Calif. Cops Put Spin on Motorcycle Competition

May 13--MANTECA -- Weaving through a course outlined with orange traffic cones on a Harley Davidson Road King, Nick Obligacion reconnected with his roots Saturday afternoon.

Before becoming chief of the Manteca Police Department, Obligacion spent 11 years as a motorcycle cop. At the Manteca Police Motors' Third Annual Skills and Training Challenge, Obligacion had the opportunity to test his abilities against 22 other officers from as far north as Redding and as far south as Ventura.

"These are perishable skills," he said. "Events like this are fun for the public, but they are just as much about riders learning what they can and can't do with a motorcycle."

The event is the second part of a two-day training exercise. Friday, participants honed their skills in front of each other. Saturday, scores of people from around the area crowded into the parking lot adjacent to JC Penney to watch the public competition. They saw cops attempt to best each other in a variety of skill challenges and get an up-close look at the different styles of motorcycles each department has. Some agencies cruise stylish BMWs, while others operate eco-friendly electric Hondas or burly Harley Davidsons.

Motorcycle cops are a tight-knit group, Obligacion said, but bragging rights were still at stake during the afternoon exhibition.

"One of the prizes is a trophy reading 'I beat the chief,' " he said.

Officer Daniel Lowry was the lone participant for the Stockton Police Department. He made several runs in the cone course and ran into a complication when his 824-pound bike went into neutral and tipped over.

Lowry picked the bike up and restarted it, and the audience graciously applauded his determination at the finish line.

But navigating through an obstacle course wasn't the only challenge Saturday. Officers also had to navigate a circular track as slowly as possible without letting their feet touch the pavement in a balance test.

Lowry shared his secrets for keeping the bike upright and balanced for as long as possible.

"You have to keep your eyes on the horizon, and your head has to turn before the bike does," he said. "It feels unnatural at first, but you have to learn to trust it."

The overall event is also a great public outreach experience, Lowry said.

"People get to see us as people too, not just traffic Nazis."

Contact reporter Jordan Guinn at (209) 546-8279 or [email protected]. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/crimeblog.

Copyright 2012 - The Record, Stockton, Calif.