Alright, so let’s talk about this BMW police bike project I got myself into. It wasn’t something I woke up one day and decided I absolutely had to do. Nah, it kinda just… happened.
How It All Started
I’d been tinkering with bikes for years, you know? The usual stuff. But I kept seeing these decommissioned police bikes pop up online, mostly BMWs. Always thought they looked pretty mean, built tough. One day, a buddy of mine, who knows I’m always looking for a new headache, mentioned an auction happening not too far away. They had a few ex-police BMW R1200RT-Ps listed. Curiosity got the better of me, as it usually does.
So, I went. Just to look, I told myself. Famous last words, right?
The “Acquisition” Phase
Man, auctions are a weird place. Lots of guys who look like they know exactly what they’re doing, and then there’s me, just winging it. These bikes, they weren’t pretty. Most were ridden hard and put away wet, as they say. Scratches, dents, weird holes drilled everywhere for police gear. But one of them… it had decent bones. Or so I thought.
Ended up winning the bid. Probably paid a bit more than I should have, but you know how it is. The excitement gets to you.
Getting it home was the next adventure. Had to rent a trailer. Strapping that beast down, making sure it wouldn’t decide to take a nap on the highway, that was stressful. It’s a heavy machine, let me tell you.
First Look and What The Heck Did I Buy?
Once I got it into my garage, the real “fun” began. First thing was just staring at it. It still had some of the police livery, faded and peeling. Wires. So. Many. Wires. Everywhere. For lights, sirens, radios, who knows what else. It was like a spaghetti monster had thrown up inside the fairings.
I spent a good weekend just trying to figure out what was what.
- Removed a ton of old brackets.
- Pulled out miles of redundant wiring. Seriously, it filled a whole trash bag.
- Checked the basics: engine, frame, suspension. Luckily, the core stuff seemed okay. Just neglected.
The service records, if you could call them that, were pretty sparse. “Routine maintenance” it said. Yeah, right. The oil looked like tar.
Making a Plan (Sort Of)
My goal wasn’t to restore it to full police spec. Too much hassle, and frankly, I don’t need to be pulling anyone over. I wanted a solid, reliable touring bike, but with a bit of that rugged character still showing. Civilianize it, mostly, but keep it tough.
So, the list started forming:
- Mechanicals first: Full service. All fluids, filters, plugs. Check the clutch, final drive. The usual big stuff.
- Electrical nightmare: Simplify it. Get rid of all the cop-specific circuits. Make sure the basics worked reliably. This was gonna be the big one.
- Cosmetics: It needed paint, badly. And I had to decide what to do with all those holes in the bodywork. Fill ’em? Cover ’em?
- Comfort: The police seat was like a brick. That had to go.
The Actual Work – Sweat and Swear Words
This is where things got… extended. Sourcing parts for an ex-police model isn’t always straightforward. Some bits are unique, some are just regular BMW parts that cost a fortune.
The wiring. Oh, man, the wiring. I bought a Haynes manual, but even that didn’t cover half the weird stuff the police technicians had cooked up. Spent hours with a multimeter, tracing wires, making diagrams. There were moments, many moments, where I just wanted to set the whole thing on fire. But, slowly, I started making sense of it. Pulled out the main police harness. That felt like a victory.
Then, tackling the bodywork. Removing old decals is a special kind of torture. Heat gun, plastic scrapers, goo remover, and a lot of patience. Filling the holes left by spotlights and antennas took ages. Sanding, filling, sanding again. You know the drill.
I decided to paint it myself. Not a showroom finish, mind you. I’m not a pro painter. But good enough for a bike that’s meant to be ridden, not just looked at. Went with a simple, dark color. Less flashy.
Finding a comfortable seat that fit the police model’s slightly different subframe was another little quest. Forums are your friend here, sometimes. Other times, they just confuse you more.
Where It’s At Now
So, after months of evenings and weekends, it’s mostly done. It runs, and it runs well. All the essential electrics work. It’s actually pretty comfortable for long rides now, surprisingly. Still looks a bit purposeful, a bit mean, which I like. It’s not perfect. There are still little things I want to tweak. But it’s a rider. A bike I saved from the scrap heap, more or less.
Was it worth it? Yeah, I think so. Learned a ton. Frustrating as hell at times, but satisfying to see it come together. It’s got character, this bike. More than anything you can just buy off the showroom floor. And every time I take it out, I remember the journey of getting it there. That’s what it’s all about, right?
