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

[BMWDEAN]

http://www.azstarnet.com/ss/2007/08/13/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

[moa84843]

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.

[YELLOW_S]

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.

[Visian]

"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

[BMWDEAN]

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.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/R1200rtp.jpg

[Greenwald]

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.

[Burnszilla]

Don't forget, they added the ABS system from a Ford Escort and mounted it inside one of the side cases.

[ryeflyer]

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

[SheRidesABeemer]

Another police bike link. (http://blogs.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/uniformed-bikers-istanbul-police.htm)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r46/Motorbiker_photos/NewsPics/Instambul-Turkey-R1200GS-P.jpg

[Motor31]

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.

[BMWDEAN]

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.

[FredRydr]

I saw a report that...Source or link, please.

Thanks.

Fred

[Mika]

http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/963/public/news829445.html

One department that has just announced they are going with BMW

[PAGoldsby]

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 Department’s Motor Unit.

The city is paying $39,474.80 for two bikes with the “special police package,” Mayor Donald Walker explained, from BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta. He explained Harley’s “do not support all the equipment we use now. The charging system doesn’t support it. There’s too much electronic equipment,” 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 “state of the art and the performance and handling is much better.”

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

• $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.

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

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

• $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:

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

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

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

• $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 (http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/963/public/news829445.html)

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.

[PAGoldsby]

:doh

Beat by 2 minutes by M1ka. I shouldn't have previewed my post!

[Mika]

:doh

Beat by 2 minutes by M1ka. I shouldn't have previewed my post!

Sorry...:rofl

[flymymbz]

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.

[PAGoldsby]

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.

[RandallIsland]

...the $19,000 cheerleading outfits. They should have had at least one or the other.

And we would hope a whole lot less of the one.

[bmwmick]

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.

[dlearl476]

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.

The NHP made the switch a few years ago. Then BMW, in their infinite widsom, decided our dealer wasn't "hip" enough to be in their network. BMW-NA's suggestion to the NHP about service? Truck 'em to LA for service, on YOUR dime.

About 6 months later I asked a motor officer to give me an "apples vs apples". He said he liked the BMWs, but the Road Kings are a better "office".

[The_Veg]

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.
More likely, Harley has decided that they MUST dominate the police business at almost any cost (or keep their foot in the proverbial door, to oversimplify) so that they will make lots of money on parts, and more importantly, have that wonderful PR that comes form the being the cop-bike that you see 'everywhere' almost to the point of being as ubiquitous as Crown Vic's are to the patrol-car world (I've noticed some erosion there lately though).

Believe me, selling the cop-bikes for a buck (and buying them back for the same figure) is not hurting Harley's bottom-line.

[widebmw]

The NHP made the switch a few years ago. Then BMW, in their infinite widsom, decided our dealer wasn't "hip" enough to be in their network. BMW-NA's suggestion to the NHP about service? Truck 'em to LA for service, on YOUR dime.

About 6 months later I asked a motor officer to give me an "apples vs apples". He said he liked the BMWs, but the Road Kings are a better "office".

Up North in Reno all the Reno PD, Washoe Sheriff and NHP are on BMW's.
But then we have a good dealer.

[Polarbear]

Wrong, and I don't think HD's are either, but BMW has no advantage here,. imo. Ever visit your local BMW dealer and watch the Police Beemers in there for work, etc and not for just basic service either! My two dealers always have their hands full, replaceing parts, from clutches to other fairly serious items all the time on the PD bikes. My impression is the police life is fairly hard on the bikes and the cops use them harder than anybody in normal m/c ownership life. I do not think the beemers are any cheaper than any other brand out there, regarding this and if anything, the Manufacturers(All) are providing HUGE perks in this department of service related stuff. It has to be image to the public kind of thinking and nothing else. Image sells bikes! Randy13233

[Motor31]

Based on what I have experienced with my own 1150RT and many years on a KZ1000P, if I had the choice available for enforcement riding it wouldn't be a hard choice at all. I'd choose the Kaw without reservations. The only advantage I see the beemer has over the Kaw is the abs system. Given the amount of training and recurrent training for enforcement riding that TPD did, that's a very minor loss. For municipal enforcement riding, the loss of the Kawasaki is a tough thing to have happen.

[stealthrider]

Time for my Two Cents...

We ride Harley Davidson FLHTP's (Electra Glides). Now I'm not a HD fan but I must admit they make a nice ride for police service. Our patrol area is urban (City streets) with very little highway or high speed driving and since we're on and off the bike so often it's nice that it sits low. We recently tested a R1200RT-P and found the height to be a concern. In order to get my leg over the radio box I had to stand on the foot peg to mount the bike. Also the saddle bags are much smaller then the HD which was a concern because of the amount of equipment we are required to carry. Being a RT owner myself I was really pushing for the RT-P but once I got to use it in our work environment I conceded that the HD fit our mission better. However if we did highway patrol duties there'd be no other choice then the RT-P.

So I'll suffer with the hot, slow HD at work.. But smile ear to ear while riding the RT on my off time.

[flymymbz]

'everywhere' almost to the point of being as ubiquitous as Crown Vic's are to the patrol-car world (I've noticed some erosion there lately though).

Believe me, selling the cop-bikes for a buck (and buying them back for the same figure) is not hurting Harley's bottom-line.


One of the PD's we dispatch for has no Crown Vics left, they all drive Impalas now. SO still has CV's coming out the ears, though. Although the Dodge Charger is a NICE patrol car. I did a 10 hour ride along with one of my deputies. I was purdy impressed with it. He is 6'8" and fits fine, except for the windshield being a bit 'short'. It handled gravel roads quite nicely, and at speed. The only wind noise I noticed came from the low profile light bar. If the wagon version came in AWD, I may consider it for a replacement when the Vibe gets tired.

And yes, I realize that giving away the bikes to the depts is strictly a PR move. Why bother asking for money from small PD's when you have folks buying street bobbers and then talking the new owners into decking them out with endless amounts of chrome, loud pipes, pillion seats with backrests and windscreens? --sigh--
Gal I work with bought one about three weeks ago. They haven't ridden it yet because its been "IN THE SHOP" since the day they bought it. Damn glad Guzzis, BMW's and Honda's are buy and ride!!!! But gee, the pic of the new bike sure looks good on her cell phone...hahahahahahahahaha