Police trial Harley Davidson bike

The Harley-Davidson Road King is being used to patrol Warwickshire.

Warwickshire Police traffic officers trying out a Harley Davidson motorbike say it might not be up to the job of policing 3,000 miles of roads.

They will report back on the three-month trial in February.

Ch Insp Geoff Beston said it had been a "useful addition", but that it had limitations for overall patrol duties.

He said: "The Harley is very visually impactive but it's not as manoeuvrable for general patrol as the BMW and Honda models we use in our motorcycle fleet."

He added: "We will continue assessing the motorcycle for a few more weeks before reporting back on its overall practicality and handling ability.

Warwickshire officers have been using the Road King tourer since December.

The Metropolitan Police force is also testing it for police patrol work in and around London.

Northumbria officers used a 1450cc Road King, in full police livery and fitted with horns and blue lights, in a 2003 trial.