seattleman

A few years ago I talked to an SPD Cycle Cop who commented on their use of R1200's.

He said that the biggest surprise came in their Motorcycle Maintenance Department. When SPD had HD bikes the Maintenance Shop always had a spare Harley ready to quickly replace the next broken Harley. After the change their spare R1200 was collecting dust.

Maybe going back to HD was a higher level decision made to avoid layoffs in their Maintenance Department. When you are paid by the taxpayers, being able to justify more people (i.e.: growing your own Department) is always a good thing.

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Bmwridr05

Reason for the Harleys in the Moscow/ Lewiston areas had always been cost.
Harley lease programs were miles ahead of some other manufacture offerings.

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FireDave

Article says comfort was the main consideration. Why not cost, performance or safety?

I wonder if handling was a consideration:

"The SPD says 31 officers rode each motorcycle for one week and evaluated each one based on handling, ergonomics, maintenance, handling and comfort. The clear winner was the Harley Electra Glide."

Of course handling was the main consideration. Most of SPD's motor officers are mediocre riders, at best. And they must annually qualify in the cone-course. Most couldn't do it on anything other than a bike (HD) they can toss over onto the crash bars, then steer like a child's tricycle.

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Red Label Moto

I had an ex-SPD Road King come through a couple weeks back. 2004 model with 33k miles. It was astounding to me how not hammered it was and seemed to work just as well as a big twin with 10k miles. It was a cool piece and a local rock star bought it.

That being said, what an absolute horrid machine for everyday urban police work. The brakes/handling were piss poor. The monster engine maybe had 50 ft/lbs torque to lug around 750 lbs and Officer Poncherello. Looked and sounded great though. The sole performance upgrade was the inclusion of a tachometer.

I understand how H-D gets these contracts, of course. $$$$ and politics. The American way lol.

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dcdeuce

That is pretty funny when ive read about them coming in dead last before too. I know the concours 14 police bike had a recall due to the electrical system being inadequate with everything on it however I don't think id want to ride one in the city. It especially (and other ST bikes) can have a lot higher seat height that makes it harder to manuever on hills especially for the short folk.

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RideSlow2004

Truly uneducated statement, and glaringly inaccurate on training and qualification.

If made for entertainment purposes only, then please carry on.

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joshc

They should ride tards so they can chase perps up stairs, alleyways, and off-road.

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FireDave

No, it's a completely educated opinion. I watch them ride the cone course, often. And many, not all but many, appear to be brand new riders. Probably not new riders, but they ride like it. More than a few times I've walked away from the course, shaking my head, thinking "these guys are motor officers?"

And what about my statement is 'glaringly inaccurate?' Do you know these riders? Are you one? Have you cheated and filed down the steering stops so you can turn it even more like a child's trike? Intentionally thrown it over, hard, onto the crash bar, as to bend it, and thus give you more lean on the following turns?

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ebesel

Rideslow might not know them but I do. I worked beside them for 4 years and was even in line to begin training to be a motor officer, before I left the department.

The training they go through is some of the most rigorous in the department. You may be watching the new motor officer candidates go through the cones course, but by the time the officers have completed the training and the weak riders have been weeded out, the riders who remain are very skilled.

Their skills only get better as they go through even more on-going, continuing training...AND...ride 8 hours a day, five days a week, 10 months a year in the real world.

So yeah...I am calling BS on your so-called "educated opinion."

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bazacko

Obviously "percentage of chrome by weight" was the most important criteria.

Why else would they go with a harley?

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FireDave

BS? Based on what? That you applied for training you never had? That you worked beside them for four whole years? I've been working along side cops, in the field, from four different agencies for over 22 years. Your opinion that their training is 'rigorous?'

No, in the last four years I've watched several dozen, maybe over a hundred current motor officers do the cone course, and probably a hundred more newbies, from many agencies, including Seattle. At least a quarter of those were new and experienced motor officers from SPD. Some, maybe even most (I'll be generous here and soften my earlier words) are truly expert riders. Many of them, a significant percentage, are NOT. And they get better with experience? I certainly hope so. I'd hate to think they got worse.

Please, don't try to convince us that all are expert bikers. They're not. Not even close. Just as all cops are not expert marksmen or expert car drivers (have you seen the lots full of racked-up squad cars?) Or even experts at protecting/not violating the civil rights of citizens or experts at understanding that many cell phones now have video capabilities. Are you trying to convince us that the public's view of the general level of police competence is not mirrored in the motor officer ranks?

And based on the recruiting success and outright raiding of talent from other agencies . . . it's very safe to say that a few local police agencies, including SPD, are NOT getting the best and brightest from among the general population.

If they were ALL expert riders, then there's no way in hell they would accept a substandard bike like the HDs. I own a '93 police Kawi that would stomp the balls off the current HDs in just about every performance criteria you can dream up. And the current Kawi C14, BMW R12RT, Honda ST, maybe even the Victory would embarrass my Kawi. EVERY motor officer I've EVER talked bikes with wishes Kawi still made the KZ1000P. They loved that bike.

What may be the most disturbing thing about SPD's latest bad choice of bikes . . . that managed to find a bike even bigger, heavier and slower than the HDs they're replacing. Quite an accomplishment.

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infidel

That sure seems like a miserable bike to ride all day in the city. Doesn't seem like an appropriate machine for the job.

I agree with joshc. Seems like a good supermoto would stop, go, turn, and run down tweakers better than an HD anything. Maybe not with 100lbs of crap bolted to it.

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ebesel

FYI - I worked as an SPD Officer with those Motor Officesr for 4 years. I have also worked with them as a Seattle Firefighter and Arson Investigator for the last 18 years. (22 years total) I have many friends who are still with SPD...some are even Motor Officers.

I have first hand knowledge of the training and the Motor Officers. I can say with absolute certainty, that you do not have a clue what you are talking about. SPD Motor Officers are all highly trained and skilled riders. Some more skilled than others, but all very good riders.

I have no idea who you are, or what law enforcement agencies/officers you have been working with or around for the last 22 years...but I have personal first-hand knowledge, that goes beyond watching some people ride around some cones...

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MB2

lol The top speed is 106mph, and they get from 0-60 in right around 6 seconds? That's way worse then I would have expected from a police motorcycle. Guess that helps justify their lack of gear.

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FireDave

Well, I'll admit there's a remote possibility that I've been hallucinating for 22 years, but probably not. We disagree, but don't confuse that by telling me I haven't seen what I've seen, heard what I've heard. Questions from officers that immediately make me ask with a raised eyebrow "how long have you been riding?"

Nice guys, most, most interested in getting better, but holy cow . . . maybe I should know the wash-out rate, but I don't. Maybe that knowledge would make me feel better about the quality of the officers put to the street.

We disagree, and there's always a different opinion. Some are more biased, in either direction, than others. I'm a little biased, that bias mostly coming from direct experience with a couple SPD motor officers in particular who are complete assholes AND obtuse enough to think their riding/behavior gave them any ground at all to comment on my riding or behavior. I'm one of very few people who ride nearly every day and in position to observe multiple agencies, while not trying to maintain relationships which oblige me to toe those agencies' company line.

I'm also not willing to shine a turd. I could write a book of bad biking I've seen from SPD motor officers, glaringly bad riding on the street and in training( bad training riding can be forgiven, it's training. But it does, IMO, translate to their street riding); If someone in my group rode like that while I was with them . . . they'd never ride with me again. But what's the point, I think you'd only disagree. And maybe go looking for more shoe polish.


I won't sugar-coat it at all here. You work for Seattle, I don't. I live in Seattle and work elsewhere in public safety. And from my view SPD has been a joke for decades. Their choice of bikes is evidence of this.

[Additional section removed by mod since poster declined to remove off-topic political commentary after requested.] No . . . edited by a mod who can't seem to read accurately or put aside his personal opinions of the messenger.

SFD section removed by request of a mod

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West Seattle Cager

http://www.northwest-motorcycle.com/index.htm

They say this is the motorcycle training Motor Officers receive with the exception of how to do a traffic stop or shot a firearm while operating a motorcycle. In my opinion the course teaches a lot of riding skills that some motorcyclist could only dream of having.

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