Think of police and motorcycles, and you probably think of highway patrol officers riding large, heavy Harley Davidsons like the 2012 Electra Glide.

In Europe, most police departments make use of specially-made police motorcycles from companies like BMW or Honda, but yesterday officers in London, England welcomed a smaller motorcycle to their squad -- the all-electric 2011 Zero DS.

Lightweight and easy to handle, the 2011 Zero DS might make an excellent machine for officers wanting to chase criminals along London’s miles of canal paths, footpaths and Royal parks, but the Metropolitan Police Force (Met) has other ideas for its new recruit. 

Assigned to the Met’s Motorcycle Tasking Team, the 2011 Zero DS will be used at the roadside to help educate motorcyclists on correct road behavior as well as in its “BikeSafe” and “ScooterSafe” rider education programs. 

“The Motorcycle Team is very excited to be given the opportunity to test the Zero DS under everyday police conditions,” said Sergeant Mick Cheeseman of the Met’s Motorcycle Tasking Team. “ Much of our work is about giving advice and instruction on keeping motorcyclists safe on London’s roads, and being able to do this on an electric motorcycle means also we can aim to reduce our impact on the environment.”

2011 Zero DS Electric Motorcycle Joins Met Police

2011 Zero DS Electric Motorcycle Joins Met Police

While the all-electric motorcycle is unlikely to see many high-speed persist, it is equipped with the same police equipment found on the Met’s regular motorcycles, meaning that it isn’t just a show-motorcycle for special events. 

This isn’t the first time electric vehicles have been used for law enforcement either. Back in 2009, the West Midlands Police Force were part of a field trial of the 2009 Mitsubishi i-Miev, while more recently the NYPD welcomed the 2011 Chevrolet Volt into its force.

As for Zero? Its 2011 DS motorcycle are already working hard assisting police officers in California, who use the dual-sport motorcycles to help officers keep the peace on miles on everything from beaches through to mountain passes. 

Make sure you read our own review of the 2011 Zero DS to find out what we thought of this lightweight all-electric motorcycle. 

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