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Harley makes the "only" motorcycle for "law-enforcement use"

bmwdean

BMW MOA co-founder
Harley makes the only motorcycle for "law-enforcement use?"

l196088-1.jpg


I didn't know that!

It looks like the Harley PR department writes articles for Tucson's Arizona Daily Star:

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/196088


If you want to tell the paper it is full of it, here's where:

letters@azstarnet.com
 
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"Only" police motorcycle.

I did not see where it was stated that Harley made the "only" police motorcycle.

The statements made were a bit deceptive, and would totally depend on your view point. It really was some great weasel wording to pump Harley.

It did say Kawasaki did not still make the model they had been using, which was probably the old 900. BMW does not make the K75 police bike anymore either.
 
I did not see where it was stated that Harley made the "only" police motorcycle.

The statements made were a bit deceptive, and would totally depend on your view point. It really was some great weasel wording to pump Harley.

It did say Kawasaki did not still make the model they had been using, which was probably the old 900. BMW does not make the K75 police bike anymore either.

Overland Park, Kansas uses BMW Motorrad as police bike :clap All their bike expect for one are R1100RT's. The last one is a K75. I was really shocked when I seen that K75 police bike... Since BMW stopped making the 1100RT, and they made the new 1200RT. I guess by the end of this year I think it is. Overland Park is going to have to think of getting a R1150RT's, R1200RT's, or go to another brand. I really hope they stay BMW. Because it’s a lot safer then Harley. Harley if I'm not mistaken, doesn't have ABS on their police bikes. BMW its standard.

I was talking to an Overland Park motorcycle officer. And he said they tested the Harley. It was the most expensive by about a $1,000, because they needed to add on the lights, sirens, and Computers. BMW it lights, and siren, but not computer. They liked that BMW came with ABS, but the Harley didn't. The Harley was weak at top speed, and it was weak getting to top speed. The BMW was strong. They also liked the BMW because it was much more comfortable then the Harley. It didn't vibrate nearly as much. The one thing he liked more about the Harley though, is he could so slow move maneuvers easier on the Harley then the BMW.
 
The operative phrases.

"When considering new motorcycle makes, the department tested BMW, Honda and Harley-Davidson, Pryor said.

All of them cost about $14,000 to $15,000, plus the additional expense of adding lights, sirens and computers, but "the Harley was built as a police motorcycle," Pryor said. "

Lt. Mike Pryor is commander of the department's traffic unit, so the words are his, not the paper's.

Of course, we all know that this statement is inaccurate. :D

Ian
 
I did not see where it was stated that Harley made the "only" police motorcycle.

"Other models weren't designed specifically for law-enforcement use."

"Other models" referred to BMW and Honda.

R1200rtp.jpg
 
One Extra-Large Grain of Salt, Please

Read the article, and got a kick out of the comment that the Harley was specifically built as a police motorcycle. WRONG.

I spent seven years on Harley- Davidsons, from 2000 thru 2007. Each year, as senior motor officer of my department, I got to break-in each bike (new model every spring, per our lease agreement), including the first ones equiped with 'automotive' ABS.

These bikes are simply H-D RoadKings, with a few modifications. The tires have a bead on both sides of the rim, so as to remain on the wheel when flat up to about 25 MPH; a cylinder of air is mounted beneath the rear trunk platform to help maintain pressure in the air suspension system; a broad, tractor-style seat is mounted to an air bladder for the officer's all-day riding comfort.

That's it - hardly built from the ground up for patrol duty.

I enjoyed my years of service as a motor officer (6,000-8,000 miles per season - far more than the average Harley owner, according to HOG magazine) on the H-D, but now find my R1200RT a much superior machine.

The truth is out there - depending on whom you talk to.
 
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I just came back from the Tour de France - must have seen hundreds of BMW police bikes there. I was the guy staring at the motorbikes, not the push bikes, as they went by. :heart

Now I want to be a bike cop in the South of France :laugh

Rory
 
I thought the article was pretty neutral regarding the change. Making a brand change was a small bit of news for Tucson PD there. I know, that is where I worked Motors. Like they said, they changed to Harley because the Kawasaki KZ1000P is no longer being built. Pretty obvious motivation there.

FWIW Harley tried to get some bikes on the department over 15 years ago. The offered to sell one of 2 different models equipped for PD work and said they would sell them for $5k to $6k each for one year to try and undercut the Kawasaki's price. We looked at the specs and "massaged them" to make the choice easier for the bean counters who looked only at price. We did test the Harleys out at the time.

Other than the fact that the Kawasaki ran longer, required less maintenance, stopped quicker, went faster, started easier, turned tighter, was far more comfortable and vibrated less, the Harley compared pretty well. It also cost less than the Harley did at regular price.

We did have some guys that liked Harleys and owned their own. They didn't have much problem seeing the difference when the Harleys couldn't hack the training cone problems or the turn radius the Kawasakis handled easily.

PS I wonder where you could find a new 07 RTP for only $14k to $15k. The civilian ones without the "special stuff" is certainly way more than that.
 
I wonder where you could find a new 07 RTP for only $14k to $15k

The Harley comes without all the police stuff -- lights, etc. Putting all the stuff police need on them brings them up to the price of 07 RTPs, which come standard with the equipment.

Moreover, the bean counters never look a life-cycle costs, only at initial cost. I saw a report that compared the Harley and BMW over life cycle, and the Beemer came out the winner due to less maintenance and repair costs.
 
Meanwhile, in Warner Robins, GA ...

PD going to BMW motorcycles

08/14/07
Email this story to a friend

By RAY LIGHTNER
Journal Staff Writer

Warner Robins is buying two BMW police motorcycles for the Police DepartmentÔÇÖs Motor Unit.

The city is paying $39,474.80 for two bikes with the ÔÇ£special police package,ÔÇØ Mayor Donald Walker explained, from BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta. He explained HarleyÔÇÖs ÔÇ£do not support all the equipment we use now. The charging system doesnÔÇÖt support it. ThereÔÇÖs too much electronic equipment,ÔÇØ he said.

Walker said the city will keep the Harley-Davidson motorcycles it has for use in parades and funeral escorts.

City Purchasing Agent Mark Baker said the BMW motorcycles are ÔÇ£state of the art and the performance and handling is much better.ÔÇØ

The city also approved four other purchases for the police department, including:

ÔÇó $25,241.95 to SunGard HTE of Lake Mary, Fla., for program maintenance and support of the Pistol system. It is the annual contract for software support.

ÔÇó $17,140 to Sytech Corporation of Alexandria, also a sole source, annual repair and maintenance contract for Sytech equipment.

ÔÇó $21,097.83 to Identix, Inc. of Los Gatos, Calif., another sole source, annual repair and maintenance contract for the Livescan fingerprinting system.

ÔÇó $6,494.97 to Brannen Motor Co. of Unadilla, an emergency purchase to replace the engine in a police vehicle. Another four of the 17 total purchases approved were for the city fire department, including:

ÔÇó $20,875.30 to Allan Vigil Ford of Morrow for a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria.

ÔÇó $5,174.95 to the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs in Savannah, as a sole source for training materials.

ÔÇó $3,845 to Nafeco of Decatur, Alabama, for fire hose.

ÔÇó $2,354.45 to Vitco Safety Products of Macon for turbo jet nozzle and gated wyes equipment for fire engines.

Other big purchases included $19,365.30 to Zuma Athletic Wear in Montezuma for cheerleading uniforms for the Recreation Department and $21,097.83 to Macon Supply of Macon for valve/meter boxes, extending the existing contract through Dec. 30.

Linkage

Please note that no pictures were available of either the BMW RT-Ps or the $19,000 cheerleading outfits. They should have had at least one or the other.
 
One of the dept's I dispatch for has a couple of HD bikes. I asked the Sheriff how come he didn't get a couple of BMW's. His response was, BMW's are nice, but they're expensive. The HD's are costing the county a buck a year.

I guess HD doesn't sell that many bikes anymore, they gotta give 'em away.
 
Wait 'til you find out what your PD pays for pistols and rifles, compared to what we lowly civilians have to pay. There's the Consumer market, then there's the Commercial market. Nary the 'twain shall meet.
 
TPD Motors evaluated the BMW R1200RT-P, Honda ST2300-P and the Harley. The chief took one look at the maximum speedometer reading on the Beemer and the Honda and made his choice. The Harley had the lowest speedometer MAX reading so he went for it. The R1200RT-P was auctioned off and the Honda is headed that way.

They are not happy about the heat the Harley puts out but they have to live with it now. :( They don't lean left very well either, the 6-speed forces Harley to shift the engine left about 3" and that causes hard parts to drag in very minor left turns. The lights ARE nice though. HID low beam and LED-type Code3 lights everywhere.
 
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