Police Bike Test Report

[muleskinner]

This is a 2006 report done by LAPD and LASO regarding their comprehensive evaluation of the police bikes submitted by HD, BMW and Honda. Some may have read it before, but it is a good read for those who have not. Interesting how the Electra Glide and the Road King faired in the test process.

Here is the link

http://www.lasd.org/sites/motorcycle-test/2006.pdf

[HDtwice]

That was some interesting reading......I would have loved to have been there watching while they did the high speed laps.....thanks for posting the link.

[muleskinner]

Yes as would I. It sounds like they were really flying, as I've never dragged my frame or my floor boards. That would be scary, as you could low side the bike in a heart beat by doing so.

[SamF]

Originally Posted by muleskinner

Yes as would I. It sounds like they were really flying, as I've never dragged my frame or my floor boards. That would be scary, as you could low side the bike in a heart beat by doing so.

Draggin the floor boards on my FLHT is a daily occurrence...it's the mount ya gotta watch out for, though mine has plenty of drag marks on it as well

[muleskinner]

I like to go fast in the straights. I've been to 175 on my ZX12R. But when it comes to the corners, I'm a moderate rider. I guess I need to step up the pace and try to scrape my floor boards.

[ezriderbeef]

its really not as fun as you might think... and scares the sh!t out of me everytime they scrape....

[03flstfi]

WTF is this "wire loom interference" they talk about on right turns on an E-glide?

I make better right turns than I do lefts as there is less lean angle on the left due to the stand.

[Chart]

The wire loom for all wires going to the handle bars / faring runs on the right side of the neck of the frame. This actually prevents the handle bars from turning as tight to the right as they do to the left. Probably only really an issue in Police Rodeo's or training.

[03flstfi]

Originally Posted by Chart

The wire loom for all wires going to the handle bars / faring runs on the right side of the neck of the frame. This actually prevents the handle bars from turning as tight to the right as they do to the left. Probably only really an issue in Police Rodeo's or training.

I know where the wires run.... I must be doing something wrong then as I can turn mine from lock to lock with no issues.

The brake lines for the ABS-equipped bikes run down the same side as well... does that mean they turn less to the right because there is more stuff there?

We regularly do slow speed excercises that require turns to full lock. The bike turns fine in either direction to the stops. The only limiting factors I agree with is the right floorboad/bracket and the jiffy stand on the left.

Maybe its how the additional components are installed for police use?

[Chart]

Going off memory here (put bike away before knee surgery a few weeks ago, and I'm not allowed back on it until spring - or risk having to start the surgery all over again) but I recall the handlebars turn a little more to the left than they do to the right on my '07 police road king. I don't recall if they actually smash the wire loom, or if there is a protective stop set out a little to prevent smashing the wires. I THINK there is a stop, and that some competitors in police trials remove it to gain a little more right turn. Their mechanics don't like that much.

While handlebars are seldom symmetrical(sp?), my left handlebar gets closer to the speedo housing than the right handlebar. This by itself proves nothing, but it does support the claim.

I recall the brake lines actually sit closer to the frame than the wire loom, and instead of being bundled, they are stacked one on top of another, so they should not add anymore problem than the wire loom does itself.

[03flstfi]

Dont mention knee surgery while I'm hobbling around with damaged tendons and/or ligaments. (Just dont tell my doc I'm still riding) It pains me more to climb into my cage than it does for me to swing a leg over the scoot.

Anyhow: Back on topic...

I'd have to ride a LE edition to be sure but I recall looking at a Police E-glide a couple years back... I did not notice (nor was I looking for) any additional steering stop specific to the model. I was only looking for the bells and whistle items.

[Chart]

I hobbled around for almost 6 months with a broken ACL before going in for the surgery last month. I rode all during that time, even sat in on the local department's spring training a couple of weeks after breaking it. Kind of failed to mention the bad knee to them, and they were cool enough not to ask about my limping. Just afraid to do ANYTHING now that will negate all the surgeon's work, and start the rehab all over again. Hopefully in another 6 months I'll be saying what a good thing having the ACL surgery was. But, I'm already glad to have waited for the fall, so as not to have lost the summer recovering.

Back on topic: I don't think the FLP's have any different stops than the civilian FLH's. I was under the impression they all had the same, but don't know that fer sur.

Keep in mind the FLP's are taller than FLHX's, with a greater lean angle. If the handle bars don't turn quite as far to the right, that may be offset by no kickstand on the right limiting the lean (just speculation on my part).

[03flstfi]

Mine seems to turn the same left or right... so what I'm getting at is it looks as though they were reading each other's notes and were afraid of the bikes.

I cant check an FLP because the last year Hawaii used them was 1997 when HPD switched to *gasp* BMW's

[loboheritage]

check the data on the heat issue. measuring the
heat 5" from the engine:
BMW = 79 degrees
ElectraGlide = 172 degrees
Honda = 115 degrees
no wonder Touring riders complain of
heat on the legs.........

[03flstfi]

They are called touring bikes for a reason...

And I have one loom running down each side of the frame on my FLHX, and the inner fairing just touches the front of the tank... on full lock left, and full lock right.

The harness does NOT hamper the ability for the bike to turn.