President William Ruto was escorted to State House in the presidential motorcade, after he was sworn into office at the Kasarani Stadium on Tuesday, September 13.
Ruto's entourage was led by a Mercedes Benz vehicle with a siren followed by eleven riders in a V-like formation.
At the centre of the formation was the President’s official car bearing the Court of Arms instead of a registration plate. Ruto’s car was separated from four others, including the now famous KCU 192H, by a twelfth rider.
Security expert Simiyu Werunga intimated that the formation is deliberate and in line with security protocols. He explained that the role of the riders is to set the pace of the convoy.
“They have the responsibility of pace-setting; they dictate how fast the motorcade can be driven at one point and how slow at another. The units are trained on this and they have stipulated speed they need to drive at," Werunga stated.
Kenyans.co.ke looks at some of the features of the Ksh1 million bikes in President Ruto’s escort.
The Yamaha XJ900P is a superbike that is preferred for VIP security across 40 countries in the world. The bike boasts stable handling, riding performance and exceptionally durable shaft drive, ample power and torque.
The bike is fitted with a straight four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 892 cubic centimeters (cc) which is six times that of the average bodaboda (125cc).
In addition, the bike can produce up to 83.5 newton-metres of torque per 7,000 revs per minute (rpm) and 65.8 kW / 8,250 rpm. Torque is the total force required to overcome resistance and cause rotation along an axis.
The engine runs on a five-gear system which enables it to get to a top speed of 240 kilometres per hour. Countering this is a powerful braking system with a 320mm dual disc mounted on the front wheel and a single 267 mm disc at the back.
Riders are also assured of comfort regardless of the terrain by telescopic forks suspensions at the front and swingarm at the back.
Werunga noted that the riders receive special training to handle the bikes and are equipped with skills to handle firearms and tackle any security threats.
