BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — If you want speed, agility, and mobility while patrolling the streets — there’s nothing quite like a motorcycle.

“If you’re on a motorcycle, one of the things we preach is we don’t wait in line. That’s why you always see us going between your guys’ cars,” Justin Enns of the Bakersfield Police Department said.

On patrol are Harley Davidson Electric Glide motorcycles. With up to 105 horsepower, this bike can speed well over 100 miles per hour. BPD tries to get about 50,000 miles out of each bike.

Officer Adam Clayton says that isn’t hard.

“We use them for surface streets, we use them for city streets, we use them for the freeways, Westside Parkway and [Highway] 99. They’re capable to do all of it,” Clayton said.

“We actually do some what they’re not designed to do and do some dirt training as well to get into little dirt roads and into some areas that you typically wouldn’t think that a Harley would go.”

Bakersfield PD has 16 of these models ranging from 2019-2024. However, a new competitor is coming to the fleet: The BMW 1300.

“I’ve ridden the Harley my whole career,” Clayton said. “We’ve had them since I started on bikes and I’ve tested the BMW. They have their both have their pluses and minuses. I can’t say which one necessarily is my favorite, but the Beemer or the BMW is a little bit quicker, a little bit more agile, more nimble, where the Harley’s comfortable to be on for a long time.”

Bakersfield police and the California Highway Patrol teamed up at the test track to put these bikes to the test. The quick turns and rapid acceleration these bikes ramp up on the track.

While the Harley has a lower RPM engine with more torque, the BMW is lighter weight and can accelerate with more ease — a “zippier” bike if you will. The Highway Patrol currently uses these, with BPD now testing these BMWs for their own fleet.

“When we drop them, they’re significantly quicker, they stop better, they handle better. There’s a little more technology in them as far as some of the law enforcement functions and stuff that would benefit us.”

Clayton says the plan is to let these Harleys age out of service, which takes about 5 years. After that, more of these BMWs will take their place for major highways and surface streets.

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