dust Storm Possible". Oh really, I thought to myself. How severe can it get? Well, it got pretty damn severe. Shortly after, the wind started to blow, and the wind got stronger and stronger, and along with the wind came dust. It got so dusty at a few points that I couldn't see more than 25 feet in front of me. Needless to say, I wasn't doing anything near 95 on the Fat Bob. I went across the entire state of New Mexico seeing mostly dust, and nothing else. And literally, as I got to Texas, the dust storm ended, but the wind was still there.

At this point, I was tired and it was getting late, and the fact that I had to fight the wind didn't help the matter much. But, all rides must come to an end, and I did finally reach El Paso. The next morning, under daylight, I realized that the Fat Bob had a healthy tan from the dust storm the night before.

Things didn't get much easier the next three days. The Shootout was a grueling process that involved a lot of patience and standing under the El Paso sun waiting around. But it was well worth it. I'm not at liberty to discuss the results until they are officially released by SML, but what I can tell you is that the TPX performed really well and we are pleased with the results. As soon as the results are ready, I will post them here.

During the Shootout we also had several photo shoots of me on the Fat Bob and the Hayabusa. We'll see where those pictures end up.


TPX and the Hayabusa, a match made in heaven.

After the Shootout on Sunday, I rode off in the Fat Bob back to Phoenix. The trip took two days as I didn't leave El Paso until late Sunday afternoon and finished off the ride the following morning after spending a night out in Benson, AZ. It was a beautiful ride back, as I had perfect weather with not a rain cloud in the sky.

Total tally for the trip: 1,526 miles on the Fat Bob, a thunder storm, a crazy dust storm, numerous passes on the El Paso desert, and no ticket!