The Associated Press
Lincoln, Neb. (AP) -- The president and owner of a local Harley-Davidson franchise is offering the Nebraska State Patrol a way to cut down on fuel costs.
Dave Fischer is offering the patrol the use of some motorcycles.
“I would be ecstatic to see the State Patrol riding down the highway on Harley-Davidson motorcycles,” Fischer said.
Last Monday, Fisher sent a letter to Col. Tom Nesbitt, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, offering the use of some bikes to try at no cost for several months.
Fischer said the bikes offer distinct advantages over traditional police cruisers. For starters, they get better gas mileage -- as much as three-times what a traditional police cruiser gets.
The bikes are also better able to squeeze through tight spaces and accelerate faster than cruisers, he said.
There are disadvantages, too. Motorcycles are unsafe to ride on icy roads and are more difficult to see than a police cruiser.
Retired Lincoln Officer Leo Nissen, who once rode a police motorcycle, said bikes are great for use in town, but noted they are not as safe on fast-moving rural highways and interstates.
For that reason, Nissen said he does not expect the State Patrol to take Fischer up on his offer.
“I don’t know if it would be practical for their use,” he said.