Hard miles vs easy miles?
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 370
Likes: 2
From: toms river nj
Hard miles vs easy miles?
Ok so I'm looking at a police road king....has just over 20 thousand miles...it's a 2012.... I've heard a lot of people says police bikes are road hard....is there really a big difference between hard miles vs easy miles....do u think it's too many miles for a 2012.... I'm calling tomorrow to find out as much info as I can but I'm worried....this is a big purchase and I don't wanna get screwed....any advice would be appreciated
P.s....I already posted on retired police bikes dot com....I just wanted some other opinions...ryan
P.s....I already posted on retired police bikes dot com....I just wanted some other opinions...ryan
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
different pd's take care of their bikes in different ways- some pd's treat them like gold and the officers name may be painted on the bike...pride of ownership.
others are flogged like hertz owned them....used for training, or motor pooled so it one guy notices a fault, maybe it gets reported and fixed, or the officer just picks another unit the next time.
these bikes may idle for long periods of time- the electrical systems may be strained, the clutch and brakes may be used a lot more than we do.
they tend to be used to accel and deccel fast, all the time, not just once in a while.
my 88 FXRP came from the CHP in 1990- it came with a description of defects, and service records. CHP had H-D do all services and all the "safety systems" were new- tires, brakes, lights.
however the clutch went pretty quick and the belt popped off at soon after ( $$$)
( CHP had lawsuits against Kawasaki in the 80's, part of the result was that they no longer did their own repairs- dealers did everything)
I still have it.
some pd's hack off all the cop gear and you are left with cut wiring harnesses etc.
DO NOT BUY LONG DISTANCE, if this is local, hire a tech to look at it with you. you need a practiced eye who has no attachment to the deal.
mike
others are flogged like hertz owned them....used for training, or motor pooled so it one guy notices a fault, maybe it gets reported and fixed, or the officer just picks another unit the next time.
these bikes may idle for long periods of time- the electrical systems may be strained, the clutch and brakes may be used a lot more than we do.
they tend to be used to accel and deccel fast, all the time, not just once in a while.
my 88 FXRP came from the CHP in 1990- it came with a description of defects, and service records. CHP had H-D do all services and all the "safety systems" were new- tires, brakes, lights.
however the clutch went pretty quick and the belt popped off at soon after ( $$$)
( CHP had lawsuits against Kawasaki in the 80's, part of the result was that they no longer did their own repairs- dealers did everything)
I still have it.
some pd's hack off all the cop gear and you are left with cut wiring harnesses etc.
DO NOT BUY LONG DISTANCE, if this is local, hire a tech to look at it with you. you need a practiced eye who has no attachment to the deal.
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Nov 6, 2014 at 11:57 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3,159
Likes: 1,080
From: Brandon, Mississippi
I would be ok with it.... 20K they are mostly parked waiting for speeders! And at that generally well maintained as mentioned above. Police bikes are not ridden hard, with the exception of New York, San Fran, Chicago.... and the like.
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 25
From: Texas
Around here you can find 2011 police road kings/ultras with under 15k miles for dirt cheap. Several cities in the area have lease contracts for the bikes, but don't utilize them very much for whatever reason
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,064
Likes: 405
From: Cedar BC
Yep, they spend most of their time around here parked behind a laser gun,hardly ever see one moving...
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Road Master
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 359
Likes: 2
From: central Mississippi
Every time I walk in the Jackson, Miss. Harley dealer there are usually a couple of cops in there having their police bikes serviced, so they must take pretty good care of them. The used ones I've seen on the showroom floor have been low mileage and in good shape. A friend of mine bought one a few years back and it's been a dependable bike.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 420
Likes: 4
From: Bradenton,Florida
I bought my wife a '03 police Road King from a Miami auction with 25,000 miles on it. It came with all the service records and ran perfectly. You can tell these by the "hockey puck" bag latches and the siren and radio control buttons are unique. I still have the controls and light bar (if anyone's interested) because I put it back to the factory look. I was the only one who bid on this bike so I got it soooo cheap.