Prior to the BMW acquisition, the Honolulu Police Department used 32 Harley-Davidsons (Road Kings and FXRPs) and 13 Kawasakis. The 36 motor officers will be riding the BMWs as soon as the final police detailing is completed. Included in the motorcycle staff of 36 is one female motor officer.

The Honolulu Police Department sent some of their officers and mechanics state-side to both the Harley-Davidson and BMW facilities to evaluate their motorcycles. According to HPD Major Jeff Owens, the staff returned with nothing but praise for the BMWs. They were particularly impressed with the stability, comfort, and improved braking of the BMWs. Owens stated that the ABS, anti-locking braking system, provided the officers the ability for much safer stopping. Also noted was that the BMWs were more nimble, and the center stand offered a quicker dismount and take-off. "The officers also like that the motorcycle has a fan-cooled engine, since they do encounter high-speed sudden stops and restarts that can cause difficulties restarting a hot engine," said Owens.

Major Owens told Motorcycle NewsWire that the maintenance of the motorcycles also influenced the decision to choose BMW. "The BMWs have a three year warranty with unlimited mileage versus the one year of the Harleys. Intermediate service for the Harleys is every 2500 miles after the first 500 miles, whereas, with the BMWs it's every 6000 miles, period," stated Owens.

The Honolulu Police Department was formally established in 1932 in Honolulu, the capital city of the State of Hawaii. The HPD is the primary law enforcement agency in the city and county of Honolulu which is approximately 600 square miles and covers the island of Oahu. The resident population of Oahu (including the military) is approximately 880,000. Over four million people visit Oahu annually.