subject: The history of police motorcycle designs [print this page]

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Wewantedtowriteapostlikethis,combiningourtwogreatestpassions,motorsanddesign,forquitesometimenow.We'llbepresentingabriefhistoryofmotorcyclesusedbypoliceforcesandexamplesofmotorcyclesusedbythepoliceforcesofvariouscountries.Wehopethiswillbeanenjoyableread.

Itseemsthefirsttimemotorcycleswereusedbypoliceforceswasatethebeginningofthe20thcentury.ChiefAugustVollmeroftheBerkeley,CaliforniaPoliceDepartmentiscreditedwithorganizingthefirstofficialpolicemotorcyclepatrolintheUnitedStatesin1911.Howeverafewpolicedepartmentsusedmotorcyclesbefore1911.It'sdocumentedthatthefirstHarley-DavidsonpolicemotorcyclewasdeliveredtotheDetroitPoliceDepartmentin1908.Also,thepolicedepartmentinEvanston,Illinoispurchasedabelt-drivenmotorcycleforitsfirstmotorcyclepoliceofficerin1908,andthePortland,OregonPoliceBureauhadapoliceofficerwhousedhispersonalmotorcycletopatrolthecityasearlyas1909.

Backonthehomefrontinthe1920s,statepoliceforceswerebeingformedinseveralstatesoftheUStoprotectruralareasfromlawlessnessandtoenforceProhibition.Themotorizedvehicleofchoiceonruttedruralroadswasthemotorcycle.

PolicemotorcyclesintheUnitedStatestypicallyusepurpose-builtmotorcyclesmarketedbyHarley-Davidson,Kawasaki,Honda,orBMW.KawasakiPoliceMotorcycles,whichwerebuiltfortheUSmarketinLincoln,Nebraska,ceasedproductioninSeptember2005.

InGermany,BMWisbyfarthelargestproviderofmotorcyclesforauthorityuse.

IntheUnitedKingdomthemostcommonpolicemotorcyclesaretheBMWRTseries,theHondaSTseriesandtheYamahaFJR1300,althoughmostforceshavewithdrawntheST1300PanEuropeansincethedeathofanofficerwasblamedonthemachine.Somepoliceforcesalsousescooterswithintowns.

In2004,BMWclaimedtobethelargestsellerofmotorcyclesforauthorityuse,asmorethan80,000BMWmotorcycleswereinofficialuseinover150countriesonfivecontinents.BMWproducepolice-specificmodelssuchastheR1200RTandR900RT,thelatternotavailabletothegeneralpublic.Morethan140U.S.lawenforcementagencies,includingtheCaliforniaHighwayPatrol,hadBMWauthoritymotorcyclesintheirfleetsofpatrolvehicles.

Harley-Davidsonhasmaintainedalongrelationshipwithpolicedepartmentsandlaw-enforcementagencies.Asof2007,Harley-DavidsonofferedtheFLHTPElectraGlide,theFLHPRoadKingandtheXL883Sportsterinpoliceandfire/rescueeditions.

The history of police motorcycle designs

By: chinaqsh

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