The Highway Patrol is putting motorcycles on the road for the first time in a dozen years. It’s turning to an old faithful…

The Patrol started in 19-31 with 12 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and five other cycles. But it took its last cycle–a Kawasaki–out of circulation in 19-96 and put it in the Patrol museum.

This year, the centennial of Harley-Davidson’s first police motorcycle, the Highway Patrol has bought eight new Harley Electra Glide Police motorcycles as a pilot program.

Patrol Captain Tim Hull says the cycles will help patrol congested areas–and will help with safety programs as more people turn to motorcycles to save gas. He says the 39-50 year old age group is the most involved in traffic crashes in Missouri. He says an older age group is buying motorcycles as they get closer to retirement age and sometimes they buy bigger cycles than they can handle and aren’t well-trained in using them.

Two of the motorcycles will be stationed in Kansas City. Three will be in St. Louis. Two others will be in Springfield and two will stay at headquarters in Jefferson City.

Hull says the Patrol won’t be switching from cars to motorcycles, but it might buy more of them if the pilot project works.

 

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