HPD to sell its
remaining Harley cyclesThe city is hoping to raise
more than $200,000 from
an auction set for today
The Honolulu Police Department is selling the last Harley-Davidson motorcycles in its solo bike fleet.
Police will auction off 22 1997 Harley-Davidson Road King police model bikes and 17 lots of various motorcycle parts at HPD headquarters at 801 S. Beretania St. at 9 a.m. today. A 1997 Kawasaki KZ-1000 police motorcycle is also on the block. The city hopes to raise more than $200,000.
HPD stopped using the Harley-Davidsons last October after two of them crashed during a police escort of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.
At the time, HPD solo bike officers were riding Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki and BMW R 1100 RT-P motorcycles. The solo bike fleet now consists of 47 BMWs. Nine Kawasakis are used for training.
Police Chief Lee Donohue cited safety concerns as the reason for the switch to BMW from Harley-Davidson. In a Sept. 7, 2000, letter to the city budget director, Donohue said the 1997 Harley-Davidson police model has a history of wobbling at high speeds and had been involved in crashes. The department said the BMWs are also cheaper to maintain.
The Harley-Davidsons were purchased for $19,651 each. The Kawasakis cost the city $15,878. They now have Kelley Blue Book retail values of $12,545 and $4,555, respectively.
The city is asking for minimum bids for the Harley-Davidsons ranging from $2,500 for each of the two bikes involved in last October's crash, to $6,500. Mileage on the bikes range from 13,000 to 68,000.
The upset price for the Kawasaki is $500. It has 72,531 miles on its odometer and police mechanics said the transmission pops out of gear.
All of the bikes are in running condition except for one Harley, which has a new engine block that requires installation.
The old police motorcycles "will appeal to the true Harley guy who likes to work on the bike and turn it into a custom," said Tony Burris, South Seas Harley-Davidson Kawasaki manager.
He said others like to maintain the police look of the motorcycle and ride them in parades.
Motorcycle enthusiast Dave McCarty showed up at yesterday's viewing to look for a bike to customize.
"You just want to make sure it has all the parts," McCarty said.
He already owns a similar new Harley-Davidson Electra Glide.