The California Highway Patrol has begun adding new Harley-Davidson motorcycles to its highway enforcement fleet, as the agency begins replacing aging BMW motorcycles.

The law enforcement agency has taken delivery of 105 H-D FLHTP Electra Glide motorcycles mostly from the 2014 model year from an Oakland dealership. In all, the agency has ordered 167 motorcycles, including 33 from the 2013 model year. The first motorcycles were delivered in July and went into service in October.

The 2014 model-year Electra Glide incorporated several features that helps officers do their jobs more effectively, said Mike Genthner, H-D Oakland dealer principal.

"The bike is much friendlier to law enforcement," Genthner said. "With any new product there's a sense of familiarity that needs to come, and that's true for any new tool in their job. It does operate differently than the BMWs."

The new features include a switch to a hydraulic clutch from a cable-activated clutch that should require less adjusting by maintenance personnel. The 2014 model adds a linked ABS braking system that replaces independent ABS to give officers linear, smoother braking.

The 2014 model also adds a high-output motor that increases torque by 5% and passing power by 30%, Genthner said.

By Paul Clinton