Hooniverse Asks- What's the Coolest Cop Bike?

Robert Emslie

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Jon and Ponch rode Kawasakis, while in the movie, Electra Glide in Blue, Robert Blake’s bike was, not surprisingly, a Harley. These days, the California Highway Patrol rides BMWs, thanks to that company’s cost-cutting guaranteed buy-back program, and a number of Japanese makers established production capability here in the U.S. to overcome anti-foreign maker sentiment. There have been a lot of bikes that have been part of John Law’s motor pool, but which one do you think has been the most cool?
Sure, cool and the TV show CHiPs don’t go together, and the portrayer of the squeaky clean non-Latino portion of the staring duet only recently had his own brush with the law, but those Kawaski KZ1000s really did look like they were willing to let the good times roll.
One bike for which I always harbored a major jones was Honda’s CX650 Turbo, a bike that looked like a police special, even though I don’t think that here in the U.S. it ever was. One of the major visual cues of most law enforcement bikes is a significant cowl and, typically, full bodywork ending in a pair of roomy saddle boxes on either side of the rear wheel. That bodywork allows for less fatigue on the road, as well as a place to keep your extra clips and zip ties for the hippies.
So, while you probably don’t like to see any of them looming in your rearview, lights a-blaze, there’s no denying the fact that cop bikes are the cool, the question is, which one do you think is the coolest?
Image source: [tampagov.net]

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Robert Emslie

Robert Emslie

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  1. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    My personal favorite.
    <img src="http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/le/lego-city–police-motorcycle.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
      Rust-MyEnemy

      <img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/51/145948659_afb0ffe719.jpg&quot; width=400">
      God damned model bloat.

      Reply
  2. Smells_Homeless Avatar
    Smells_Homeless

    You take that back! CHiPs is the epitome of cool, albeit in a very VERY 70s kind of way. Think about it – that series represents one of the very last visions of Southern California as Fun Central. It presented LA as a clean haven for every kind of fun that you didn't get in the Midwest. Desert racing? Check. Skate parks? Check. Roller disco? Well, okay we had that too, but still. The point is that Ponch and John were protecting what amounted to America's amusement park from cartoon bad guys while riding bitchin' motorcycles, Minis, Chevy stepsides, T/As, etc. Heck, the precinct even had its own drag racing team, even if the bad guys had stolen Grossman's tunnel ram from the speed shop.
    Also, compare California as presented by CHiPs to the SF presented in Bullitt or Dirty Harry. Shit was real in SF, but LA was one giant party.

    Reply
    1. west_coaster Avatar
      west_coaster

      Jon and Ponch also never had to patrol any real Los Angeles freeways. They were always either out in Sylmar on the yet-to-be-opened 210, or out in Malibu on PCH.

      Reply
    2. Jimmy7 Avatar
      Jimmy7

      A giant party with Really Good Hair.

      Reply
      1. Smells_Homeless Avatar
        Smells_Homeless

        And an outstanding uniform tailor. And maybe just a touch of Lycra.

        Reply
  3. west_coaster Avatar
    west_coaster

    Most people probably never knew this, but the LAPD used Moto Guzzis in the early 1970s.
    To hear it now, the bikes were horribly unreliable. But at the time, they just seemed so cool and exotic especially to my Cub Scout den when we toured the local station and saw them lined up in the parking lot. I'd see them on the road, and loved that V-twin throb that was definitely different from the Harleys they had used previously.
    This was the same era when their squad cars were AMC Matador 401s, whereas every other department seemed to use Dodges and Plymouths.

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Actually, at the time they weren't any less reliable than the Harleys (not saying too much there), but the real issue is that they were not any better, and were measurably more expensive.

      Reply
    2. CptSevere Avatar
      CptSevere

      Even better, when I was stationed in Italy in the early 80's, the Carabinieri (federal cops, more or less) rode classic 500 horizontal single Moto Guzzis. Like freakin' maniacs, no helmets, with ancient Beretta submachine guns slung crossways over their backs. Whenever we convoyed somewhere in our Deuce and a Halves, they'd escort us, and I'm telling you, those dudes could ride.

      Reply
  4. engineerd Avatar
    engineerd

    It can only be the Vincent Black Shadow:
    [youtube wfesJUWRD4k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfesJUWRD4k youtube]
    But only for short sprints.

    Reply
  5. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    <img src="http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/police/dsc06670.jpg&quot; width=500>
    Any decent cop bike needs a sidecar for hauling perps back to the station.

    Reply
    1. Black Steelies Avatar
      Black Steelies

      Ford Ka headlight

      Reply
  6. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
    Rust-MyEnemy

    Norton Interpol 2, used by Her Majesty's finest all through the 80's and until BMWs and Pan-Europeans took over in the 90's.
    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/SL-Norton-Interpol.jpg&quot; width=350>
    I'm going to be taken alive, coppa, I want it to be by someone riding an air-cooled wankel rotary powered British bike.

    Reply
    1. CptSevere Avatar
      CptSevere

      I wish I could give you more than one clicky for that one.

      Reply
  7. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    I'll take Goose's Kwaka, even if it didn't end well for him…
    <img src="http://www.whouse.jp/goose_photo/goose_slideshow/images/05goose_left45front.jpg"width=500&gt;

    Reply
    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      And one for Mini-Me.
      <img src="http://www.tanshanomi.com/temp/GooseMonkey_original.jpg&quot; width="500">

      Reply
  8. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    I always loved the Harley FXRP fairing.
    <img src="http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/turbo/abc_fxrp.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  9. scroggzilla Avatar
    scroggzilla

    Lawmaster
    <img src="http://img4.allvoices.com/thumbs/event/598/486/71151141-judge-dredd.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  10. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    A Dual-sport Guzzi adventure bike is a pretty cool starting point…
    <img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_aANqTQ3FfnQ/Rsq-3ZcFjpI/AAAAAAAACEE/cvL6rICOm6k/IMG_8725.JPG&quot; width="500">

    Reply
  11. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    And there was at least one forkless GTS1000 used in law enforcement.
    <img src="http://www.gts1000.net/schoenheiten/Pranger.jpg&quot; width="500">

    Reply
  12. EscortsForever Avatar
    EscortsForever

    <img src="http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20090114/425.paulblartmallcop.hames.kevin.lc.011409.jpg"width="600"&gt;
    hey, it's got two wheels right and malls are always fairly cool, right?

    Reply
    1. ChuckyShamrok Avatar
      ChuckyShamrok

      Filmed at my local mall…

      Reply
  13. IronBallsMcG Avatar
    IronBallsMcG

    Every time I see one a GTS1000 it sends me into a fit of justifying one as a primary bike.
    Sometimes I wish the odd didn't hold such appeal, but then I guess I wouldn't be here then, would I?

    Reply
  14. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    The Retriever…
    <img src="http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/rt.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  15. $kaycog Avatar
    $kaycog

    I'm kinda stuck on the Pan European.
    <img src="http://www.cvam.info/images/uploaded/Articles/Humour/wet-cement.jpg"width="500"/&gt;

    Reply
    1. Gearhead Avatar
      Gearhead

      As was he.

      Reply
  16. Jimmy7 Avatar
    Jimmy7

    <img src="http://www.policemotorunits.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webassets/36RedCycle.jpg&quot; width="600">
    I love the style of Indians.
    And I'm posting this because I think motorcycle teams is a good subject for Two Wheel Tuesdays. Ladies and gentlemen, the Victor McLaughlen Motor Corps.
    <img src="http://alan927.jalbum.net/Alan927%20Motorcycle%20Racing/In%20Sight/slides/Pyramid.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
  17. smv Avatar
    smv

    Maybe not the coolest, but not something I'd want chasing me. <img&gt <a href="http://;http://artbikerworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/photo.jpg” target=”_blank”>;http://artbikerworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/photo.jpg

    Reply
  18. Slow Joe Crow Avatar
    Slow Joe Crow

    The British bikes had the cool names like the Norton Commando Interpol and Triumph Saint, offset by the Velocette LE "noddy bike", but for looks and reliability I'd go for a German police BMW R100RT or R1ooRS with matching antifreeze Green leathers.

    Reply
  19. jjd241 Avatar
    jjd241

    RESPECT MAI ATHOURITAE!
    <img src="http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/ic/blogs/channelsurfing/uploaded_images/cartman-policebike-703301.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  20. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    This should be mandatory for speed enforcement duties:
    <img src="http://www.cycle-helmets.com/imgs/victextmessage.jpg"width=500&gt;

    Reply
    1. Mr_Biggles Avatar
      Mr_Biggles

      We have those here in Toronto, but I'm reasonably sure he would have to cite himself for texting while riding.

      Reply
    2. AlexiusG55 Avatar
      AlexiusG55

      The Metropolitan police bicycle units are crazy. There was an article in the Evening Standard where an experienced bicycle patrolman described having ridden his bike down the stairs of a Tube station to catch a pickpocket- who promptly gave himself up…

      Reply
  21. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    Japanese VFR 750P or VFR 800 P
    img src="http://f53.aaa.livedoor.jp/~joseph/honda_vfr_police.jpg&quot;
    For your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2BTOOqFVk4

    Reply
    1. jjd241 Avatar
      jjd241

      あいつは必ずどのように乗ることを知っている！

      Reply
  22. ZomBee Racer Avatar
    ZomBee Racer

    For me the KZ900/1000P will ALWAYS be the coolest cops bikes ever. I still hear the theme-song every time I fire up my own GPz550, and often watch old episodes just to see all the old/new cars and bikes. It's what I've always known a police bike to be, other than the occasional Harley. Our local PD even has some late model Kawasakis still in service.
    In the early 90's I was on I-5 in San Diego with a car full of Japanese friends who barely spoke a lick of English. A pair of CHP bikes overtook us causing my passengers to excitedly blurt out "Ponch & John!" (the Japanese name of CHiPs). Evidently it was wildly popular there too, which I thought was awesome.
    <img src="http://terceiramargemdaestrada.blog.terra.com.br/files/2010/11/chips_tv_show_image_erik_estrada_and_larry_wilcox__2_1.jpg&quot; width ="500" />

    Reply
    1. CptSevere Avatar
      CptSevere

      If I had a GPz, every time I'd fire it up I'd hear Lou Reed's "New Sensations."[youtube CXzNlHXKAuM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXzNlHXKAuM youtube]

      Reply
      1. scroggzilla Avatar
        scroggzilla

        One of my favorite Lou Reed songs

        Reply
  23. vft Avatar
    vft

    http://www.vft.org/Photos-I-like/2008-04ParisMoto…
    Harleys? We don't ride no stinkin' Harleys!

    Reply
  24. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    not good
    <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JERN4egX_yw/TSZ_As0JA4I/AAAAAAAAFz8/dU5fJP8m2GA/s1600/0jf6.jpg"&gt;
    via 4Q Conditioning

    Reply
  25. 4DoorNoMore Avatar
    4DoorNoMore

    I fondly remember a Polizei BMW sailing past me at ~220 klicks on a trip to Germany. This would have been around 2001…so R1100RT, probably? Cops in full leathers get the win for me.

    Reply