Force Gets a Honda That's Hard to Spot Until it's Too Late
CATHERINE RYAN The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)
Drivers will have to keep an eye out for the Tigard Police Department's new motorcycle: It's hard to spot.
"I've had a lot of people comment that it doesn't even look like a police bike until I turn on the lights. Then it's very obvious," said Rod Morse, the first officer in Oregon to use the new model.
The department replaced his Kawasaki motorcycle with the new Honda ST1300 sport-touring model after the old one passed 50,000 miles. Morse, a motor officer in the traffic division who has worked at the department for eight years, drives it during his normal workday enforcing traffic laws and investigating crashes.
Other police agencies have considered using the ST1300 and have taken test drives. Almost all their feedback has been positive.
Drivers caught unaware by the inconspicuous motorcycle probably preferred the older and more distinctive bike.
Commuters speed, run red lights and drive recklessly in front of Morse more often now than when he rode the Kawasaki, he said. One driver trying to figure out whether the Honda was a police motorcycle was so focused on his rearview mirror that he drove through a stop sign. The resulting ticket became proof that, yes, an officer was riding that sleek bike.
"When they see a marked police car, people see you and they drive right," he said. "The thing I like about this bike is that it's not as noticeable. People are driving their worst and making violations and driving as if there wasn't a cop there."
Although the Tigard Police Department emblem is displayed on the side, the motorcycle has few distinguishing characteristics and looks much like a personal-use sport-touring bike. Instead of the red and blue siren lights, the Honda's lights look clear until turned on.
"There's no comparison" between the Honda and the old models, said Sgt. Karl Kaufman, who has worked at the Police Department for 19 years. It has an adjustable windshield, an ABS braking system and a more powerful engine than the other vehicles, he said.
The department's other two motorcycle traffic officers still ride Kawasakis. Their vehicles will be replaced once they pass the threshold for miles logged.
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