I'm new here and looking for adding information as well as getting information.
Own 4 bikes (R1200RT-P from LAPD - 2015; R1200RT-P from Netherlands Police - 2017; R1200RT-P from German Police - 2008; R850RT-P from German Police - 2001).
I maintain them all myself with the hardware tools that I bought and the OBD app (Motoscan).
I travel every week around 1000 km on one of these bikes (mainly the LAPD bike and German bike).
I also change tyres myself without heavy duty equipment, just using simple tools)
Hopefully I can add my experience here to all who wants to know and I'll scan the forum to see "what's in it for me"
Doctor T wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 2:06 pm
Welcome to the site. Why so many police bikes?
Well, uuhm, Long story but I'll give it a try.
In former days when all went financial fine, I've had several new GS BMW bikes which I didn't bother to service as my friend was working at a BMW dealership and he took care of service and so on. Then I lost my job due to the 2008 financial euro crisis. I lost my home, my bikes and my wife (divorce). In 2011 I got a new wife and all looked fine again and in 2014 I bought again a new bike at a different dealership (actual the dealership that overtook the BMW dealership of my (former) friend. All looked good again. Until I again lost my wife again (divorce). I thought:"This is it!. I'm now 54 I quit bike riding. I'm too old anyway" Until....I happened to meet a new wife and she encouraged me to pick up riding again. But as all the money was gone (2 divorces cost a lot of money) I said that is impossible or I need to look at cheaper bikes. So in 2017 I found a 4,5 year old ex-police bike for only 4750 euro. It had 117k km and looked and drove as a very old bike. I then came home and started to remove all the police wiring and got interested in ex-police bikes and tried to find owners of such a bike. As an ex-field service engineer I got more interested in the technique and started to get enthusiastic and started using the bike as a commuter bike where I commuted until it had 180k km and then sold the bike again for 4000 euro. Then covid kicked in and we got banned from work and needed to work from home. Then I bought project bikes (R1150RT's) and got them back on the road again and.... I saw in 2020 a R1200RT (2015 model) from the LAPD for sale here in The Netherlands with all equipment but only one issue: it was a Total Loss as it was technical too expensive to get it back on the road again. It had only 90k KM on it and was cheap (under 6000 euro). I bought it and checked it over and managed to get it on the road again. I learned so much that I started to love these bikes and bought some more: 1 R1200RT (2016 model) 1 R1200RT (2008 model) from Germany and another R850RT also from Germany.
Long story short: I love to ride these bikes as I'm always riding alone (my wife is scared of motorcycling as she had an accident on a motorbike when she was young) and there's soo much to repair on these bikes as I mainly buy bikes that are not working anymore for a variety of reasons. I want them back on the road again as I think they are very high quality and worth riding. And yes I do all mechanics myself. And I love it!
Wuls wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 4:11 am
Well, uuhm, Long story but I'll give it a try.
In former days when all went financial fine, I've had several new GS BMW bikes which I didn't bother to service as my friend was working at a BMW dealership and he took care of service and so on. Then I lost my job due to the 2008 financial euro crisis. I lost my home, my bikes and my wife (divorce). In 2011 I got a new wife and all looked fine again and in 2014 I bought again a new bike at a different dealership (actual the dealership that overtook the BMW dealership of my (former) friend. All looked good again. Until I again lost my wife again (divorce). I thought:"This is it!. I'm now 54 I quit bike riding. I'm too old anyway" Until....I happened to meet a new wife and she encouraged me to pick up riding again. But as all the money was gone (2 divorces cost a lot of money) I said that is impossible or I need to look at cheaper bikes. So in 2017 I found a 4,5 year old ex-police bike for only 4750 euro. It had 117k km and looked and drove as a very old bike. I then came home and started to remove all the police wiring and got interested in ex-police bikes and tried to find owners of such a bike. As an ex-field service engineer I got more interested in the technique and started to get enthusiastic and started using the bike as a commuter bike where I commuted until it had 180k km and then sold the bike again for 4000 euro. Then covid kicked in and we got banned from work and needed to work from home. Then I bought project bikes (R1150RT's) and got them back on the road again and.... I saw in 2020 a R1200RT (2015 model) from the LAPD for sale here in The Netherlands with all equipment but only one issue: it was a Total Loss as it was technical too expensive to get it back on the road again. It had only 90k KM on it and was cheap (under 6000 euro). I bought it and checked it over and managed to get it on the road again. I learned so much that I started to love these bikes and bought some more: 1 R1200RT (2016 model) 1 R1200RT (2008 model) from Germany and another R850RT also from Germany.
Long story short: I love to ride these bikes as I'm always riding alone (my wife is scared of motorcycling as she had an accident on a motorbike when she was young) and there's soo much to repair on these bikes as I mainly buy bikes that are not working anymore for a variety of reasons. I want them back on the road again as I think they are very high quality and worth riding. And yes I do all mechanics myself. And I love it!
It's great to have an interest outside work, it keeps the mind fresh. I now understand why the love of ex-police bikes. I've never got a divorced by I know how costly it is just staying married.
There are a few riders on here that converted ex-police bikes but you may be able to help others thinking of buying one.
Trust me I am a retired Doctor and lecturer at Oxford University of Structural and Mechanical/Electrical engineering. May the shaft be with you
