THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1985
21
NEW POLICE MOTOR CYCLES ON THE ROAD
THE FIRST 55 OF MORE THAN 200 NEW CUSTOM BUILT MOTOR CYCLES DESTINED TO TRANSFORM AND MODERNISE THE FORCE MOTOR CYCLE FLEET WILL SOON BE ON THE STREETS OF HONG KONG.
THE NEW 650 CC MACHINES WILL HAVE THE SPEED AND WEIGHT NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT EFFECTIVE PATROL DUTIES UNDER HONG KONG ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WILL BE COMFORTABLE TO RIDE BY THE OFFICERS WHO SPEND THEIR DAYS IN THE SADDLE.
THEY ARE THE FIRST REPLACEMENT OF A BASIC MOTOR CYCLE TYPE USED BY THE FORCE SINCE 1971.
'BECAUSE
SAID MR DEREK APLIN, FORCE MOTOR TRANSPORT OFFICER: WE CAN NO LONGER OBTAIN SUPPLIES OF OUR EXISTING MACHINES WE HAD TO LOOK AROUND FOR NEW STEEDS.
'THE NEW MOTOR CYCLES, WHICH WILL BE INTRODUCED FORCE-WIDE IN PHASES FROM ABOUT THE END OF THIS MONTH TO THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, HAVE BEEN PURPOSE BUILT IN JAPAN FOR POLICE WORK.'*
OF THE FORCE FLEET OF 325 MOTOR CYCLES, 209 WILL BE OF THE NEW MODEL. AT A COST OF $20,000 EACH, A FURTHER 30 WILL BE DELIVERED NEXT YEAR.
THE NEW MOTOR CYCLE HAS AN ADVANCED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH START INSTEAD OF THE CONVENTIONAL KICK START AND EXTRA POWER TO RUN THE ENGINE WHEN THE MACHINE IS STATIONARY.
THE FOUR STROKE PETROL ENGINE IS SHAFT DRIVEN INSTEAD OF CHAIN DRIVEN.
AN ANTI-DIP FRONT SUSPENSION ALLOWS THE MACHINE TO BE STOPPED SAFELY AND QUICKLY FROM HIGH SPEEDS.
LIGHTING INCLUDES WARNING LIGHTS, TWO PATROL LIGHTS AT THE FRONT AND A STEM LIGHT AT THE BACK AND BLUE PULASTOR LIGHT.
THERE ARE HYDRAULIC BRAKES FOR BOTH FROM REAR WHEELS.
THE SPEEDOMETER CAN BE FROZEN BY THE DRIVER TO RECORD SPEEDING OFFENCES.
THE MACHINE INCLUDES MODIFICATIONS SPECIFIED BY THE FORCE IN ITS RADIO EQUIPMENT AND TYRES.
''CERTAIN TYRES PERFORM IN HONG KONG BETTER THAN OTHERS,'' SAID MR APLIN. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ALL WEATHER TYRE, ALTHOUGH SOME TYRES PERFORM BETTER THAN OTHERS IN ALL WEATHERS.
/' 'WE HAVE