Police motorcycle test results

lkchris said:

Perhaps you could tell them the largest automobile assembly plant--soon to expand--in the USA is the BMW plant in South Carolina.

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Perhaps? Sounds like you know?...I do not but...

Doesn't matter to those who see their tax dollars being spent in a way tat they do not approve...

lkchris said:

It wouldn't because BMW has no Police equipment for them.

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Actually not so....We were shown GS's & RT's that were police equipped. Now granted the GS version was only in photos , as the RT's were displayed for demonstration . Maybe they have since dropped the line ?

Try this link.


https://youtu.be/58yw2snsJe8

akbeemer said:

I think the GS would be better choice for police rides.

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+1

Unfortunately MSP only tested bikes that are manufactured as a police bike. GS's can be outfitted with aftermarket emergency equipment (same with Kawis, Hondas, etc), RTs come that way from the factory. I wonder what the reception would be if BMW started making a R1200GS-P. It seems like it would be a hard bike to flee from.

Police motors

In Arlington, TX the officers used to have their choice. This ended up with some RTs, a Valkyre and an F650. Seems that when Jerry brought the Dallas Cowboys to town things changed. Since the Cowboys are referred to as " The All American Team" you can guess what the Arlington cops are riding now!

129654 said:

To be fair the Motor Co has had its share of problems as well (e.g. Cam chain tensioners, excessive engine heat). IMO HD has an edge with lower maintenance costs, better dealer network and bikes that can withstand more abuse when dropped. However ther is no contest between HD and BMW on the performance and technology side.

There is also a pro HD culture that is hard to change amongst many motor officers based on tradition and not performance - at least there was with my department. European law enforcement agencies don't seem to struggle with this and choose their bikes and gear on safety & performance.

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Our department found the maintenance costs on the HD were actually much higher than BMW when you factored in the high mileage. No question about the performance advantage. Finally, the initial costs after you added in the emergency equipment were about the same. The end result is they went with BMW. The motor officers at the time were not happy, until their first day on the BMW. THEY would never go back.

Interesting that no Japanese bikes were included in the testing. Several departments have gone west instead of east for their bikes.


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lkchris said:

Perhaps you could tell them the largest automobile assembly plant--soon to expand--in the USA is the BMW plant in South Carolina.

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Yeah, but they only assemble cars and SUVs!


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lkchris said:

With the Wethead, BMW has addressed its biggest maintenance issue, replacing the dry clutch with a wet clutch, easily accessible.

They've also made the bikes smaller, imho to appeal to female officers.

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The dimensions are still too tall for the average female inseam (US).


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There are other factors to consider besides overall performance. No doubt the current Kawasaki is a great bike, fantastic motor, but it's electrical system wasn't designed for the additional police electronics that go with a motor. Unless you have a first rate radio shop wire up the radio, emergency lights, etc., there will be electrical problems. Honda is another great bike, They work well and are reliable. San Antonio PD has ridden Gold Wings for a long time, they know how to have them set up correctly and they work well for them.

Not to bash HD, they're are legions out there who love their V twin. If they're happy and have fun on them; good for them and I wish them well. But we're talking working bikes here. I know and have talked to a lot of motor officers; current, retired and instructors. The current HD motors are considered for show and not go. Usually the newest member of a motor team gets stuck on the "parade bike", while senior members ride something else. A lot agencies that use HD usually have the bikes bought for political reasons or by purchasing departments who are not end users.

Now I know there will be a backlash by HD owners, but this is my opinion. Its based on 30+ years of experience, that includes traffic enforcement, accident investigation and accident reconstruction. Not to mention dealing with the aforementioned purchasing departments and politicians.

akbeemer said:

I think the GS would be better choice for police rides.

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The BMW authority bike webpage shows GS 700 and 800 only. Too bad.

https://www.bmw-motorrad-authorities.com/en-EN/motorcycles

71243 said:

And as with Mounted patrol,... appearance is a huge factor .

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Go to Holland and encounter a six foot five inch cycle officer on a BMW and I think appearance is adequate. They also utilize 911 Porches there for traffic patrol. You can't run and you can't hide! In Amsterdam they use rapid response mountain bikes and by rapid, I mean rapid. First time I saw a pack of four of them jumping curbs headed on a call, I was duly impressed.

crucian said:

Go to Holland and encounter a six foot five inch cycle officer on a BMW and I think appearance is adequate. They also utilize 911 Porches there for traffic patrol. You can't run and you can't hide! In Amsterdam they use rapid response mountain bikes and by rapid, I mean rapid. First time I saw a pack of four of them jumping curbs headed on a call, I was duly impressed.

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Sounds like you know...I do not but....we're not in Holland we're here in the mid-west... Cincinnati ....and the citizens wanted their motor-officers on H/D's . And we have & have had several large officers on them....what ever that means? The badge & the authority behind it is what is to be respected

As for the Porsche's ...we could never spend that much tax-payer dollars for cars......where would they put suspects?

71243 said:

Sounds like you know...I do not but....we're not in Holland we're here in the mid-west... Cincinnati ....and the citizens wanted their motor-officers on H/D's . And we have & have had several large officers on them....what ever that means? The badge & the authority behind it is what is to be respected

As for the Porsche's ...we could never spend that much tax-payer dollars for cars......where would they put suspects?

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Many years ago, when I was growing up in California, the man across the street from us was a CHP officer. He would bring his motor home often, even though we lived about 3 miles from their local HQ. He was a big man, well over 6 feet. Needless to say, he was intimidating in his boots, riding pants, and motor uniform. Back then you could not join the CHP unless you were 6 feet tall. It was a minimum requirement, hence no women. You also were required to ride a motor for at least 2 years before you could get in a car. In the late 60s or early 70s, California was sued for discrimination based on the height requirement. That 6 foot minimum kept certain minorities and most women from even being able to apply. California lost and the era of the very imposing Highway Patrol officers ended, as did the motor requirement.

Just a bit of history...


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71243 said:

As for the Porsche's ...we could never spend that much tax-payer dollars for cars......where would they put suspects?

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CHP and many other state patrols used 5.0 Mustangs. Non-violent arrested persons being transported would ride in the front passenger seat, handcuffed and seat belted in. I would suspect the same would hold true for a Porsche.

129654 said:

CHP and many other state patrols used 5.0 Mustangs. Non-violent arrested persons being transported would ride in the front passenger seat, handcuffed and seat belted in. I would suspect the same would hold true for a Porsche.

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In terms of law enforcement tactics, a stupid accommodation, just to be driving a 'cool' pursuit vehicle.

pkpilot said:

Many years ago, when I was growing up in California, the man across the street from us was a CHP officer. He would bring his motor home often, even though we lived about 3 miles from their local HQ. He was a big man, well over 6 feet. Needless to say, he was intimidating in his boots, riding pants, and motor uniform. Back then you could not join the CHP unless you were 6 feet tall. It was a minimum requirement, hence no women. You also were required to ride a motor for at least 2 years before you could get in a car. In the late 60s or early 70s, California was sued for discrimination based on the height requirement. That 6 foot minimum kept certain minorities and most women from even being able to apply. California lost and the era of the very imposing Highway Patrol officers ended, as did the motor requirement.

Just a bit of history...


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I know it's not PC but I still think the "old way" as you describe, was the better.

CHP and many other state patrols used 5.0 Mustangs.

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This switch is underway; the white ones are the hardest to see. SUVs make complete sense to me.

lmo1131 said:

This switch is underway; the white ones are the hardest to see. SUVs make complete sense to me.

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They certainly do blend in.......

I am not an LEO but have worked in Emergency Services for 17+ years (EMS only), just putting that out there as a disclaimer.
Here in NC, the SHP has been using RT's for a while, at least since the 1150 (my first bike was an 1150 RT-P). So far, every SHP moto officer I have met prefers the BMW's to the HD's. The ABS system, acceleration, handling, cornering and so on seemed to be far superior than HD. The NCHP Moto training guru (retired) is where I got a lot of this info from (Mark Brown of Moto Mark 1). The BMW's were safer as they saw a lot less accidents due to skids, braking and so on. The one bike that a few wished was made again was the ST1300 in LEO formatting. It was a solid machine, light weight and met the requirements they were looking for.
I agree in regards to the GS, though I am not a GS rider. An LEO GS would give departments a lot of flexibility for their machines, though the lack of weather protection is an issue. I also wonder if there is enough room on the handlebars, dash and screen for the needed LEO equipment?

On the "buy American" philosophy. Outside of a few individuals, most people I come into contact with know that HD's are not "made in America". Most departments I deal with on a professional manner (SHP, SO and local PD) that have moto divisions buy machines that are safest for the officers or the officers request. As with all departments, politics and personal preference by the bosses exist. Raleigh PD until recently would not have a Chevy product in the vehicle fleet because the former chief hated GM. The Chiefs, Captains and so forth that I have met and had the chance to talk to try to ignore the public when it comes to equipment purchases for their officers. By ignore, they tune out the "outrage" over country of origin or brand if the equipment is well made, liked be their field officers and makes their jobs as safe as possible. They may the outliers in all of this.

On a selfish note, I have trying...unsuccessfully I must add, to get my County EMS agency to institute a Moto Response unit for MVC's (auto crashes) similar to England and several other European countries. Just another excuse to be in the road more...and get paid to become a better rider.

Mike

In washington state colors can be black, grey, white, dark green or a few red vehicles.

EUGENE said:

In washington state colors can be black, grey, white, dark green or a few red vehicles.

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Yeah, I slow down every time I see an Explorer these days! (Just kidding of course...I never exceed the speed limit!)