FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE KAWASAKI POLICE
1000:
A VERSATILE PERFORMER
It has starred in the hit
television show CHiPs, fought crime in police departments around the world, and
served as a rolling billboard of good corporate citizenship for the Good Times
Company since 1975.
The law enforcement world was
introduced to high-performance police motorcycles with a machine derived from Kawsaki's
mighty Z1, a corporate flagship and performance yardstick when introduced in
1973.
The earliest versions of
this police bike were made by auto racing and fabricating legend Dan Gurney. As
a subcontractor, Gurney received stripped KZ900 "blanks" and retrofitted them
with all necessary at the time to make the machine suitable for law enforcement
use. These first bikes went up against the rigorous certification procedures of
police departments nationwide, most of which had been using Harley-Davidson and
Italian Moto Guzzi motorcycles in their fleets. The response was overwhelming.
In 1977, the Police 1000 was
updated with an air-cooled, two valve-per-cylinder 1000cc motor. Today, the latest
generation of this machine still surpasses
certification requirements for major police agencies around the world.
More than 900 small and large
departments throughout the country use the Kawasaki Police 1000. In California
alone, there are over 100 agencies using the machine! The Police 1000 is also
being exported to agencies in Mexico, Canada, the Middle East, and nations
around the Pacific Rim.
With input from these diverse law enforcement
agencies, Kawasaki' Police 1000 program has netted impressive technical
innovations such as run-flat tires, breakaway windshields, sidestand safety shut-offs
and clutch interlock systems.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
is the largest customer for this versatile machine. It has been using the
Police 1000 exclusively since 1981, racking up close to 100 million miles with
over 400 machines in its fleet at onc time. It's not unusual to see some of
these machines turn 100,000 miles and then be put into service for training
purposes!
Nate Thibodeaux, the commanding
officer of the LAPD's Motor Transport Division says that the department chose
Kawasaki motorcycles over the Harley-Davidson and Moto Guzzi motorcycles it had
previously used because of "officer acceptance" and "reliability." The most
notable comments from his officers concerned the Police 1000's level of comfort,
lack of vibration, good handling, and ease of control operation.
Police motorcycles have had a great
impact on many lives. As a very young boy, Ernest Mason was thrilled by the thundering
motorcycle exhibition groups he saw perform in Christmas parades. In 1963, as a
guest on the Art Linkletter television show, this 12 year-old was asked the question
TV hosts inevitably ask when they get hold of small children- "What do you want
to be when you grown up"? Ernest stood up to the microphone and bravely said, "a
motorcycle police officer."
Years later, he was true to his
desire. Mason, a 20-year veteran of the LAPD, has been a motor officer for the
latter half of his time with the department. Having spent ten years in a patrol
car, he says, "the bike is a great PR tool for the department. Motor officers
are more accessible to the public, less intimidating- people just feel much
more free to come up and talk." On a more personal level, Mason truly enjoys
the benefits of being amotorcycle officer. The department lets him take his
ride home; no need to buy a car or change for work. This saves money and time. Some
day, he hopes to purchase a touring bike to see the country with his wife
aboard. But, before that dream comes true, he says he'll have to buy his two
sons minibikes or watercraft first.
All in all, the Kawasaki Police
1000 has proven to be many things to many people: a means to fulfill one's
lifelong dream; a cost-effective alternative to police cars; and a corporate
statement worth its weight in gold to Kawasaki.
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