R1200RT ex police bike

[majaem]

Hi guys a bit of advice please.

I'm looking to buy a cheapish RT for commuting in all weathers and have got my eye on an ex police bike.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of buying these bikes and whether they are well looked after with service printout or are they just a money pit after being thrashed.

Thanks for your advice

 

[Martyn H]

Hi guys a bit of advice please.
I'm looking to buy a cheapish RT for commuting in all weathers and have got my eye on an ex police bike.
Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of buying these bikes and whether they are well looked after with service printout or are they just a money pit after being thrashed.
Thanks for your advice

Some are very well looked after indeed; some are not.
Some riders treat them as if they were their own bike, lavishing care & polish on them. Some do not.
In short, it's always a gamble, but remember, there's often a reason why any particular bike(s) gone for sale.
Use your eyes, & ears, as if it was any other used machine, & if in doubt walk away.

 

[Kritou]

I bought my '08 RTP four years ago. It came as an ex Strathclyde Police training bike with a print out of all work done on it and 24K miles. Found it on eBay from a small oufit near York who know the auction scene and allowed close inspection and a test ride

They come without ESC, heated seats or cruise control but the rear radio box and top opening panniers make them good commuting bikes imo. Other worthwhile additions are the gimballing handlebar mounted mirrors from HG (about £12ea delivered)

For about €850 you can get a set of basic Wilbers (630/640) and this makes a great difference to the ride you can expect from a bike of the age you will probably find (personally I would go for a lower mileage bike rather than one with youth on it's side)

The white ones look 'orrible to my eyes ......

 

[Alan R]

These are working bikes rather than dry day ride out toys. They will have covered high mileage and have had many sets of tyres etc and will show all the wear marks of mechanics working against a time schedule. No one will have touched up the many stone chips and scratches suffered at the hands of riders who regard the bike as a work tool. They will never have been wax polished but may have been power washed on a daily basis. The wiring may have seen add ons that have been removed without finesse, ie, wire cutters and tape. For a workday commuter, price is every thing, but always bear in mind that you are buying a bike not in its first flush of youth, rather one that is retiring after a hard life.
Alan R

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Some may have had diesel in the tank.....

 

[Reporter]

Some may have had diesel in the tank.....

Or Piss

 

[Bendy toy]

The engine covers are easy enough to refinish. The frame parts are not that bad though the bike has to be pulled apart. Check for gearbox backlash, rathe in gearbox neutral (gearbox end play), vibration through footpegs (final drive and/or drive shaft) and back wheel bearing side play. Also the clutch action - there should be a good progressive action - worn clutch can be grabby even if it doesn't slip at high torque.

 

[Ethaneil]

Assume that they have had a hard life, been cleaned infrequently, with a powerful jet wash, stood for extended periods at tickover etc etc.

However they will have been maintained regardless of expense.

Police vehicles generally do not require an mot, a condition of which is that they are serviced exactly to manufacturers instructions from new, using only original manufacturers spares and approved items such as tyres and fluids.

Just try to find one that has had a new clutch!

 

[Deleted account 200502001]

Im on my second ex police car. First was a Volvo T5 and my current one is a LR Defender. They have been some of the best vehicles I've owned. Never had any problems with them as far as police use is concerned.

 

[Norfolk Tiger]

Some may have had diesel in the tank.....

Surely not,professional riders and all that..............

 

[Greenman14]

I knew a couple of traffic police who rode BMs, old airheads at the time. They were properly thrashed and very properly maintained, the bikes that is, not the policemen!

 

[Martyn H]

Assume that they have had a hard life, been cleaned infrequently, with a powerful jet wash, stood for extended periods at tickover etc etc.
However they will have been maintained regardless of expense.
Police vehicles generally do not require an mot, a condition of which is that they are serviced exactly to manufacturers instructions from new, using only original manufacturers spares and approved items such as tyres and fluids.

You've expanded the last a bit; it has to be maintained in an approved workshop. Period.
Many police vehicles are well maintained; some are not. No police vehicles in this day & age are maintained "regardless of expense". Every last penny spent is scrutinised
You'll have to take my word on that, based on 41 years experience.
I well remember the time my Force borrowed some motorcycles for a major event. Our workshops, being paranoid, ran them through an "MoT test". Two out of four failed, & badly failed at that. We didn't use them.
There are so many nice bikes out there, I personally would instead look elsewhere.

 

[haydw]

Our blood bike group has had 3 ex police bikes. We do use them a lot, but due to power washes all 3 of them have had shafts, there has also been a final drive in there and also clutches. Starter motors have also been an issue. Engine wise, we have one at 85k miles and it runs better than some with half that mileage.

I would run through it with a fine tooth comb and check on the expensive bits that wear, not necessarily the motor itself. They have led a hard life, would have a police bike without hesitation but be prepared to be unlucky.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Greenman14]

I bought a police bike years ago, this was from a batch of bikes sold direct from the police. The sale was by sealed bids and I later found out I paid about half what another buyer of a similar bike paid. It was a bargain but needed work.