Badge of Honor
Badge of Honor
Kawasaki builds a better police bike (dammit!)
MARC COOK
MOST RIDERS DEVELOP AN INSTINCTIVE REACTION TO SEEING The Man appear in the mirrors, one strongly associated with local law enforcement's choice of motorcycle. Here in Southern California, we're spring-loaded to regard black-and-white BMW R1200RTs as another few points on the license, though some of us old-timers flinch when that bike is a Kawasaki KZ1000, a certain color of Harley bagger or a Honda ST1300.
Add to that list the Kawasaki Concours 14. If Kawasaki has its way, a specialized version of this amazing sport-tourer will be in the hands of ever more agencies in the months to come, marking the company's first serious ef fort since the KZ 1000 made infamous by Ponch and Jon on CHiPs. (Did you know that the KZ1000P was in produc tion continuously from 1982 to 2005?)
True to Hollywood form, Kawasaki has a pitch: The Concours is not only dramatically faster and more capable
than competing copbikes, it costs less to buy and maintain. According to Kawasaki, the turn-key price of around $21,000 (with a range of $18,000 to $22,000, depending upon options) is a couple of grand less dear than a BMW or Harley. What's more, ongoing main tenance should be less expensive and more convenient. The Concours 14P can be serviced at any Kawasaki dealer, where a clutch replacement (a common wear item on patrol vehicles) is "several hundred dollars" to $1125 less expensive
than for the BMW RT-P, depending upon whose numbers you believe. Recall that a clutch job on a BMW Boxer requires temporarily amputating the back half of the motorcycle. These economic benefits combine with the Concours' dynamic strengths-including a 45-horsepower edge over the BMW-to make a compel ling argument.
Don't just take our word for it. In the interest of science, we took our borrowed Concours 14P straight to a working Los Angeles County Sheriff motor officer. To prevent his CO from reassigning him to third-shift riot pa trol, his identity will remain a mystery. Nevertheless, as an officer who puts at least 100 miles on a BMW RT-P every day, he's in a position to appreciate what works and what doesn't.
His first question was straightforward: What's different from a stock C14?
Answer: Not much, at least to the basic motorcycle. Aside from recommended suspension settings firmer than for the civilian Concours, the core mechanicals are right off the assembly line. Agencies can decide how to equip their bikes, but the norm is as you see it here. The most obvious is a folded-steel trunk where the passenger seat used to be, and it contains space for radios and management systems for the lights and siren. All ancillary systems are powered by a separate battery and dedicated harness. The aux battery is topped off by the main charging system when the bike is running but is otherwise isolated from the main system; you can’t strand yourself by leaving the flashers on too long.
Other modifications include a special Corbin saddle so firm that it qualifies for a Rockwell number, brackets for radio controllers and radar/LIDAR systems, 2-inch handlebar risers, plus crashbars front and
rear. Stock saddlebags are fitted with vertical partitions so their contents won’t spill when the lids are opened.
We put our officer friend on the Concours and followed him at a lessthan-sedate pace down one of our favorite canyon roads to Malibu. At the bottom, his eyes were wide. “Wow, it’s so fast,” he said. “That torque is amazing. The BMW has nothing on the Kawasaki.”
Out in the real world, motor officers seldom get to play racer. “The routine is to sit and wait for a speeder. It doesn’t take long. Then you start the bike, ride fast to catch up, and then hope the motorist doesn’t pull over in a dangerous spot,” explained our man in the RayBans. Wait, haul ass, stop, repeat. Eight hours a day, five days a week.
Maneuverability is as important as speed much of the time, and the C14 has this aspect covered. The steering stops are trimmed to give more lock. Our patrolman found an open parking lot and tried some of the typical training maneuvers. “Hey,” he said, “it really feels light. Very well balanced. Great clutch, much easier to manage than the BMW.”
Some details he preferred on the BMW. “The top-loading cases are better on the BMW. I’d worry about spilling my papers with the clamshell. I can also tell that the Kawi is wider,” he said. “But I really like the control layout for the lights and siren. And the power.” As we stood admiring the bike, he let out a surprisingly wistful sigh. “Man, I want one.”
Can’t ask for a better endorsement.
