Working at HeliBars can be extremely rewarding.  Helping those that have a passion for motorcycling stay in their seats longer, either for the day or through the years, is so much fun.  We love to see people smiling!  Below is the motorcycle review we received from Officer Pruet of the Arizona Highway Patrol.

My name is Officer Jake Pruet.  I am a motor officer with the Arizona Highway Patrol and a motorcycle instructor.  Our department recently purchased the new Kawasaki Concours 14 police model from Beaudry Motor sports in Idaho.  We really enjoyed the motorcycle; however, the sitting position was somewhat uncomfortable for a police officer using the motorcycle for 10 hours a day.  We were forced to lean forward on the bike with our arms locked out and all of our weight was on our wrists and lower back.  This created a problem with not only rider comfort, but officer safety as well.  I conducted research on the internet and I received information from Steve Beaudry, founder and owner of Beaudry Motor sports, where our motorcycles are built, about an adjustable handle bar system from Helibars.  I completed my own research of the product and determined that, while the cost was more than higher bar risers, the benefit would greatly outweigh that cost.  I completed my research and forwarded it to my department which ultimately purchased a set for each of the 10 motorcycles we currently have in the fleet.  Steve Beaudry worked with Helibars to modify the current set up that extended the brake lines, to a system that completely replaced the stock brake lines and the factory junction with longer lines.

Initial impressions:

I could immediately tell that the motorcycle handled very differently and that it was almost effortless to turn during slow maneuvers.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the sitting position perfect for our line of work.  My back was completely straight and my arms were bent at the elbow and my shoulders and wrists were relaxed.  This was now my new favorite police motorcycle.

Field Testing:

I completed several rigorous tests in the field and in training.  I tested the handlebars in slow, tight maneuvers and was able to complete a 16’ u-turn with almost no effort.  The motorcycle now makes quick left to right and right to left transitions with almost no weight felt at the steering head.  At freeway speeds, the Helibars set actually makes the ride even smoother and at high speeds, is completely 100 % stable and firm.  I tested the Helibars set under extreme braking and felt no movement.

 Research and Development:

After testing the setup, I had some minor concerns about how my department, as well as other police departments, were going to mount their police radios.  Our current design had the radio mount bolted to the bottom bolts of the top clamp.  These bolts need to be torque to a specific torque setting and we were concerned about radio technicians or others needing to remove the mount and not properly torque the bolts.  I contacted the owner of Helibars, Harry Eddy, and informed him of my issue and offered a simple solution to machine two threaded holes directly next to the current bolt holes.  Harry’s designer quickly made a prototype drawing and sent it to me for approval.  I was amazed to discover how exact the design was to what I needed.  Harry immediately made a working prototype and shipped it out for test fitting.  The new top clamp design was a perfect fit and after tweaking it slightly , Harry made 10 clamps and immediately shipped them to us to swap out.

Conclusion:

I have shown the Helibars setup to numerous other motor officers in the Phoenix area that are either riding the new Kawasaki or are purchasing them soon.  The look on the officers faces are a complete smile from ear to ear.  They are amazed, just like I was, on how drastically different the seating position is.   I believe that with these new Helibars, the new Kawasaki C14P motorcycle is in the running to become the best police motorcycle on the market and the Helibars system is a must for anyone who rides a Concours, either civilian or police.