OHP Hopes New Motorcycle Aids Fight Against Reckless Drivers

By Chris Wright, The New On 6

TULSA, OK -- The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has a new high-powered motorcycle it hopes will encourage drivers to slow down.

OHP says all the construction in and around Tulsa has created more dangerous situations, and has made it tough for patrolmen to track down speeders. But this new arrival is expected to change that.

The new motorcycle is a 2006 Sazuki Hayabusa. It has a 1298CC liquid-cooled engine, tops out at nearly 200 miles an hour and it's the newest weapon in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol's arsenal.

"It's stealthy. It's maneuverable. It accelerates rapidly and it can get in and around cones in a flash," said Lt. George Brown, OHP Spokesperson.

The OHP is calling it the "Interceptor," and says it will be used primarily for traffic stops in congested construction zones. But if someone takes off on an extremely high-speed chase, the bike will be called in to track the suspect down.

Now the message the OHP wants to send is that if you take off, if you run, with that thing, they're going to catch you.

"There's not too much stuff out there that's going to outrun it," said Lt. Ward Oliphant.

Patrolmen must complete extra training before being allowed to ride the Interceptor and Lt. Ward Oliphant is currently the only one in Tulsa authorized to do so. He has spent more than two decades riding Harleys for work, and says the Sazuki is in a different league.

"This is great. This is kind of like the Ferrari of motorcycles," said Lt. Oliphant.

Oliphant is already patrolling the highways, where the bike's ability to accelerate is immediately evident. But that doesn't mean he will be pushing it to its limits anytime soon.

Chris Wright, The New On 6: I'm assuming you haven't got it up to 200 yet.

Lt. Ward Oliphant: No, no and I don't plan on it.

The OHP has also added two new Dodge Chargers with solid-color paint jobs, as opposed to the traditional black and white design. It says the paint jobs will make the cars tougher for speeders to spot.