BMW vs. Harley-Davidson:
Michigan State Police Evaluates Police Bikes
Official Michigan State Government Report
Reported by Craig Fitzgerald, Hemming's Motor News:
Motorcycle guys are more than willing to defend the merits of their specific brands, but it’s not often that you get fair, unbiased testing conducted by a state agency that actually lays out money for the vehicles. The Michigan State Police recently made such testing public, as it embarked upon an evaluation program for its upcoming purchase of a fleet of motorcycles.
The Harley Davidson Road King and FLHTP were evaluated against the BMW R1200RT-P. All three bikes are the most commonly used police machines in the country. Michigan State Police evaluated the motorcycles' performance in handling, braking, acceleration and top speed, as well as the ability to cope with all the special communications and emergency warning needs of the Michigan State Police. Tests were conducted at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan.
The results of the testing were dramatic. The BMW was able to negotiate the nine-turn, six-lap handling course as much as 32 seconds faster than the FLHTP Electra Glide. Acceleration and top speed tests also went to the BMW, which achieved a top speed of 130 mph, vs. Harley Davidson's 103 and 107 top speeds. In the quarter mile, the BMW accelerated at least a second and a half faster than the Harley, at a speed 8-mph faster. From 60 miles per hour, the BMW stopped an amazing 21 feet sooner than either of the Harley Davidsons, or approximately a car-length and a half.
Full results of the test are available on the state of Michogan's Web site.
- By Craig Fitzgerald, Hemming's Motor News
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