The one thing that US Marines are known for is to eek out every possible resource in the quest to win a battle. The Marines never lie down and never give up. It is this legendary toughness of the US Marines that has given them an aura of invincibility and has earned them respect of one and all. (It is amazing to see how even the enemy forces view them with a sense of respect). The Marines are known for their unflinching determination and a service to their nation that is almost unparallel. Now that obviously means that the machines that serve them must be as efficient and tough as the men themselves.
While most machines we use run on a fuel combination that is far too expensive and unsuitable for combat situations, American and NATO military machines, from diesel generators to stealth bombers, run on JP-8 to simplify fuel supply logistics. While JP-8, a formulation of jet fuel similar to kerosene and diesel fuel, works fine in those engines, commercially available motorcycles require gasoline. So the Marines decided to make a bike that actually works on the fuel combination that they use.
Fred Hayes, chief executive of Hayes Diversified Technologies, a military contractor in Hesperia, California, has built specially adapted motorcycles for the Marines and the Army Special Forces for more than two decades by modifying bikes to run in the harshest environments on earth with special lighting and more rugged suspensions and tires. So when the Marines sent out a word for a bike that ran on JP-8 the company created HDTM103M1.
The new HDTM103M1 uses the chassis, a few engine components and all the internal transmission parts of the Kawasaki KLR650, a workhorse capable of anything from daily commuting to Sahara exploring. But the Marine machine’s major engine components are all new, built for diesel service. Shifting through the five-speed gearbox gets the M103M1 past 90 miles an hour, a speed it will hold, apparently, until the end of time. At a steady 55 M.P.H. it gets 96 miles a gallon, which is of course one of the main features the Marines wished to see. With improved efficiency and new look, the bike is all set to go to battle along with the Marines. It is nice to know that the tough boys are getting the toys they are ordering for.
Source: NY Times
