VINTAGE TECH: KAWASAKI KLT250-P1
This law enforcement version of the Kawasaki 3-wheeler was used at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
If you can find a Kawasaki KLT250-P1 today, chances are good that the owner doesn’t want to sell it, or is asking a fortune to let it go. Why? Because it’s a rare and significant piece of U.S. history.
Only 300 of these 3-wheelin’ police cruisers were manufactured, and 50 of them were donated to law enforcement for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, CA. They were designed in black and white color with a police pursuit lamp, which could be red, blue, or amber. The red lamp equipped models are the ones that were used in the Olympics. The 250 blue or amber lamp equipped models were sold to other law enforcement agencies, including California coastal beach patrols. A police baton was mounted to the right front fork and a mag-style flashlight was attached to the chrome rear rack. The rear rack also included a low profile hard case “trunk” with a Kawasaki logo, used for paperwork and tools for law enforcement.
Other unique features included a cable driven speedometer, chrome steps/heel guards that attached the foot pegs to the rear fender, and a bar mounted cradle for a Midland 3-channel police radio.
Dave Wylie (Dirt Wheels contributor and owner of ATC Addiction) recently sold one of the original Olympic Game trikes to Binky’s Forever ATC Museum. “An original Olympics KLT250-P1 in good condition will go for upwards of $8,000. The blue and amber light models go for less, but are still valuable due to being so rare,” says Wylie.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.