Honda Donates Two Africa Twins to Redondo Beach Police Department

American Honda donated two Africa Twin adventure motorcycles to the Redondo Beach Police Department recently during a ceremony at the company’s offices in Torrance, California.

The donation was to support the recently launched City of Redondo Beach Police Foundation, which funds new technologies to help advance the vision of the police department. American Honda Community Relations had already assisted the foundation as a founding sponsor, donating a pair of Pioneer 700 side-by-side vehicles that are currently being used by beach and community units.

More recently, officers began considering the possibility of transitioning from their current police motorcycles to an adventure-bike platform, with the idea that their relative agility, lighter weight, and increased suspension travel would make them well suitable for police work. Police Chief Keith Kauffman approached Honda with the idea, and after officers successfully tested a pair of units at a Ride For Kids event, Honda decided to move ahead with the donation.

The donated Africa Twins are equipped with automatic Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), which could enable officers to focus more of their attention on riding and police work. In addition, the units have been equipped with a number of Honda Accessories, including hard luggage and a top box. With the help of noted bike customizer Roland Sands, the police department expects to make a number of additional modifications targeted to add additional law-enforcement functionality.

“One of the things that the police department is really focused on is our new vision statement: ‘We are the community, leading the way in law enforcement,” Chief Kauffman said. “That’s why when we look at partnering, we’re going out to the experts. If we want to be one of the most innovative law-enforcement departments in the country, we have to push the needle, and Honda’s generous donation of these Africa Twins will help us to take a big step toward that objective.”

“We’re pleased to provide the Redondo Beach Police Department with these Africa Twin models,” said Chuck Boderman, American Honda Vice President, Motorcycle Division. “Redondo Beach is a neighbor of our home city of Torrance, and we support the City of Redondo Beach Police Foundation’s work to develop and incorporate technologies not typically used for police duties. We hope that these motorcycles will help the department’s officers to carry out the important work they do for our community.”

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.