LEXINGTON, KY - The University of Kentucky's Police Department has become one of only about a dozen departments nationwide to add all electric motorcycles to its fleet. The police departments of Penn State University, Amherst College, and New York City are among those which use the new Vectrix VX-1 motorcycles, manufactured by a company based in Connecticut..
UK Police Officer Wes Tyler described the new motorcycles as "Very smooth, very quiet, with no vibration. They handle like a moped. I'm very comfortable [riding one] in traffic."
And because these motorcycles emit only a faint humming sound, "If you're trying to follow someone they don't even know you're there," he added with a grin.
Another advantage of these much quieter motorcycles is that the officers don't have to have their radios turned up so loudly to overcome motor noise. "These run off of our belt radio," Tyler explained. "We use an earpiece."
The electric motorcycles look like a hybrid of an electric scooter and a regular motorcycle. Their sleek design is evocative of 1930s styling.
UK Police Department's Interim Chief Joe Monroe learned about the Vectrix VX-1 motorcycles at a conference held in Connecticut for college law enforcement officers. "We were trying to reduce fuel costs, so we did a test evaluation. Then we bought two motorcycles instead of one patrol car," he said.
Because of the new motorcycle's ability to go into small areas and operate at great savings and benefit to the environment, Monroe said. "It will really change the way public safety is maintained."
Each $10,000 motorcycle will "pay for itself within a year," Monroe said. "The new motorcycles will "help enhance our foot and bicycle patrols on campus by increasing our mobility and decreasing our response times," he added.
Since these motorcycles add no fuel emissions to the air themselves and will be used in place of patrol cars, they have allowed the Police Department to make a significant contribution to UK's campus-wide sustainability effort. "They are having a positive impact on the environment," Monroe said.
After completing motorcycle riding certification classes at Eastern Kentucky University, UK's officers began using the new motorcycles shortly after the semester began. "They offered a great advantage during this first [UK-UofL] football game," Monroe said. "We had two extra officers in the parking lots."
Asked about the reaction of the tailgaters and other people attending the game, the chief said, "We turned a lot of heads because they're so quiet."
The motorcycles run quietly, but they're powerful enough to be effective, with a top speed of 62 miles per hour. They accelerate from 0 to 50 mph in 6.8 seconds.
Recharging takes about three hours, using a pigtail adapter under the seat and a standard 110 volt electrical outlet. Each single charging will provide enough power for the motorcycle to travel 35-55 miles, depending on how fast it is driven.
Operating costs are sweet, too. They run, Monroe said, "about a penny per hour, or less than a dime per day."
The new electric motorcycles aren't meant to replace the Police Department's four Harley-Davidson motorcycles. These larger, more powerful motorcycles are better for traffic control and other specific situations.
Besides the savings in energy and cost, the new electric motorcycles offer two priceless advantages. One is improved response time in areas that are inaccessible by either a patrol car or larger motorcycle.
The other advantage, Monroe said, is that "The community will find the police officers more approachable."
About a dozen officers have completed training to ride the new motorcycles. Ten more officers will undergo the required training by the end of the fall semester. When the first year of operation is over for the new electric motorcycles, depending on final results, Monroe said that the department may purchase more of these motorcycles which seem so suitable for use in a university campus environment.