RT-P riders owners & others

[70816]

A fellow worker is interested in obtaining an RT-P

what are the pros and cons associated w/ this ownership??
any hints as to issues to watch out for?
problem componants?
help sites?
information sites?

thanks in advance guys

jim1559

[OfficerImpersonator]

A fellow worker is interested in obtaining an RT-P

what are the pros and cons associated w/ this ownership??
any hints as to issues to watch out for?
problem componants?
help sites?
information sites?

thanks in advance guys

jim1559

Pros:

High conspicuity - cage drivers see you and get out of your way.
Conversation starter - people will want to talk to you about your bike at gas stations, rest stops, red lights, etc. Great if you're a narcissist!

Cons:

High conspicuity - if you do something dumb, you're easy to pick out of a line-up.

Some will think you really are a cop, and will do dumb and dangerous things in an attempt to get out of your way. On curvy, two-laned roads, someone inevitably thinks you're a cop and thus drives at precisely the speed limit - or below.

Labor for removal and re-installation of crash bars adds $$$ to service invoices if you have a mechanic do the maintenance for you.

You'll find several threads in the forum about various aspects of ownership unique to RTPs - lights, electrical systems, conversion from RTP to regular RT, etc. Just do a search of the forum for RTP or RT-P.


I presume your buddy is considering a used police bike. My personal opinion is that the hard life the bikes receive in service are offset by the likelihood that the bike received prompt and regular service from a dealer or other reputable shop. Service records are easily obtained, and any crash damage was likely repaired with no expense spared or corners cut.

My RTP was a demo model and thus never entered police service, so YMMV. Feel free to ask any questions you or your co-worker might have and I'll do my best to at least point you in the right direction.

[adooley]

Well the technical advantages are:

1.Oil cooler fan
2.840 watt alternator (the regular RTs have 720)
3.Second battery
4.Heavier duty shocks (I believe specifically the rear one)
5.Crash bars for mounting additional gear
6.Additional switches and wiring left over from police equipment being remove that can reused for equipment you install.
7.Highly accurate speedo + or - 1mph.
8.If properly serviced, the hard riding the bike received also means most the problems have, hopefully, been worked out.
9.Locking sidestand so the bike will not roll forward or backward.

Technical disadvantages are:

1.Ridden hard and therefore, if not properly maintained, could have several problems.
2.Crash bar removal adds to the overall cost of the shop maintenance bill unless you do it yourself.
3.Additional wiring and switches means additional possibilities of electrical issues and troubleshooting.
4.In some cases, the additional cost of converting the rear radio box to a passenger seat if you wish to ride two-up.

The above mentioned refers to 2002-2004 R1150RTPs. The rest is a matter of personal preference and the condition/history of the bike you're considering. I have had mine for almost a year now and have enjoyed every minute of it. I would by another one again after this one. :)

[bdspler]

I got mine with 6200 miles on it
The clutch was toast! ya I could'nt understand that either!
But after the fix! 30k of Wonderful dependabilaty
LOL.I know not to use big words!
:thumb

[Tazerbarb]

The one con that I would consider before purchasing a P is that it was driven by cops. I've been on the job for near 30 years and although I never rode the big traffic motors I did ride tactical bikes (Honda 750 Nighthawks and Kawi KLR 650's) for a few years. I worked and trained with motor cops (both traffic and tactical) and we rode HARD. All the time.

If the department selling your P required that officers recertify annully on their duty-bike (we did) they got roughed up for 40-hours per year. Low and high speed manuevers, LOTS of clutch and brake work. The bikes (at least mine!) get laid down a lot! It was not uncommon to cook a clutch during training.

The plus-side is that cops take care of their machines. When you ride 40-hours per week in a city, you depend on your bike to take care of you so you take care of it. The fact is, 10K miles in police service is WAY different than 10K in leisure riding. :whistle

All that being said, it's a matter of comfort level. Go in understanding what the bike has gone through and make a decision. It's the same as buying a old police cruiser. Yup, it gets well taken care of with routine maintenance and repair, but in many departments they run 100-plus hours per week - for years on end.

One other thing that raises questions for me; why are departments selling off low-mileage bikes? There may be reasons that I do not know, but in the 650-officer department I come from we'd run our motors for years. Maybe 5 or 6. Maybe more. I'm used to seeing police bikes with 50K-plus miles on the market. Why sell off a bike with under 10K? It should have tons of useful service left in it - unless a cost-benefit analysis suggests otherwise? Maybe something to do with a lease agreement? Just makes me wonder.

Tell your buddy best of luck for me! I can say that none of the police bikes I rode ever let me down!

[OfficerImpersonator]

The more threads I read about RTPs, the more thankful I am that mine has always been privately owned!