CHP leaves BMW, goes back to H-Ds

[cswett]

Ran into a California Highway Patrol officer at a gas station riding a new Harley. He said the CHP is moving back to Harley-Davidson after years with BMW. He said most of his fellow officers prefer the BMW but they were just too expensive over the life of the bike. He said that with maintenance, each BMW cost more than $100,000 over its lifetime. He didn't give me a number on the Harley costs, but said the contract called for HD to cover all maintenance except for tires and clutches.

[daveyator]

The only bike that ever stranded me....TWICE...was a HD. Just saying.

[garr2]

The only bike that ever stranded me....TWICE... (once 800 km from home) was a BM.

I still ride one and love it!

Ian

[badbs101]

Owned at least three different HDs and three different BMWs. The only one that wouldnt start, once, was a BMW, EWS failure. Just sayin'. That being said, I do prefer BMws.

[jkhomes]

The maintenance contracts are very lucrative for the dealers. Those boxer twins call for service like what, every 8,000 miles? I love my R1200R, but BMW really needs to figure out how to increase the service intervals if they want to keep up with the competition.

[SDMAX2]

Not strictly related but guilty pleasure watched 1973 Clint Eastwood MAGNUM FORCE. Lots of San Francisco PD actions scenes on Guzzi 750's except for the final scenes on the ship where they switched to Triumph T100's because lighter and easirt for the stunts. Triva says after the SFPD bad motocops confront Eastwood in parking garage, when they actually shot the scene all three actors dumped their bikes on the way out of the underground parking. Moto's have come a long way. Drum brakes etc.

[dbrick]

The maintenance contracts are very lucrative for the dealers. Those boxer twins call for service like what, every 8,000 miles? I love my R1200R, but BMW really needs to figure out how to increase the service intervals if they want to keep up with the competition.

It's not just service intervals.

In bidding for large-agency public contracts, H-D often has the bikes' purchase price include at least regular service. I think H-D is much more eager to retain the authority business than BMW is to obtain it.

[tinytrains]

What happened the Concourses they were buying?

CHP generally goes with whoever meets their specs and gives them the best deal. That is pretty much state law.

Companies, including BMW often bend over backwards to give them a good deal, including maintenance, because other LEOs around the county look to the CHP to see what they are buying.

[SDMAX2]

Heard that 30% of the Concourses had major electrical issues; cruising along and then bang....everything dead. CHP passes and went with HD

[BigEasy]

Heard that 30% of the Concourses had major electrical issues; cruising along and then bang....everything dead. CHP passes and went with HD

I read somewhere on the net (must be true ) that mother Kawi has suspended the LEO Connie because of this. Evidently the electrical system wasn't correctly designed for the load the LEOs were putting on them.

[Lost Rider]

The GM at my local shop told me that HD bid so low that BMW couldn't/wouldn't compete on price, HD wanted the exposure of having their bikes back in CHP dress and of course the bid was the major factor for CHP's decision.

On another note, I still can't understand how CHP regularly needed to change out clutches on BMW's so much, driving up the cost of maintenance, don't they teach the cops how to properly use a clutch?....



a long thread on this topic:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=914807

[MTBeemer]

I was told by the GM of our local HD/BMW dealer a few years ago that HD leased the bikes to the local PDs for three years at $1 per year. Not sure about any maintenance deal, but the PDs stored the bikes on the Harley showroom floor all winter. Harley wants cops on bikes very badly; good for their image.

[tinytrains]

On another note, I still can't understand how CHP regularly needed to change out clutches on BMW's so much, driving up the cost of maintenance, don't they teach the cops how to properly use a clutch?....

Low speed work. One of the standard things police are taught is to crawl along dragging the rear break and feathering the clutch. On a wet clutch like the old Kawi 1000's, no problem. But this just kills dry clutches as they over heat. I have smelled my clutch just doing an accidental 2nd gear start on a small grade. I suspect this was part of the reason the wet-head has wet clutch. Plus the clutch is much easier to get to.

[SF_Hooligan]

On another note, I still can't understand how CHP regularly needed to change out clutches on BMW's so much, driving up the cost of maintenance, don't they teach the cops how to properly use a clutch?....

Low speed work. One of the standard things police are taught is to crawl along dragging the rear break and feathering the clutch. On a wet clutch like the old Kawi 1000's, no problem. But this just kills dry clutches as they over heat. I have smelled my clutch just doing an accidental 2nd gear start on a small grade. I suspect this was part of the reason the wet-head has wet clutch. Plus the clutch is much easier to get to.

It's not just when crawling along. I've taken some LEO moto training and they teach being in the friction zone for control in low speed turns and such as well.

[Steve H.]

Good luck with HD-s to cal. officers.They vill cry for BMW-s back.Harley has "too much power"

[Steve H.]

In wery slow turns Iwould use 1st gear,engine brake and a very little brake use.I can not see really a clutch issue here.

[BigEasy]

In wery slow turns Iwould use 1st gear,engine brake and a very little brake use.I can not see really a clutch issue here.

If you ever have the opportunity to go to a police bike rodeo competition you will get a sense of what the prior posters were talking about being in the "friction zone". The competitors can creep a bike along at a slower than walking pace by dragging the brake/feathering the clutch/reving the motor. By reving the motor I mean 4k+rpm on a motor that redlines at 5.5k rpm. They can move the bike at those low speeds and drag the floor boards. That takes some serious clutch work/abuse to keep the right amount of power to the ground and keep the bike upright.

Hard to imagine until you see them do it. Pretty amazing what a well trained motor officer can do, on any brand of bike. The low speed work just happens to put a ton of stress on the machine. YouTube has a ton of rodeo videos to give you an idea.

[celticus]

Good luck with HD-s to cal. officers.They vill cry for BMW-s back.Harley has "too much power"

Preparing for more low speed OJ style chases.

[Steve H.]

Well,I can not stand not to ansver to Big Easy re. clutch federing/brake dragging at cca.4000rpm.Yes,that is the easiest way to do slow turnings/maneuvering-killing your bike.That kinde of driving is for average people,to make shure the engine will not dye ,but no one cares about the bike,scince it is paid by government.Would you do it to your own bike?Certenly not.
Decades back I participated in races,to drive as slow as possible without tochig the ground with feet.Pillions,zig-zag etc. What I did is simple:kept the clutch in friction zone,playing with left hand fingers(adding drag onclutch-relising drag)like playing with it.Engine rpm kept a litlebit above idling cca1500-2000rpm.Adding-releasing rear brake at same time.That is a very sinchronizied play of left hand fingers,right hand wrist,and right leg on brake lever. Got to use to it,it is easily done with practice.Do NOT have to rew engine to 4000 rpm,especially not on HD,s,with lots of torque at low rpms nor on R1200R.Do you really think that every police officer on bikes is an expert to handle the bike???...B.S. They are average people trained for bike riding.SOME of them becoming good.REARE of them becoming experts.To be an expert,got to LOVE biking,having"feeling"for biking,with lots of practise and sometimes falling off the bike,and still never giving up riding.Got to know your bike exactly,and very well and as not as last LOVE your bike,grow togedher wit your bike,in one.Now you starting to bee a good biker.Only my life experience...I don't think I am wrong.I won some local racings in former Yugoslavia.Probably,I am nowhere in comparation to CHP motorcycle officers.They are the best in the all world


Steve H.

[mogu83]

I think another major reason that many motor units are going back to HD is that the Motor Company is now offering ABS on its bikes. That's (IMHO) the main reason they moved to Beemers in the first place. I know many of the 'expert' riders on this list don't see the need for ABS but apparently many Police departments do.

I ride with a few LEOs that are assigned to motor units and their skill at low speed riding (parking lot stuff) is amazing, however on a gravel road or moderate riding in the twisties - not so much. Most of their work is done at low speeds and sitting watching traffic.