Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation
SUBMITTED BY SGT. ROB SCHWALM, MSP PRECISION DRIVING UNIT
Harley-Davidson® Electra Glide®
FLHTP motorcycle leaning testing T
he Michigan State Police (MSP) Preci- sion Driving Unit tests the upcoming model year’s police vehicles each year. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) awards an annual grant to accomplish this. MSP is one of only two agencies to have such exten- sive testing of police vehicles. The other test is administered by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department each October.
Testing includes passenger vehicles as well as motorcycles.
The requirement in place by MSP is the vehicles must be des- ignated by VIN as police vehicles. Motorcycles have the same requirement with the added stipulation they are equipped with an anti-lock braking system. The VIN requirement ensures the vehicles are backed by the manufacturer (not an upfitter who takes a normal car or motorcycle, adds police equipment and calls it a police vehicle). The vehicles submitted by the manufacturers have gone through extensive testing and are production vehicles. No experimental vehicles are tested. Test data is gathered utilizing state of-the-art technology to measure speeds and distances. MSP testing is performed each year during the month of
September. The testing is spread out over several days and multiple venues. Motorcycles start things off with the braking test. It is performed at the MSP Precision Driving Facility in Lansing, MI. The officer achieves 60 mph then applies maximum braking until the motorcycle is completely stopped.
6 THE MOTOR OFFICER™ | SPRING 2015
Harley-Davidson®
Police Motorcycles lined up for dynamics
This is done ten times in a row followed by one cooldown lap, then ten more stops. That same officer completes the test for each motorcycle, thus providing consistency. Dynamics testing is done at Grattan Raceway in Beld-
ing, MI. This is a two-mile road course having a wide range of turns and elevation changes. Grattan provides a taxing environment to test passenger vehicles and motorcycles in dynamics and produces comprehensive results regarding durability and performance. For the dynamics testing there are four riders for the motorcycles and four drivers for the patrol vehicles. The officer completes eight laps in/on each vehicle or motorcycle. MSP utilizes Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, MI
for acceleration and top speed of passenger vehicles and motorcycles as well as braking for passenger vehicles. This facility has a 4.7-mile test oval which is banked for neutral steering at 140 mph. “Neutral steering” means the driver could remove his or her hands from the steering wheel and the vehicle would continue along the correct path. Chrysler’s oval provides ample space to obtain accurate top speed and acceleration test results. Motorcycle acceleration measures the time and distance
necessary to reach speeds of 60, 80 and 100 mph. Each motor- cycle is ridden through four acceleration sequences, all by the same rider. To determine top speed each motorcycle is ridden 14 miles from a standing start. The highest speed achieved during the 14 miles is identified as that vehicle’s top speed.
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