Police Motorcycles
Various police departments use motorcycles to patrol their beats. They may be custom designed to meet certain requirements, which may be unique for every department. A police motorcycle is generally called a "motor" by police officers in the United States. Similarly, motorcycle units are called motor units, and motorcycle officers are called motor officers. Motorcycle units in the United States usually use custom-built bikes, which are marketed by Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, and BMW. However, Kawasaki stopped its production of its police motorcycles in September 2005.
Motorcycle patrols are generally more common in moderate urban areas with heavy traffic or on express highways. The ability of these vehicles to maneuver on crammed streets offers advantages not provided by more traditional police vehicles. Their compact size allows them to reach a scene more quickly when incidents like traffic accidents slow down access by more traditional units. They also tend to consume less fuel than police cars, which saves costs for the police departments that use them.
The job of a police officer is filled with perils and dangers. Pursuing criminals or offenders and patrolling their beat form a part of their daily routine. As such, police motorcycles need to be equipped with products that provide adequate safety and comfort. The basic requirements on a police motorcycle are windshields, saddle boxes, pursuit lights, and folding floorboards rather than foot pegs. The motorcycles used vary on a number of factors such as geographical location or urbanization. The motorcycles used may be cruisers, sport bikes, touring bikes and other specialized applications. The bikes are also specially designed to carry radio communications apparatus and are wired for electronic sirens.
Police motorcycles generally possess 4-cylinders, which are normally four-stroke. They have overhead-cam engines, chain drives, and greater power generating systems than similar civilian models. They are designed to provide police officers with speed and power while carrying out their duties. However, care should be taken to see that such officers are specially trained to operate such vehicles.
