Harley's police motorcycles, such as the 1951 Harley-Davidson Police Special, not only came with a wide assortment of equipment specific to their duties, but were often available in colors not offered on civilian bikes. Before the war they were usually painted Police Blue, but many postwar models came in Police Silver.
The 1951 Harley-Davidson Police Special was
offered in the unusual "Police Silver."
See more motorcycle pictures. |
Restoration of a police bike is more difficult due to the added equipment, which itself needs to be restored as reproductions are hard to find.
The scarcity of the Harley-Davidson Police bikes
present challenges for the collector. |
The leftside "saddlebag" is actually a two-way
radio; a brass fire extinguisher resides on the right.
The Harley-Davidson Police Special came
equipped with a fire extinguisher. |
Not all police bikes were dressed in such a bright uniform. Many were almost devoid of chrome trim, having fork legs, wheels, and primary cases painted black.
The tank-mounted speedometer was familiar to
Harley riders of the time. |
Harley's first police bike was put in use by the city of Detroit, Michigan, in 1908.
No comments:
Post a Comment