Harley-Davidsons to Honda CBRs: Indian police forces & their motorcycles

India’s police forces can be seen patrolling the streets in quite a variety of vehicles. When it came to two-wheelers, the most common sight in earlier times was a policeman on an Enfield. While some forces still rely on the thumpers, others have switched to more practical or faster two-wheelers. Here’s a look at the motorcycles and scooters used by police officers in various states across the country.

Honda CBR 250R
Uttar Pradesh Police

In 2013, Honda showcased the CBR 250R ‘Police Edition’ at the Security Expo. Soon after, the UP Police inducted the bike into its ranks, though it had lost all the fancy bits from the Security Expo including the LED lamps, beacon lights, public announcement system, and the specially designed helmet with a handsfree mic. Thankfully, it retained its livery and utility box. The Honda CBR 250R is a quick motorcycle that is also quite reliable and comfortable to ride and we’re pretty sure UP’s cops are enjoying this bike.

Bajaj Pulsar
Delhi Police, Punjab Police

The Bajaj Pulsar is the motorcycle that bought performance to the masses and is used by both the Punjab and Delhi Police for official purposes. Apparently, the Pulsars used by the Delhi cops don’t have a rev limiter, which allows the cops to extract the maximum performance out of them. Most of the Pulsars used are the 180s which offer a good mix of performance and low maintenance costs, which makes it a well-rounded bike for the cops.

Harley-Davidson Street 750
Gujarat Police, Kolkata Police

The Gujarat Police was the first in the country to induct Harley Davidsons into their official ranks. Later, the Kolkata Police too gave the American bikes their approval. Police Harley Davidsons feature special livery, utility box, public announcement system and beacons.

It is said that Kolkata’s Police force decided to upgrade their Enfields to Harley Davidsons as the former were unable to keep up with fast-moving convoys. Both the Kolkata and Gujarat police only use the Harleys for special purposes and not on regular patrolling.

TVS Apache
Noida Police, Kerala Police, Tamil Nadu Police, Delhi Police

The TVS Apache like the Bajaj Pulsar is another budget performance bike that made it into the ranks of India’s police forces. The Delhi and Noida police forces along with their counterparts in Kerala and Tamil Nadu make use of the RTR 160 and 180 as interceptors to chase down those who break the law and are trying to escape justice.

Royal Enfield motorcycles
Mumbai Police, Kolkata Police, Delhi Police, UP Police, Rajasthan Police

Royal Enfields were the first bikes to become the official two-wheeler of the Indian Army. Having seen it work well with the Army, many police forces from across the country inducted these cruisers into their ranks.

While many police forces including those in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and use Royal Enfield motorcycles in their fleet, any are switching to more modern, faster, reliable and easier to maintain.

Hero Splendor
Goa Police

The humble Hero Splendor is the pride and joy of the Goa Police, who use it to patrol the narrow lanes of Goa’s cities. The compact and fuel efficient engine of the Splendor is extremely reliable which makes it perfect for low speed patrolling through the streets of Goa’s busiest areas.

Hero Achiever
Mumbai Police

Mumbai’s policewomen use the Hero Achiever motorcycle as their official vehicle. The Achiever is a sufficiently powerful, reliable and lightweight motorcycle that is quite easy to use for the ladies in Khaki patrolling Mumbai.

Hero Duet
Jaipur Police

The Hero Duet scooter is the ride of choice for the lady cops of Jaipur. These scooters come retrofitted with Public Announcement systems and Police livery decals.

Honda Activa
Delhi Police, Gurugram Police

The ladies in Khakhi in the Delhi and Gurugram police forces make use of India’s most popular two-wheeler, the Honda Activa. The Activa is extremely efficient and reliable and offers enough power to navigate the busy streets of the Delhi NCR region.

Hero motorcycles
Udaipur Police

The Udaipur Police have a special women-only patrol squad and the ladies on this team use specially modified Hero motorcycles as their official rides. These motorcycles feature beacons, police stickers and PA systems.

Source: 1,2,3,5