Interesting thread. Our gear consists of a solid leather jacket, no reflective piping, no vents, a 3/4 helmet with no shield, safety glasses, patent leather knee high boots with no ankle support, thin leather gauntlet gloves, and wool riding breeches. When on an escort, the guys will wear as much gear as they can but there is a balance between over-heating, and wearing protective gear.
The OPP is in the middle of a clothing review that has been going on for quite some time. They are in the final stages of approving a jacket, which will be ballistic nylon with a removable liner, venting, reflective/high vis components. They are also looking at the Shoei J-Cruise helmet, a 3/4 design with a clear shield.
I am an advocate for getting better gear in general. The uniform that we have now works on parade but not on patrol. I don't think it would have helped PC Tucker much at all, however.
As for the bikes, while they are heavy, they are a capable machine that can easily be righted single-handed. There are two techniques we use for this, and they are probably all over Youtube. The York lift is the easiest for most people. We have to go through a tender process in the next year, because the OPP has been sole-sourcing from Harley for too long. I will be helping to assess the bikes when they come in next year.