Regina police motorbikes revved up after successful summer

The Regina Police Service (RPS) has numerous modes of transportation, but arguably the coolest is its two motorcycles.

Sgt. Ian Barr, who’s in charge of the Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) Unit with Regina police, said although the bikes have some limitations, their riders are fully capable of making arrests.

“We just have to call for somebody to transport that person, but (the riders) can certainly arrest people. Much like our K-9 officers, they have the same kind of limitations because obviously the dog is in the back of the police car and that’s not where you want to put a prisoner,” he said.

According to Barr, the bikes have many jobs, not just in Regina.

“They have some unique capabilities when compared to a patrol car. They’re a little more nimble, they can get into smaller places, they can get through traffic and they’re good for parade and escort duty,” he said.

The bikes rolled into the city more than two years ago. Due to their elevated seating position and how close they can get to other vehicles, the bikes are great at detecting distracted driving.

Barr said in the first year with the motorbikes, distracted driving enforcement was up by 462 per cent in comparison to years without the bikes.

“And frankly, the public just doesn’t see them as much, which can be a bit of a danger for all motorcyclists. But that kind of plays to our advantage in that they aren’t noticed sometimes and we can detect that illegal driving behaviour when we see it,” said Barr.

The RPS has also seen great success with another of its newest additions, an airplane.

Thanks to the training they received from the RCMP, neither of the RPS motorbike operators have been involved in an accident.

But their bikes get beat up fairly easily. Both of the bikes have multiple scratches and even rubber hoses wrapped around banged-up metal.

The motorbikes have multiple scratches and dings due to being dropped during training sessions. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

“That’s because during the training course with these, they drop them like 10 to 15 times a day because they’re doing a lot of really slow-speed manoeuvring and really concentrating on the balance. They do high-speed operation as well,” said Barr.

The operators also train for slippery conditions, gravel roads and even driving in fields.

As for speed, Barr and the operators put it plainly: The bikes go fast.

“It’s basically as fast as you have the courage to take it,” Barr said with a laugh.

One of the operators said he hit 220 kilometres per hour. He reached that speed while responding to an emergency call in a rural area.

The bikes are fully equipped for this.

“They have different levels of stability and traction control. So the operator can just go full throttle after a violator at anytime and the motorcycle knows to keep the front wheel on the ground. So it’ll apply power just to keep the front wheel on the ground,” Barr said.

The bikes are 2022 Suzuki V-Strom 1050cc models. The bike itself has a price tag of $30,000. The additional police equipment brings the total cost to $60,000.

The Regina Police Service’s motorbikes are a 2022 Suzuki V-Strom 1050cc model. The bike on the right is fully equipped with a computer, radar and police radio. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

A lot of the equipment has to be weatherproof, which drives up the price.

This particular model was chosen because sometimes they drive on the highway.

Both bikes aren’t equally equipped right now. Barr said they’re facing some supply shortages.

One of the bikes does not have radar, police radio or computer. When the operator uses that particular bike, they have to wear the radio that officers have on their belt and issue tickets the old-fashioned way on paper.

The side saddles mainly hold paperwork and occasionally riding gear, like a jacket liner for example.

Barr said the RPS doesn’t have a policy as to when the bikes should and shouldn’t be operated. He leaves that decision up to the operators’ discretion.

“We have really good equipment for them,” he said. “The jackets you see them wearing, they look like a solid fabric but they’re actually just a mesh vent that holds the padding in. Same with the pants: They’re ventilated and have padding built in.

“They have the appropriate gear for riding in all kinds of weather, but I leave when they operate them up to them and we try to get them on the road as much as possible.”

On the fully equipped bike, the top box is where the computer is stored. It is used to issue e-tickets.

The fully equipped motorbike has a computer that’s used to issue e-tickets. It’s stored inside a weatherproof case. The driver‘s licence scanner can be seen to the left of the computer. The ticket gets printed out and the information is sent wirelessly to the Ministry of Justice. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

“The operator just dunks the driver’s licence (into the computer), the system scans it, transposes all the data into the ticket, and there’s a printer on the motorcycle. The e-ticket is printed out and then it uploads wirelessly,” said Barr.

He said the fully equipped bike has everything the four-wheeled police vehicles have other than the automated licence reader. But Barr said the operators have a lot going on, on top of driving the bike itself, so it’s one less thing for them to worry about.

The bikes are stored away in a trailer for the winter. The trailer is also used to transport the bikes to projects or events if the weather is foul.