History & Museum Winnipeg Police Museum

Motorcycles

Long before cruiser cars were used by the Winnipeg Police, the department purchased motorcycles to patrol the city. The motorcycle officers responded to calls that were dispatched over the call-box system.

In 1910 the first motorcycles were purchased from the Indian Motorcycle Company. In pictures on display they look very much like large bicycles. Several years later the department purchase Harley-Davidson motorcycles and sidecars so that they could be used all year. In later years the department used Royal-Enfield and Henderson motorcycles but the Harley-Davidson became the standard. In the 1980's, the department switched to foreign made motorcycles and used Honda, Kawasaki and finally BMW's. In the year 2000, the department once again obtained the big Harley-Davidson motorcycles but no longer used the sidecars as the machines are taken out of service in the winter.

The museum has a restored 1978 Harley-Davidson motorcycle complete with sidecar on display. This was the last motorcycle to operate in the winter in the early 1980's.

Another unique motorcycle, a 1966 Harley-Davidson Servi-Car, is being restored and should be on display in 2000. This is the three wheel machine that was commonly called a "tricycle" or "ice cream box" and was used mainly on parking patrol.