Mumbai cops find police bike made for them mean, but not lean

DCP of motor vehicles department, who tried out the hi-tech motorcycle designed by engineer Gabriel Zuzarte for Mumbai police, found it too weighty and thus unsteady

After Gabriel Zuzarte got the green light to let the prototype of his flashy new police bike a hefty, hyper-modified tech-smart ride (see box) be used for a trial by the police, cops took it for a spin yesterday.

Cops take the bike for a test run; they told Gabriel Zuzarte (in black) that the bike’s weighty back equipped with laptop and printer boxes was making it wobbly to ride

After the test run, Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Patil from the motor vehicles department gave Zuzarte feedback on possible improvements in the design, so it can be streamlined for speed and stability. Zuzarte, an automobile engineer, told mid-day, “We had a short trial. DCP Atul Patil wanted to check my bike so I went to their Nagpada office.

mid-day report on March 29

The bike was then ridden by the DCP and several other officers.” mid-day had reported (‘Hot wheels! Mumbai cops may soon have this swanky new ride’, March 29) about the bike designed by Zuzarte, which is equipped with a laptop, printer, router, camera, charging points, first-aid box and all that a cop needs out on the road.

The tryout lasted an hour. The DCP pointed out that because of the laptop and printer box at the rear of the bike, it had become too bulky, which was causing instability for the cop riding it.

A tad unwieldy
“The DCP wanted me to make some changes to the bike, which I will be doing in a week’s time. He had some issues with its weight. I will also be meeting Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria next week, who will have his say on the design.” Zuzarte said that new riders would find the motorcycle difficult to ride, but seasoned bikers would get the hang of it soon.

DCP Patil said, “We had a look at his (Zuzarte’s) bike and I have given my feedback to him. The bike has been causing too much vibration, as all the weight has been put on the backside, making it difficult to handle. But the decision whether the bike should be given to the cops will be taken by the police commissioner and then the government.”

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