BMW motorcycles appeal to Michigan State Police

LANSING (AP) -- Michigan State Police may be saying bye-bye to the American-made Harley-Davidson and Vroom! Vroom! to BMW as its motorcycle of choice. Nine BMW R1200s were purchased in April and joined the Harley-Davidsons on the department's fleet of 24 motorcycles, the Detroit Free Press reported recently. The German-made police bikes simply performed better in annual tests, state police spokeswoman Shannon Banner said. "It was something we put a lot of consideration into," Banner said. "We are Americans, after all; we're in Michigan, home of the auto industry. It was all about safety and performance. That's what the whole vehicle-testing program is about. We really could no longer ignore what we were seeing in the tests." The Detroit Police Department received the company's first police motorcycle in 1908, according to the Harley-Davidson website. A performance test from last fall ranked the BMW R1200 faster with superior handling and better safety features. The motorcycle's top speed is 131 mph. The Harley's top speed is 104. It also costs less. BMW bid $23,549 and $24,022 this year. Harley-Davidson's bids were $24,406 and $24,791. Motorcycles are re-evaluated each time the state police decide to buy more, Banner added. A state police analysis also said a Harley is a "capable vehicle for parade and ceremonial use." Harley-Davidson is based in Wisconsin. It has 23 dealerships in Michigan, said Vince Consiglio, Harley owner and president of a motorcyclist rights group. "I was surprised to hear that the people who brought us the Pure Michigan campaign would not buy bikes made by our neighbors in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania," Consiglio said. Pure Michigan is a marketing and advertising campaign promoting Michigan-made products and the state as a tourist destination. BMW's motorcycles are used by state police in a number of states and other police agencies in Michigan, according to BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan spokesman John Horner. The dealer sold the R1200s to the Michigan State Police. Published: Thu, Jul 26, 2012