Police Motorcycle Coloring Page: Free Printable PDF

Police Motorcycle: History & Fun Facts

The First Motor Patrol Officers

Police departments began adding motorcycles to their patrol fleets in the early 1900s, drawn to how quickly a two-wheeled machine could weave through crowded city traffic that would stall a patrol car. Early motor officers rode largely unmodified civilian motorcycles, adding only a badge and a basic siren before heading out on patrol.

By the 1910s and 1920s, dedicated police models with reinforced frames and stronger brakes started appearing on factory order sheets, built specifically for the demands of daily patrol duty rather than weekend touring.

The Light Bar Above the Windshield

The rectangular light bar drawn across the top of the windshield on this page holds rotating or flashing emergency lights, positioned high so drivers can spot a police motorcycle approaching from well down the road. That raised mounting point keeps the lights visible over parked cars and traffic that would block a lower-mounted light.

A tall thin antenna rising from the rear fender carries the two-way radio signal officers rely on to call for backup or report a location, a feature that became standard equipment once police radio networks expanded through the mid-1900s.

Saddlebags for Patrol Gear

Just like a civilian touring bike, a police motorcycle carries saddlebags mounted low over the rear wheel, though officers pack them with traffic citation books, first-aid supplies, and spare equipment instead of luggage. The wide floorboards and cushioned seat let an officer sit comfortably through a full shift of stop-and-go city patrol.

A big V-twin engine, the same style powering civilian touring cruisers, gives a police bike enough low-end torque to accelerate quickly away from a stop, useful when officers need to catch up to fast-moving traffic.

Motor Officers Beyond Traffic Duty

Modern police motorcycle units handle far more than traffic stops, escorting parades, leading funeral processions, and threading through packed stadium crowds where a patrol car simply cannot fit. Motor officers also complete some of the most demanding training in any police department, since balancing a heavy motorcycle at walking speed during a tight formation ride takes years of practice.

Departments across the country still favor a windshield, saddlebags, and a light bar on their motor units today, keeping that recognizable patrol-bike silhouette on city streets more than a century after the first motor officers hit the road.

Training for Slow-Speed Control

Motor officer academies spend weeks drilling tight figure-eight patterns and slow-speed cone courses, since a police motorcycle weighs several hundred pounds and balancing it below walking pace takes far more skill than riding it at highway speed. Officers practice picking the bike back up after a low-speed tip-over too, a routine part of training that keeps them ready for the tight formations parade and escort duty demand.

A reinforced luggage rack behind the seat, sometimes fitted in addition to the saddlebags, gives officers room for extra gear like traffic cones or a spare radio battery during a long patrol shift. Reinforced engine guards, extra bright brake lights, and a louder factory-tuned siren round out the changes that separate a patrol-ready motorcycle from the civilian touring bike it starts life as on the factory line.