The Washington State Patrol are trading in their Beemers for Hondas

Honda model chosen as Wash. troopers' new ride

I'd love a surplus Beemer

 

Makes total sense

 

It's a sweet looking bike

 

uh boy....guys better be careful in Washington....

 

You know. It was a heck of a lot easier to outrun them when they were riding those 90 year old Indians

 

Too bad they didn't buy HD's then you could outrun them in your slippers!

 

Looks like an updated CBR1000F to me!

 

That's a nice looking bike but if I remember the UK police rode one very similar, which had handling problems and caused the death of a couple of officers. They developed a "harmonic sway" which got worse and worse until you fell off. One of our members - Flogger - bought one and kept it for ONE MONTH - and then bought a VTR 1000. He said the ex-police bike was DANGEROUS as I recall. (And he's a police officer in London" and rides bikes all the time.........) Probably bought it cheap...

They talk about catching people in cars and trucks - those bikes with a 5 speed box () wouldn't even get close to a Hurricane on the road, much less a 1000RR, Beemer our own beloved 1000RR , or virtually any of the top end superbikes on the road today. They remind me of the old 750 Suzuki "waterbuffaloes" we had as police bikes back in the day - heavy, undergeared, ponderous and not very good for anything but "presence"
A good thing they don't let bikers choose what they ride in the "force" or the criminal element among us would have a lot more to worry about.

http://powersports.honda.com/documen...00PA_Specs.pdf

125 BHP, V4 5 speed box, AND they don't talk about the weight of the thing - add another 30 Kg's of radios, and extra stuff the cops have to carry (like donut wastelines) - and wotcha got - a lazy highway cruiser.

Just my own personal views, but then if I was criminally inclined, I'd be a happy bunny

 

Thanks Shadow for putting me on the scent. This is interesting reading

Googled ST1300 handling problems and found this link

ST1300 handling problems

Interesting reading, will investigate further.

Maybe the WSP is getting a deal on used UK Police bikes. Times are tough

Here's another. Citing an officer fatality in Lanchashire and rider accounts of the problem and suspected causes.

http://www.ridethatbike.com/ST1300/ST%20wobble.htm

And finally

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_ST1300

Scroll down and read "Pan Weave"

 

'43% of owners that were surveyed had experienced the Pan Weave'

pretty interesting - I expect that due to the kit that Police riders carry the weave would be significantly more pronounced - would it be right to assume most of the extra weight is over the rear wheel? at 110mph that rear wheel yaw would be pretty scary...