D.C. police to ride high on the hog

The 120 Honda Rebel motorcycles that make up the Metropolitan Police Department’s fleet aren’t exactly beloved by their pilots. Used to supplement foot patrols and for crowd dispersal, the bikes are slow, maintenance intensive, easily banged up and uncomfortable for larger riders.

But soon enough, officers will be tackling their beats on a much improved ride: The Harley Davidson XL 883 Sportster, law enforcement edition. The MPD has a contract to buy 30 of the new Harleys from a Maryland retailer for $293,307, or $9,777 a piece – roughly $6,500 more than the base-priced Rebel.