Police BMW Motorcycle Review.

[@markgr1nyer]

I have a 2011 RT ex police bike. Brilliant bikes, and the slimer panniers make a big difference filtering in Birmingham. Fantastic road presence and if using counter balancing at low speed are incredibly nimble

[@pwceng17ine]

The RT is such a great handling bike👍 Here in the States most of the motor police used to ride Harley Davidson. That is until it was time to trade them in for the newer model. Harley not only refused to offer PD jurisdictions a discount on the newer bikes but also told them there’d be no more discounts on parts either. So BMW was more than happy to step in and offer discounts for new PD bikes. Here in the state of Virginia the motor PD ride the RT and also the local motor PD here in Prince William County (30 minutes outside of Washington D.C.)ride the RT now👍 They much prefer them.

[@MHeadroom]

In my day in service we used the BMW R100 RT and then went to the K100 LT. The transition from a twin carby fueled boxer to the injected 4 cylinder brick was akin to stepping out of a Sopwith Camel and into a Spitfire. BMW do make an excellent piece of police kit. Lots of ex-police bikes still getting around as they were generally very well serviced and cared for machines ridden by competent riders. The Chief Inspector’s bike would be a very good pick up at the public auction as he probably only uses it to do the rounds with light operational use and commuting home to work and back.

[@ljr869]

I rode BMW for the best 15 of my 19 years on motorcycles. Awesome machines.

[@Gobbbbb]

Motorcycle coppers are always the best I find, never encountered a bad one.

[@SinkyYT]

I attended driving courses with the police in Edinburgh back in 1997 and one of the courses we were in the police garage. There was a Vauxhall Vectra with just 6000 miles on the clock with the engine fully opened like they were increasing the bore.

[@jayamd3579]

no that was just a rebuild cause it shat itself after only 6k

[@01cthompson]

It's amazing how many switches and buttons are fitted on there.

[@bantamNeil12]

These series of video's are absolute belters Ben lad 👏🏻👏🏻 Well done Bradford's finest 👏🏻👏🏻

[@Fractal379]

That intro 😂😂😂 Great stuff, thanks to both of you.

[@ironmanfanman4001]

Ben these videos are awesome. I love seeing how vehicles are set up to do the job in different places.

[@SteveBlues87]

There's a show called Cop Car Workshop. I think you'd enjoy it.

[@David-th2ug]

My first speeding tickewas from a m/c cop. Park Lane London 1963. He had knee length boots, jodphurs and rode a triumph. It was a summer evening and not much traffic about. I was doing 60. It cost me 40 shillings! £2 in today's currency. Later on when I was in the London ambulance service I had three escorts by m/c cops for transfers from one hospital to another, brilliant, straight through and no braking. They are brilliant at their job. I did pick up one of the Met's riders in the early hours on the M1 just north of Edgware. The Met refused BMW's offer of fairings and insisted on another manufacture, which made the bike unstable braking from 60. They would have violent font wheel wobble. He chose an area free of traffic and laid it down. I saw for myself the value of good protective boots and clothing. He was ok but the boots, trousers and jacket weren't.

[@neilobusk]

omg...thats sooo many buttons to handle on a a bike... I used to struggle with just ptt on my cbr.... and the rider gear.... which pocket is my change in to buy my bacon butty... respect on every level N x

[@liamshadwell8105]

Great video ben, but I think the audio has somehow ended up in mono mode?

[@simonticehurst5899]

Thanks Ben absolute blinder of a video as usual always look forward to seeing your reviews as there’s no bullshit and straight to the point as the saying goes “everdays a school day” cheers.

[@nigeh5326]

I remember when I started riding the W Mids Police rode Triumph 750 twins that couldn’t beat my Yamaha RD400 with all their kit weighing them down. They drove Austin Allegros bloody awful cars or Rover SD1s the V8 being the best but then no fuel injection. Older riders will remember the Noddy bikes of the sixties Velocette 200cc twins 😃.

[@TestGearJunkie.]

My dad had an RD400, cracking little bikes. Don't see 2-strokes now, sadly.

[@26TM079]

another brilliant video Ben, keep them coming 💙💙💙

[@imeach2897]

As a kid there were always Police bikes outside our house. They'd come round on break to play on my Stunt Cycle on the Atari Probably the first video game I remember

[@kieran3507]

need more of these on yorkshire roads!

[@98Blackbess]

Chief Inspector 'So'. Almost every conversation started with the word so 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sammyg6387]

Another superb video Ben 👍🏼

[@imeach2897]

Love these videos And the smiles and banter And with a name like Miles he was bound to go far, ba dum tish

[@truckermylouk]

Loving these vehicle videos Ben 🤝🏻

[@a11csc]

awesome machine ben

[@bsidethecside2283]

Good to know (and see publicised) that tactical contact is permitted. Hopefully the thieves will start to realise they're not untouchable. Also nice to hear the theft numbers are reducing.

[@amp1]

Great video Ben. I thought the partnership with BMW had ended after a fallout with the Police cars.❤

[@sharoko1784]

Some forces have started to use Volvo's now too but BMWs are still very much apart of traffic fleets across the country. Skoda is also another manufacturer some forces are going with, it wasn't so much that forces fell out with BMW but more so that they wanted some variation in their fleets. They are using pretty much anything and everything for their unmarked vehicles

[@amp1]

Thanks for the info❤@@sharoko1784

[@davidsivills3599]

Nice bike,looks great.

[@i_druth]

Pretty interesting stuff, Ben and a good talk through by you both though one thing I've always wondered with the police bikers is would they need to and prior to doing their advanced course through the force though would they need to do ROSPA or Dragon Rider courses too or are the courses different between the force and what the every day biker would do?

[@tylerhamilton-nz8qs]

Am an e biker never ridden a motorcycle. The mad thing is though my 20x5 fat tyre e bike looks almost exactly the same as this police bike! It may sound on the face of it ridiculous, but a neighbour threw out his son's 12v bmw police bike ride on toy, so I just acted on impulse and took it inside, and over 3 hrs fitted all the parts on my e bike ( excluding the police sticker on the windscreen!) literally get stopped every time I ride it, people taking photos of it etc.. and I swear it feels faster it must be the fairing!!

[@MWS1960]

Had four of these and best bike ever made ♥️♥️

[@lukewoodside9420]

The RTs are fantastic police bikes

[@LikePlayz]

Ben will be better than carwow 🤣

[@radiocrash]

The final drive on the authority RT is different from the consumer version.

[@BikerDarren24]

How so? What is different?

[@radiocrash]

@@BikerDarren24 to be honest I couldn’t tell you but I used to work for BMW and regularly deliver the authority bikes around the country. I asked the head mechanic if there was any performance/mechanical differences and he told me the final drive was different. Maybe taller or shorter geared?

[@lathamdave]

Why the red checker pattern on his cap?

[@Mike_5]

COLP (City of London Police)

[@baran2]

What a bike! Good informative video mate! Not sure why you split yours and Myles' audio to different ears but hey ho

[@boxfullofneutral8514]

No the don't mess with the engine, they are standard RT (P) spec

[@perrybarker6061]

Explain , what's a stinger and it's use?

[@JonahTurtleK]

Are there more videos on CoLP coming out? I see a dog van and a Support Group Van??

[@scott02464]

Iv always wanted to know, with the police escort riders do the riders have a physical whistle that they blow when directing traffic? As I thought they’d be busy on comms which makes me think they don’t have a physical whistle in their mouth?

[@chrisd2415]

It’s a whistle, and one of the reasons they use it is because civilians in city’s become accustomed to sirens but when they hear a whistle they take notice.

[@scott02464]

@@chrisd2415 thanks mate 👍

[@acat6821]

The reason they can never tell you if they map them or not, is because they dont 😂

[@1979jon]

I can only ride a 125cc, they look fun but would be scared riding it

[@marshgatelaneposse]

Let’s hope they work out better than the cars

[@BBoaBrim]

Interesting video, but it would have helped if the camera operator had been sober. Several times the Police officer was pointing out certain things, such as controls, and the camera was just weaving about all over the place.

[@berniecoles2337]

I’ve been a sportsbike and dirtbike rider for 47yrs, have ridden both RT’s and GS’s from 1100-1250cc on and off road. I’ve never liked their telelever front suspension, it doesn’t give the feedback like traditional telescopic forks and tends to push the front end than pin it into the road like forks do and cornering feels very vague. I know BMW owners say it is something you get used to and learn to trust, but you don’t the feel for tyre grip, it’s very remote. Also the old opposed twin boxer lump is antiquated but modernised with tech and with that comes the loss of reliability which was once a dependable workhorse. You get torque reaction from it under throttle changes, but thankfully modern suspension makes it nowhere near as bad as the old R80’s which when upright would pitch you up, down and side to side under throttle and gear changes. The only benefit from the opposed twin is the low COG which belies their weight and helps to keep your feet warm in the winter😀 Yet another great vid Ben😁👍

[@TestGearJunkie.]

Nice bike, but BIG. A friend of mine had a BMW R1200RT, even with the seat at its lowest, I couldn't get my leg over it (no crude jokes, please, besides, I'm a girl..!)

[@richardashworth400]

The stereo mic's make my ears uncomfortable....

[@davewilton3101]

Sting?

[@nigeh5326]

Is it true American Police riders measure the capacity of their panniers in doughnuts 😃lol

[@michaelcrouch5708]

That thing could ram a transit off the road.

[@ZX_64]

OMG BABY STINGERS

[@markherring7523]

100 0dd horse power is pants, my KTM has 160 bhp and I can’t outpace one of these coppers. Just saying for a friend lol

[@taono]

can hear other bloke but not you lad

[@giostisskylas]

I don't like BMW motorcycles. These police BMWs are so absurdly overloaded with all kinds of gadgets. BMW motorcycles (apart from the S1KR2) have absolutely no character. They look like industrial vacuum cleaners and sound like crap. Japanese and especially Italian motorcycles are much, much better. Why didn't the authorities at least buy Moto Guzzi as service motorcycles? And I'm from Germany and I know what I'm talking about.

[@fabianmckenna8197]

A little fact about flat twins is they keep your feet warm in winter............. lovely Horses for courses so the bike that gets the job done is all you need. You want a Hayabusa/Ninja/Gixxer etc for your idyllic summer rides, fill your boots but these guys are out in all weathers day after day. Despatch rider for many years and as well as Kawasaki GT550, GT750, Suzuki GS850G, BMW 650, 900, one of the best bikes was the Honda CX500. Ugly and not exactly quick off the mark but water cooled, shaft drive, bulletproof fast simple servicing and got the job done covering thousands of miles a week.

[@SinkyYT]

I attended driving courses with the police in Edinburgh back in 1997 and one of the courses we were in the police garage. There was a Vectra with just 6000 miles on the clock with the engine fully opened like they were increasing the bore.