Motocyclopedia is site devoted to organizing and categorizing motorcycle models from around the world.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Police Bikes

There's just something cool about police vehicles. Maybe it's because of their authority, maybe it's because they have special goodies that us "civilians" don't usually get. No matter what the reason is police bikes are cool. The relationship of police and motorcycles go way back, back to the early days of motorcycling. And throughout the years manufacturers have cooked up specially made bike just for police duty. Here are some modern law enforcement models (because good vintage pictures are hard to find).

One of the most famous police bikes has to be the Kawasaki KZ1000. Known best for its appearance in the TV show CHiPs. The KZ1000 served police duty from 1976 until its retirement in 2005.



Harley has been making law enforcement motorcycles for nearly a century. Two of hte latest models include the Electra Glide FLHTP (white) and the Road King FLHP (in black).



BMW has been a major provider for law enforcement cycles for many years now. Most BMW police bikes are RT boxer models. The latest of these is the R1200RTP. R1200RTP's are a common sight in Europe.

Another player in Europe's cop bike market is Honda. The Honda ST1100 and now ST1300 are popular police mounts. The ST's closest competitor, the Yamaha FJR1300 also is used for police duty in Europe.

Perhaps the most recent entry into police bike field is the Buell X12XP. The X12XP is a lightly modified Ulysses Touring (XB12XT). This bike offers a lot of versatility for a police bike.
Of course these aren't the only police motorcycles out there. Moto Guzzi's were popular law enforcement vehicles in the 1970's.

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