How BMW lead the royal wedding . . .

[Grey Thumper]

http://www.torquenews.com/1/429-how-bmw ... ce-william

An R1150RS instead of the latest R1200RT (or even the K GT). There's still a heck of a lot of service life left in our oilheads.

[ColumbiaBMW]

Aw you beat me to it, CNN.com also has a really good picture of the bike escorting them.

[rbt1548]

http://www.torquenews.com/1/429-how-bmw ... ce-william

An R1150RS instead of the latest R1200RT (or even the K GT). There's still a heck of a lot of service life left in our oilheads.

It's not actually a R1150rs, it's a hybrid. A UK mag did a article a few years back on this motorcycle group and they stated the bike was constructed using bits from several models to fit their purpose, I can't remember which models off hand but I might have the mag lying about somewhere at home but I won't be able to get it for 6-7 weeks as I'm in Saudi at present.
In the article they stated that they don't have horns or sirens apart from the standard road ones, as they found that they clear the traffic better without them by stopping at the junctions with just their lights, and once the dignitaries are through they race head to the next junction. It was a good article and I can't for the life of me remember the special groups name, but I do know they are not the normal motorcycle plods.

[gregor]

SWMBO got annoyed with me going oh look an Aston martin DB6 Volante (running on alcohol), oh look a BMW R1150RS. Stuck to necking a few glasses of wine after that and got suckered into taking a bet with her on the colour of the brides dress. I lost- it was not white apparently.

[riceburner]

http://www.torquenews.com/1/429-how-bmw ... ce-william

An R1150RS instead of the latest R1200RT (or even the K GT). There's still a heck of a lot of service life left in our oilheads.

It's not actually a R1150rs, it's a hybrid. A UK mag did a article a few years back on this motorcycle group and they stated the bike was constructed using bits from several models to fit their purpose, I can't remember which models off hand but I might have the mag lying about somewhere at home but I won't be able to get it for 6-7 weeks as I'm in Saudi at present.
In the article they stated that they don't have horns or sirens apart from the standard road ones, as they found that they clear the traffic better without them by stopping at the junctions with just their lights, and once the dignitaries are through they race head to the next junction. It was a good article and I can't for the life of me remember the special groups name, but I do know they are not the normal motorcycle plods.

DPG (Diplomatic Protection Group), use what is effectively an R850RS. It's the 850 engine and gearbox (IIRC), mated to the R-RS bodywork. Gives the cops a thin, but white bike that looks the part (places to put stickers etc), but with an engine that's better suited to in-town work. I have a couple of friends who have ridden with them at different times, one a cop, and one a journo. Both say they're some of the most amazing in-town riders (and both are VERY good city riders), they've ever seen.

The cars being escorted don't actually travel very quickly through traffic - never more than about 20-25 mph, but the car being escorted DOES NOT STOP..... the bikes pause the traffic (using whistles a lot of the time) at junctions for about 30 seconds while the convoy goes through, then leapfrog ahead, amazing to watch.



Incidentally - I've no idea where that journalist got his "facts" from - the UK police don't use Triumph, London police (City and Metropolitan), always use BMWs, or Pan Euros. The Current fleet is R1200RTs mostly, and some F650GSs. They DO however occasionally borrow a bike to test it out, but as far as I know, it's only BMW and Honda who have had permanent contracts in the last 20 years or so. (The 1800 Pan is currently not popular in UK police forces as it tends to weave like a bastard with all the gubbins in the boxes).

[Martyn]

http://www.torquenews.com/1/429-how-bmw ... ce-william

An R1150RS instead of the latest R1200RT (or even the K GT). There's still a heck of a lot of service life left in our oilheads.

It's not actually a R1150rs, it's a hybrid. A UK mag did a article a few years back on this motorcycle group and they stated the bike was constructed using bits from several models to fit their purpose, I can't remember which models off hand but I might have the mag lying about somewhere at home but I won't be able to get it for 6-7 weeks as I'm in Saudi at present.
In the article they stated that they don't have horns or sirens apart from the standard road ones, as they found that they clear the traffic better without them by stopping at the junctions with just their lights, and once the dignitaries are through they race head to the next junction. It was a good article and I can't for the life of me remember the special groups name, but I do know they are not the normal motorcycle plods.

DPG (Diplomatic Protection Group), use what is effectively an R850RS. It's the 850 engine and gearbox (IIRC), mated to the R-RS bodywork. Gives the cops a thin, but white bike that looks the part (places to put stickers etc), but with an engine that's better suited to in-town work. I have a couple of friends who have ridden with them at different times, one a cop, and one a journo. Both say they're some of the most amazing in-town riders (and both are VERY good city riders), they've ever seen.

The cars being escorted don't actually travel very quickly through traffic - never more than about 20-25 mph, but the car being escorted DOES NOT STOP..... the bikes pause the traffic (using whistles a lot of the time) at junctions for about 30 seconds while the convoy goes through, then leapfrog ahead, amazing to watch.



Incidentally - I've no idea where that journalist got his "facts" from - the UK police don't use Triumph, London police (City and Metropolitan), always use BMWs, or Pan Euros. The Current fleet is R1200RTs mostly, and some F650GSs. They DO however occasionally borrow a bike to test it out, but as far as I know, it's only BMW and Honda who have had permanent contracts in the last 20 years or so. (The 1800 Pan is currently not popular in UK police forces as it tends to weave like a bastard with all the gubbins in the boxes).

The Met. Special Escort Group, who are not the DPG, use these modified R1150's, which were I believe virtually the last 1150's made, as they were such a good tool for the job, replacing R1100's that had just been delivered at the time of the funeral of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. They are 1150's.

They have the same rear end as the 1150RTP, with police type panniers, radio box & solo seat. Unlike a normal production RS, they have raised handlebars, to give an RT type riding position, & although they have blue lights front & rear, as said already, no 2-tones.

The idea is to move through traffic as discreetly as possible, so no 2-tones required, but to catch attention, especially of pedestrians, a whistle is used - & it works.

As with the SEG bikes over the last nearly 30 years, Vehicle Developments at Andover, Hampshire played a big part in producing the right bike for this specialised job, raiding the parts bins to do so.

I have always assumed that although it's only some 39 bikes, BMW AG see it rightly as a high profile advertisement, thus warranting the time involved, as opposed to the other 350 or so "normal police bikes" that the Met. currently run.

Sign of the times mind, it used to be nearer 800 back in the late 1970's.

[Shakey]

So a member of one German family got to escort two members of another ...............