Just had to share this one today. My motorcycle store just picked up one of the more interesting bikes I've seen in a while. It's a de-badged, but not decommissioned, 2009 Honda ST1300 Police Edition.
Living in Southern California, the Honda ST1300 is a very popular police motorcycle that is used by several departments in LA and Orange County. Some of these departments include the LAPD, Irvine Police, Newport Beach, and Fullerton just to name a few. In Northern California, the San Jose Police use them heavily. And they're often used as a cost-effective alternative to the BMW R1200RT that is used primarily by the California Highway Patrol.
Out here in Ohio, there are no known police departments that use sport-touring bikes; in fact, all the police motorcycles I've seen out here are Harley-Davidson cruisers. So it's quite unusual to see this bike here, and it's very nice to see (and sit on) a little piece of home.
When I rode on SoCal freeways in heavily congested traffic, following a police bike while lane-splitting in between stopped cars was like catching an awesome wave while surfing. Cars would move in their lane to provide more space, and you'd just take advantage of it on your motorcycle. Although it's technically not illegal in Ohio to perform this move (I checked), most people out here would try to kill you out of sheer anger and stupidity. For more thoughts on what I consider to be one of the greatest privileges in motorcycle riding, click here.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to ride it down the street; it is illegal in Ohio as a civilian to ride any motorcycle with police lights and siren still installed on it, whether or not they are used during operation. Darn. But enjoy the photos!
Front of the bike.
Rear of the bike. Passenger seat is replaced with a plastic cowl and additional bracket added to hold the lights.
Honda factory installed police bike controls (throttle side). settings 1-3 are for police lights, 4 is siren, 5 is preset on/off. Headlights and running lights can be turned off independently.
Clutch side controls. No difference from a stock Honda ST1300 except for an added intercom push-to-talk button. Windshield is electronically adjustable with a toggle switch.
This is about the furthest I can travel with it, but it never hurts to dream. :)
Dublin has a couple of BMW's in their fleet. BMW donated them when they opened their BMW Financial Services office there, but the officers prefer their H-D bikes.
Thanks for the updated info on that. I wish Dublin kept using them, they're so much more agile than the H-D Electra Glides. If you were speeding in CA on a crotch rocket, you couldn't stand a chance against one of these bikes with a competent rider on it.
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Dublin has a couple of BMW's in their fleet. BMW donated them when they opened their BMW Financial Services office there, but the officers prefer their H-D bikes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the updated info on that. I wish Dublin kept using them, they're so much more agile than the H-D Electra Glides. If you were speeding in CA on a crotch rocket, you couldn't stand a chance against one of these bikes with a competent rider on it.
ReplyDeleteOut of all automotive brands of India,Honda enjoys the tag of most technically advanced and stunning car maker.My favorite one is Honda crossrunner.
ReplyDeletehonda motorcycles