Police motorcycle
Encyclopedia
A police motorcycle is a motorcycle
used by various police
forces and departments. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officer
s in the United States. Similarly, motorcycle units are known as "motor units" and motorcycle officers are known as motor officers.
The maneuverability of the motorcycle on crowded streets offer advantages not provided by larger, more traditional police vehicles. The motorcycle's relatively small size allows it to get to accident scenes more quickly when incidents such as traffic collisions slow down access by four-wheel vehicles.
Chief August Vollmer
of the Berkeley Police Department
is credited with organizing the first official police motorcycle patrol in the United States in 1911.
However, several police forces around the country reported using motorcycles as patrol vehicles earlier. Harley-Davidson
credits Detroit, Michigan as being the first purchaser of police motorcycles in 1908.
The police department in Evanston
, Illinois
also purchased a belt-driven motorcycle for its first motorcycle police officer in 1908,
and the Portland, Oregon
Police Bureau had a police officer who used his personal motorcycle to patrol the city as early as 1909.
The role of the motorcycle as inexpensive public transportation evolved in the 1930s, and their use by police and the armed forces also grew, providing a stable production market for the more utilitarian machines, especially as Europe
rearmed after World War I
.
, Moto Guzzi (LAPD) or BMW Motorrad
. Kawasaki police motorcycles
, which were built for the US market in Lincoln, Nebraska
, ceased production in September 2005. However, the Kawasaki Concours 14
is being modified and marketed for police use in some markets.
In Germany, BMW Motorrad is the largest provider of motorcycles for authority use.
In the United Kingdom, the most common police motorcycles are the BMW R1200RT
and the Yamaha FJR1300
. UK police forces have withdrawn the Honda ST1300 Pan-European
since the death of an officer was blamed on the machine. Some police forces also use scooters
within towns for parking enforcement, or special-purpose machines such as unmarked (covert), or off-road motorcycles.
Of the British manufacturers themselves, Triumph motorcycles, built at Meriden
, were used by many British (including the Metropolitan Police
) and Commonwealth police forces until 1983 when the factory closed. From the late 1940's, Triumph was also, for a time, the choice of the Parisian police, a fact promoted in a factory-produced movie, It's A Triumph !. The police version of the 650cc 6T Triumph Thunderbird
was nicknamed the SAINT, an acronym of "Stops Anything In No Time" . By the mid-1970s, with industrial problems and closures affecting their spare supply and service, Triumphs and other British marques were increasingly replaced by the smoother BMW R80 than by then-current Triumph police bikes. In an attempt to win back orders from BMW, Meriden marketed Triumph Bonneville and Tiger models of 750cc size with anti-vibration mountings as well as electric starting but these still only achieved limited sales success. In 1981, the UK newspaper, Motor Cycle News, reported Derbyshire's Chief Constable comparing these Triumphs very unfavorably to BMW, in particular, it's anti-vibration engine mounts. Supported by an article in rival publication, Motor Cycle Weekly, this criticism was strongly refuted by the factory and Derbyshire eventually accepted evaluation of police versions of the new Triumph T140W TSS
in anti-vibration mounts.
Norton's Commando Interpol
and later Wankel rotary engine
Interpol 2
motorcycle were used by some British forces until that firm's collapse in the early 1990s. Other marques such a BSA
were used by some forces although only the Velocette LE
'noddy-bike' model proved as popular with the police as the Triumphs.
In 2008, BMW claimed to be the largest seller of motorcycles for authority use, as more than 100,000 BMW motorcycles were in official use in over 150 countries on five continents. In 2007, BMW sold 4,284 police motorcycles worldwide.
BMW produces factory built police-specific models such as the R1200RT-P and R900RT-P. More than 225 U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol
, have BMW authority motorcycles in their fleets of patrol vehicles. The BMW bikes are lighter and have better handling and braking than Harley Davidson models.
Harley-Davidson has maintained a long relationship with police departments and law-enforcement agencies in some countries. For the 2009 model year, Harley-Davidson offers the FLHTP Electra Glide
, the FLHP Road King
, the XL883 Sportster and the new XB12XP Buell
Ulysses Police motorcycle. The FLHTP Electra Glide and the FLHP Road King are also offered as Fire/Rescue motorcycles.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
used by various police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
forces and departments. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s in the United States. Similarly, motorcycle units are known as "motor units" and motorcycle officers are known as motor officers.
The maneuverability of the motorcycle on crowded streets offer advantages not provided by larger, more traditional police vehicles. The motorcycle's relatively small size allows it to get to accident scenes more quickly when incidents such as traffic collisions slow down access by four-wheel vehicles.
History
Police officers have used motorcycles—primarily for the enforcement of traffic laws and as escort vehicles—since the early 20th century.Chief August Vollmer
August Vollmer
August "Gus" Vollmer was a leading figure in the development of the field of criminal justice in the United States in the early 20th century. He was also the first police chief of Berkeley, California.-Youth:...
of the Berkeley Police Department
Berkeley Police Department
The Berkeley Police Department is the municipal police department for the city of Berkeley, California, USA.-History:Shortly after Berkeley was incorporated in 1878, a town marshal and constables were elected to provide law enforcement. In 1909, the town marshal was appointed to be the first...
is credited with organizing the first official police motorcycle patrol in the United States in 1911.
However, several police forces around the country reported using motorcycles as patrol vehicles earlier. Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
credits Detroit, Michigan as being the first purchaser of police motorcycles in 1908.
The police department in Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
also purchased a belt-driven motorcycle for its first motorcycle police officer in 1908,
and the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
Police Bureau had a police officer who used his personal motorcycle to patrol the city as early as 1909.
The role of the motorcycle as inexpensive public transportation evolved in the 1930s, and their use by police and the armed forces also grew, providing a stable production market for the more utilitarian machines, especially as Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
rearmed after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Motorcycles used
Police motorcycles in the United States and Canada typically use purpose-built motorcycles marketed by Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, HondaHonda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, Moto Guzzi (LAPD) or BMW Motorrad
BMW Motorrad
BMW Motorrad is the motorcycle brand of the German company BMW, part of its Corporate and Brand Development division. The current General Director of the unit is Hendrik von Kuenheim....
. Kawasaki police motorcycles
Kawasaki Police Motorcycles
The Kawasaki police motorcycles have been produced in four series:* Z1-P - A 1975 Kawasaki Z1 900 cc motorcycle, modified through the addition of a shop-installed kit, then in 1976 available factory-built as a police motorcycle...
, which were built for the US market in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, ceased production in September 2005. However, the Kawasaki Concours 14
Kawasaki 1400GTR
The Kawasaki 1400GTR, also known as the Concours 14 or ZG1400 in some markets, is a motorcycle produced by Kawasaki. The 1400GTR was introduced in September 2007 and is based on the ZX-14 platform....
is being modified and marketed for police use in some markets.
In the United Kingdom, the most common police motorcycles are the BMW R1200RT
BMW r1200rt
The BMW R1200RT is a touring motorcycle that was introduced in 2005 by BMW Motorrad to replace the R1150RT model. It features a flat-twin engine with a six-speed gearbox and shaft drive.-Previous RT models, 1970s to 2004:...
and the Yamaha FJR1300
Yamaha FJR1300
The Yamaha FJR1300 is the Yamaha Motor Company's largest sport touring motorcycle, currently in production as the FJR1300A and FJR1300AS .-History:...
. UK police forces have withdrawn the Honda ST1300 Pan-European
Honda ST1300
The Honda ST1300, also known as the Pan-European, is a sport touring motorcycle manufactured by Honda and introduced to Europe in 2002. The following year, it was released in North America as the ST1300....
since the death of an officer was blamed on the machine. Some police forces also use scooters
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
within towns for parking enforcement, or special-purpose machines such as unmarked (covert), or off-road motorcycles.
Of the British manufacturers themselves, Triumph motorcycles, built at Meriden
Meriden, West Midlands
-External links:*****...
, were used by many British (including the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
) and Commonwealth police forces until 1983 when the factory closed. From the late 1940's, Triumph was also, for a time, the choice of the Parisian police, a fact promoted in a factory-produced movie, It's A Triumph !. The police version of the 650cc 6T Triumph Thunderbird
Triumph Thunderbird
The Triumph Thunderbird is a British motorcycle that was introduced by Triumph in 1949 and produced in its original form until 1966. The name was used three more times for new and distinct Triumph models.-Original model:...
was nicknamed the SAINT, an acronym of "Stops Anything In No Time" . By the mid-1970s, with industrial problems and closures affecting their spare supply and service, Triumphs and other British marques were increasingly replaced by the smoother BMW R80 than by then-current Triumph police bikes. In an attempt to win back orders from BMW, Meriden marketed Triumph Bonneville and Tiger models of 750cc size with anti-vibration mountings as well as electric starting but these still only achieved limited sales success. In 1981, the UK newspaper, Motor Cycle News, reported Derbyshire's Chief Constable comparing these Triumphs very unfavorably to BMW, in particular, it's anti-vibration engine mounts. Supported by an article in rival publication, Motor Cycle Weekly, this criticism was strongly refuted by the factory and Derbyshire eventually accepted evaluation of police versions of the new Triumph T140W TSS
Triumph T140W TSS
The T140W TSS was the last motorcycle model made by Triumph Engineering at their Meriden factory.- Development history :Designed to appeal to the US market, the TSS had an eight valve Weslake Engineering cylinder head developed by American racer Jack Wilson from a design originally commissioned by...
in anti-vibration mounts.
Norton's Commando Interpol
Norton Commando
The Norton Commando is a British motorcycle with an ohv pre-unit parallel twin engine, launched by the Norton Motorcycle company in 1967. Initially a nominal 750 cc displacement, actually , in 1973 it became an 850 cc, actually ....
and later Wankel rotary engine
Wankel engine
The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating pistons. Its four-stroke cycle takes place in a space between the inside of an oval-like epitrochoid-shaped housing and a rotor that...
Interpol 2
Norton Interpol 2
The Interpol 2 was a Norton motorcycle. It had an air-cooled twin rotor Wankel engine.Towards the end of the production run a few machines were built with a new water-cooled version of Norton's twin-rotor Wankel engine. These machines were designated Interpol 2A...
motorcycle were used by some British forces until that firm's collapse in the early 1990s. Other marques such a BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
were used by some forces although only the Velocette LE
Velocette LE
The LE was a Velocette motorcycle made from 1948 to 1970. The designation LE stood for "little engine". Used by over fifty British Police forces, the police riders became known as "Noddies" because they were required to "nod" to senior officers, and the LE was nicknamed "the Noddy Bike"...
'noddy-bike' model proved as popular with the police as the Triumphs.
In 2008, BMW claimed to be the largest seller of motorcycles for authority use, as more than 100,000 BMW motorcycles were in official use in over 150 countries on five continents. In 2007, BMW sold 4,284 police motorcycles worldwide.
BMW produces factory built police-specific models such as the R1200RT-P and R900RT-P. More than 225 U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
, have BMW authority motorcycles in their fleets of patrol vehicles. The BMW bikes are lighter and have better handling and braking than Harley Davidson models.
Harley-Davidson has maintained a long relationship with police departments and law-enforcement agencies in some countries. For the 2009 model year, Harley-Davidson offers the FLHTP Electra Glide
Harley-Davidson FL
FL is a model designation used on motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1941 to present. Mostly applied to Harley's large-framed bikes, including the current Touring series, the FL designation is also used with their Softail series, especially on Softails with traditional styling,...
, the FLHP Road King
Harley-Davidson FL
FL is a model designation used on motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1941 to present. Mostly applied to Harley's large-framed bikes, including the current Touring series, the FL designation is also used with their Softail series, especially on Softails with traditional styling,...
, the XL883 Sportster and the new XB12XP Buell
Buell Motorcycle Company
The Buell Motorcycle Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer based in East Troy, Wisconsin and founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell.Harley-Davidson acquired 49% of Buell in 1993, and it became a wholly owned subsidiary by 2003....
Ulysses Police motorcycle. The FLHTP Electra Glide and the FLHP Road King are also offered as Fire/Rescue motorcycles.
See also
- Fire bikeFire bikeA fire bike is a motorcycle used by a fire department. Several countries around the world use fire bikes, often to beat traffic congestion, and the equipment carried ranges from simple extinguishers to jet guns with hose rigs...
- Motorcycle ambulanceMotorcycle ambulanceMotorcycle ambulances are a type of emergency vehicle which either carries a solo paramedic or first responder to a patient; or is used with a trailer or sidecar for transporting patients...
- Motorcycle trainingMotorcycle trainingMotorcycle training teaches motorcycle riders the skills for riding on public roads. It is the equivalent of driver's education for car drivers...
- Electra Glide in BlueElectra Glide in BlueElectra Glide in Blue is a 1973 film starring Robert Blake as a motorcycle cop in Arizona and Billy Green Bush as his partner. The name stems from the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle issued to traffic cops....
, 1973 film starring Robert Blake as a motorcycle police officer - CHiPsCHiPsCHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
, 1977-1983 US TV series about motorcycle police officers