I never thought I’d long for the days when gas was $2.50 a gallon. In an
effort to save a few bucks, I take two wheels just about everywhere. My KTM
950 Adventure S rings in 45 miles to the gallon, which is a lot better than
any four-wheeled transport we have on hand. But that’s positively wasteful
compared to the products that Hayes Diversified Technologies from Hesperia,
California, has available.
HDT converts Kawasaki KLR 650 dual-sport motorcycles to run on diesel power and recently entered into a contract to provide the Marines with 522 of its JP8/Diesel Combat motorcycles. The basis of the design is a technology demonstrator program for a motorcycle diesel engine carried out by Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. Details of this program are reported in SAE Paper 982051.
Last year, one of HDT’s bikes ran at an AMA record-setting 91.277 mph at the
Bonneville salt flats. This week, the company is back at it again, at the
Bub Speed Trials at Bonneville. HDT has sent two bikes this year: One
normally aspirated, and one turbocharged, using a turbo from a Kubota three-cylinder tractor. Both bikes are expected to do the ton by the end of the session on September 9.
To learn more about HDT’s bikes, check out their Web site at:
www.m1030.com
To follow the other goings on at the Bub Motorcycle Speed Trials, visit:
landracing.com
(This post originally appeared in the September 8, 2005, issue of the Hemmings eWeekly Newsletter.)
