Don’t break the law in the English Midlands, y’all. Ducati shared the news Wednesday that it had delivered a brand new Panigale V4 to the local police force in Staffordshire, England.
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Staffordshire, for those of you lacking geographical knowledge of the UK, is a county located more or less in the middle of England. It is home to such exciting towns and villages as Barton-under-Needlewood, Stowe-by-Chartley, Great Haywood, and Weston-under-Lizard. And now it is home to a police bike capable of 214 horsepower.
In fairness, the bike won’t be put into service chasing scofflaws from Fazely to Ruggely, instead it will be used to draw attention to the BikeSafe program that encourages existing riders to build up their skills by spending some time learning riding techniques from motorcycle police officers.
BikeSafe workshops focus on improving skills, knowledge and hazard awareness through theory presentations and observed rides. I’ve personally taken a BikeSafe that was run by South Wales Police (most UK police forces offer a course) and found it to be incredibly beneficial. The courses aren’t too expensive and the odds are pretty high that you’ll come away from the experience a better rider.
Nick Adderley, assistant chief constable for Staffordshire Police and national lead for BikeSafe UK said he was pretty tickled that Ducati was lending its support to the program.
“We are absolutely delighted with the relationship we have with Ducati,” he said. “The V4 really pique’s people’s interest… and it gives us the opportunity to really speak to them and educate them about safe riding.”
For more information on courses in your area, visit the BikeSafe website.
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