Your Harley-Davidson Is No Match For This Mighty Police Bike

BMW and Harley-Davidson have always been at the forefront of providing capable police motorcycles. In fact, the souped-up red-and-white vigilantes have garnered quite a fan following. But Harley fans would be bummed because BMW just bagged a multi-million-dollar deal from the Netherlands government. After all, no other police motorcycle could match their demands; not even a Harley! The criteria were all about performance, and this six-cylinder BMW shines bright in that aspect. So much so that even the all-new and sophisticated BMW R 1300 GT-based police bike didn’t stand a chance.

The Dutch Government Replaces Its Trusty Yamahas With BMW Bikes

The Long-Serving Yamaha FJR1300 Police Bikes Get Replaced With Souped-Up BMW K 1600 GTs

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee—the Dutch military police—has replaced its fleet of Yamaha FJR1300s with brand-new, custom-made BMW K 1600 GT police bikes. The reason to ditch the FJRs was due to their discontinuation in Europe a long time ago and their lack of adherence to the latest pollution standards. The military police have a secret set of criteria that these police bikes should adhere to. Not much is known about the parameters.

Even their test track is a secret affair. However, we now know that even the lighter and more bleeding-edge BMW R 1300 RT-Ps didn’t pass those. Also, BMW was a no-frills choice for the Ministry of Defense, and interestingly, the procurement officers had already announced in advance that only BMW could supply the right bikes. Here’s an excerpt from the program of requirements for the new Dutch police bikes, as quoted by Nieuws Motor Netherlands,

The motorcycle’s maximum operating weight, fully equipped, is a very hefty 472 kg (1040.5 pounds). It must accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.5 seconds and be capable of reaching and maintaining a speed of 220 km/h (136.7 mph). The motorcycle must exhibit stable handling across the entire speed range. There must be no wobble (fast 4-10 Hz oscillation) or weave (slow 0-4 Hz oscillation) that can be controlled by a well-trained, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (KMar) rider, but this also applies to less experienced riders. Furthermore, during normal use, no parts other than the tires may touch the ground (ground clearance), and the motorcycle must be both highly maneuverable and stable.

Here’s Why The BMW K 1600 GT Was Chosen

These new bikes will be used for escort duties and vehicle checks. Given the demand for high top speeds and substantial acceleration, the choice of K 1600 GTs over the newer yet smaller R 1300s makes sense. It is powered by a unique 1,649 cc inline-6 engine that produces 160 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. Performance surges early with power peaking at 6,750 RPM and torque at 5,250 RPM.

This trajectory aligns with the government’s need for their police bikes to match the instant acceleration and top-speed runs when escorting high-powered sedans. Also, given the stanced design, its low center of gravity will help keep these police bikes stable through fast corners. Despite being on the hefty side with a curb weight of 756.2 pounds, the BMW K 1600 GT still impresses with a top speed of over 120 mph.

The police bikes undergo a slew of modifications, including visual and acoustic signaling systems, additional switches and indicators, standard storage solutions, a radio, and the signature white, blue, and red color scheme. All of these modifications are being done by a Dutch company, HSC, in Nieuw-Vennep. While there is no mention of performance upgrades, we do suspect BMW will tweak the engine to adhere to the Netherlands’ condition of “maintaining a speed of 220 km/h (136.7 mph)”. A total of 335 BMW K 1600 GT-P police bikes are expected to be purchased by 2030, with the first batch of 30 bikes already delivered in the Summer of 2025. The total cost of this deal between the Netherlands government and BMW is a whopping €16.5 million (~$19 million).

2025 BMW K 1600 GT Specs For Reference