The LAPD Just Got a Military-Grade Electric Bike for Stealth Missions

The force has bought a Zero MMX electric motorcycle that offers the advantage of stealth.

For an officer of the law, motorcycles have distinct advantages over the patrol car. They accelerate faster than anything with four wheels and can slip through traffic. They're fuel efficient. But they're also loud, and that can be problematic when sneaking up on perps.

If you’re a motorcycle cop with the L.A.P.D., time to celebrate. As a pilot project, the force has bought a Zero MMX electric motorcycle, that offers those advantages with the addition of stealth.

“Most importantly, our officers have an added tactical advantage while on patrol,” says Officer Steve Carbajal of the L.A.P.D. Off-Road Unit. For now, Zero says that the LAPD "purchased one MMX as a pilot program," for use on and off-road. If it goes well, they will order more.

Los Angeles taxpayers can be glad that the bikes can be charged for less than $.50 and maintenance is largely limited to the occasional tire inflation. Oh, and with no emissions, they can go indoors to chase a suspect through a hallway.

Zero has been supplying police departments around the country with motorcycles since 2011, starting in Northern California. These bikes are like their civilian counterparts, but outfitted with lights, sirens, medical gear, and hard storage containers.

The MMX is Zero’s special forces-specific bike. It can ford through water up to 3.2 feet deep, put out 68 pound-feet of torque, go from zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds, and hit a top speed of 85 mph. Equipped with the largest available battery pack, it bike will run for two hours.

We're sorry to report the police-spec MMX is not for sale to civilians, but play your cards right and you could end up racing one down the 405.