The once all Harley Davidson Michigan State Police fleet has now adopted 9 German BMW bikes to their lineup. 

 

The reason for the additions? It boils down to speed and cost. Each year tests are performed by the agency's vehicle evaluation team, which for years now has concluded that the police BMW motorcycle outperformed their Harley ones. The test for speed, going from a complete zero mph to 100mph, the BMW took off in 11 seconds and the Harley Davidson 31 seconds. High speed comparison varies as well with the BMW reaching speeds up to 130 mph and the Harley 104 mph, (Michigan State Police fleet is no longer all-American, as BMWs move in on Harleys, Dawson Bell, Detroit Free Press, http://www.freep.com/article/20120723/NEWS06/207230344/Michigan-State-Police-fleet-is-no-longer-all-American-as-BMWs-move-in-on-Harleys).

 

The decision to add the bikes was not taken lightly by the department however, “we put a lot of consideration into it. 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,” (Michigan State Police fleet is no longer all-American, as BMWs move in on Harleys, Dawson Bell, Detroit Free Press).

 

Although the fleet is happy with their new purchases, others were taken aback. Vince Consiglio, President of ABATE, was “surprised to hear that the police who brought us the Pure Michigan campaign would not buy bikes made by our neighbors in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania,” (Michigan State Police fleet is no longer all-American, as BMWs move in on Harleys, Dawson Bell, Detroit Free Press).

 

The fleet currently has 24 motorcycles that patrol throughout Rockford, Lansing, and the metro Detroit area. Even with the addition of the 9 BMW bikes, the fleet continues to be Harley dominated.