Police BMW

[slimpickings]

Does any one have any experience , comments or views
on the viability of buying an ex rozzers bike

I have seen a couple of GS and RT for sale at what appear to be a reasonable price

1150,1200 and even an 1100

I was'nt aware that old bill used GS,s but it appears that they do.

 

[Tuono1961]

The suspension will be knackered having carried around a doughnut eater for so long

 

[Pip_UK]

I was'nt aware that old bill used GS,s but it appears that they do.

I suppose it's the long swingarm of the law before they send you up before the beak.

I wonder what oil they use to run you in?

Guessing those bikes will have been ridden smoothly (if briskly on occasion), & well looked-after. There may be the odd hole or scuff on bodywork where all the extra bits used to live.

They'll no doubt have starship mileages, which as we all know, is meat & drink to GSs

 

[oblertone]

As we ...

... generally don't employ our own mechanics any more, it is likely that anything even slightly dodgy has been replaced rather than fixed, so you are likely to get a high mileage, over serviced machine with a high output alternator that has, on occasion had the tits ragged off it.

 

[ianp5uk]

I'd buy one for reasons stated. Do the police rag them much? Would've thought quite rarely or everyone would be moaning.

 

[oblertone]

Think about it ...

Do the police rag them much?

... wouldn't you given the chance

 

[Sniper1]

I knew lads in GMP that when they knew their bike was going for auction, they'd set a simple fault on it and buy the machine cheap, goes without saying that if they'd buy their duty machine, it's been well looked after.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Maybe it has all changed now,

When I lived in Suffolk some years ago I knew the mechanic at the Police HQ and in fact he used tio service my bike. He told me that all bikes went off for auction and that if anybody wanted a good S/H machine he could tell them which auction to go to - but they didn't happen too often; They were mainly R80RT's so that gives you an idea of how long ago;

 

[Martyn H]

I'd buy one for reasons stated. Do the police rag them much? Would've thought quite rarely or everyone would be moaning.

It is fairly hard use; often sat by the side of the road watching traffic, then setting off quite briskly to stop a given vehicle. I've had 9 posted bikes over the years, & I've only seriously considered buying one of them. All things considered, I'd not recommend it.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Hard use?

It is fairly hard use; often sat by the side of the road watching traffic, then setting off quite briskly to stop a given vehicle. I've had 9 posted bikes over the years, & I've only seriously considered buying one of them. All things considered, I'd not recommend it.

I suppose it depends on where they are used; Sometimes I used to follow four or five police bikes which were on training runs at high speed; I hung on behind feeling safe. Later I met the chief instructor who recognized my gold R100RS and told me that he had noticed me on occasions but it didn't bother him. I would say a bike from East Anglia is a better bet than from London - but who knows;

 

[bowser]

it depends whos had it, and where its been.
I wouldnt have bought one of ours at any cost, we used to rag them, every 8 hours a different rider, on the road 24hrs a day, stop start traffic followed by a blue light run and then back to traffic, we would no more than 10,000 out of any clutch and on Pans we were doing a clutch in 6-8, never got more than about 1000 out of a set of brake pads.

Having said that some of the traffic bikes would sit in the garage for weeks without use, I would say that if its a bike being disposed of due to age not milage its a good buy but if it because its reached its milage then leave alone.

 

[Bobster]

Past experience tells me: 'Don't touch with a barge pole'!

 

[G5RJO]

No!

Having experience in this field.....

No

No

No

That's a no then!

Cars are even worse! People think these things are souped up and well maintained..... Never!

These things, bikes/cars are disposed of for a good reason. In these difficult
times they are kept going for longer and longer before replacement. I have seen vehicles I have personal experience of that were absolute nails punted
out looking quite good after a bit of a tart up. If people knew the real use and history you wouldn't touch them with someone elses very long barge pole!

Roger.

 

[Micky]

When the bikes are ready for the wall they're stuck in a corner until there are a few of them ....

In between time any other operational bike that wants a part, replacement, fixing ... will have a good part snaffled off the ones waiting to go

The duff part will be put on the one that's going to the auctions

 

[phooey]

I wouldn't.

Our bikes ( Met ) were ridden by all and sundry. Some treated them with respect, some without any whatsoever.

 

[Giles]

It is fairly hard use; often sat by the side of the road watching traffic, then setting off quite briskly to stop a given vehicle.

Yes I agree!! The bikes are serviced meticulously and anything that's up for repair gets replaced with new. The mechanic at my depot coos over the fact that unlike all his previous civvie work, now they just change a part for new without question.

But as martin says, a bike will typically get used for say an ANPR op, where it will sit still then sprint like Hussain Bolt on Speed for a mile or so. Vip escorting - hold the traffic then wheelie past the convoy to the next junction half a mile up the road ...

I've never missed a gear on mine, never hit the rev limiter, and its never been dropped (Ha, kiss of death .....!) But I wouldn't buy it afterwards.

A driving-school bike would be quite a nice bike to buy. Ridden quickly but generally pretty smoothly without all the hard work of a 'working' bike.

(A GS may well be a surveillance bike. Ridden like a feckin' dispatch bike! 'He's just got on a train to leeds - you need to be at the station before the train arrives' !!!! )

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Pretty conclusive!

Straight from thr horses' mouths - you can't argue with that! I remember my Police mechanic friend telling me that they really didn't need anti-freeze in their car radiators as they generally never stopped running - a slight exaggeration!

 

[Micky]

A GS may well be a surveillance bike. Ridden like a feckin' dispatch bike! 'He's just got on a train to leeds - you need to be at the station before the train arrives' !!!!

Three years as Regional Crime Squad surveillance motorcyclist ... now they were the days

Had to beat a train twice, and on one occasion a helicopter from South Yorkshire's Clay Wheels Lane Depot to Hemsworth in West Yorkshire

It beat us by two minutes

 

[Giles]

Straight from thr horses' mouths - you can't argue with that! I remember my Police mechanic friend telling me that they really didn't need anti-freeze in their car radiators as they generally never stopped running - a slight exaggeration!

I can't speak for other forces (but I suspect they will be similar) most bikes are sort of individual ownership. By and large, they will only have one rider who will have that bike for its working life. (And will treat it as his own and will look after it with pride..)

The cars are a different animal though. Nobody takes ownership of them, some of the patrol cars are handed over from early crews to late crews to night crews - a car can litterally be on the road 24 hours sometimes. You DEFINITELY wouldn't want to buy that!!!

 

[bowser]

I can't speak for other forces (but I suspect they will be similar) most bikes are sort of individual ownership. By and large, they will only have one rider who will have that bike for its working life.

you are having a laugh, I dont think I ever rode the same bike two days running, we had the normal 3 shifts a day, and the bikes would be out with a different rider each 8 hours, they were run ragged