I was on HULU today at work while doing nothing and was watching Mail Call with our favorite Gunny and they were covering how the USMC uses bikes and that reminded me of how I must have totally forgotten that right before I joined the USMC back in the late 90's that they adopted the Kawasaki KLR650. I remember this distinctly because as soon as I saw it in the recruiters book I wanted that job. But the recruiter had to look it up because it isn't listed as a regular MOS. Now, my memory is still hazy on the subject but I think it has to be volunteered for and selected and its a sub job or something of another MOS....its complicated. Anyway, I never found out because ironically... I was dismissed from the Corps because of a motorcycle accident....and yes, it was a bad one. It would have to be to warrant something like that.

Anyway...

They showed how they modify them for Corps ready duty. They put heavy suspension on them, off road tires, pegs, plastic...and heres the kicker. They modify the engines to run on diesel. What use to get 60-sum miles to the gallon gets over 100 miles to the gallon. I think it may have been as high as 120, I'm not sure. That could have been the other prototype one. It burned anything, even Kerosene.

They showed them training, it was rough stuff, going through huge piles of sand and just falling over because of washouts. They even said the one guy rode from Kuwait to Baghdad. Thats some hardcore desert riding.


OO-RAH!

 

I remember seeing some of the military klr's on the web, they had some wild one piece "barkbusters", looked real heavy duty.

 

WTF is HULU? Plz splain MOS too. thx LOL

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtcd1kSdlQY

 

OK, it was 110 mpg on the new bike.

HULU is that new thing they indirectly advertise on TV all the time. They just started directly advertising what it is with the new Dennis Leary commercial, so its not surprising your not sure about what it is. I didn't for a while until I Googled it. If your ever in doubt about anything, Google it before you ask, you'll get your answers faster.

HULU is a website that has TV shows on it that you can watch on demand.

MOS = Military Occupational Specialty.... in other words, your job.

and I'm not sure that year was right, it said '99, I joined in '98 and they were already there, had books printed, and had them in circulation, soooo.........yeah. Maybe a different varient?

 

The KLR can make it through ANYTHING. Don't let some wussy tell you it's "too sandy" to make it through.

I ride with a guy on a KLR throught urban off-road areas. This thing is truly a legend in the dual sport world. It just goes to show...time and time again-it's all about the RIDER, not the bike.

Oh also, what season and episode is it on HULU you're talking about. I'm looking....

 

season 3, episode 7.

See that sand they're goin through? I told ya!!

 

check this out.
http://www.dieselmotorcycles.com/models.htm

 

Thanks Jason, I remember the HULU comercials now. I thought about Google, but only after I had written my funny question with all those acronyms.

 

so they modified a klr in to a klx?....ummm...ok...they exist, well they use to (650), im up for the diesel bike/kerosene/salt/water/paint/guns/plastic/sand/smaller road bikes/paper....well its said it would run on anything
nice bike thou,
my plan is to get the aus army to adopt the drz 400... now that a nice bike