Diesel-powered motorcycles never really took off, for about one thousand reasons that make them worse than gas or electric bikes, but when have you ever cared about a vehicle being bad? You’re on Jalopnik after all, where we adore the absolute worst pieces of garbage ever set loose on the American roads. You’re a trash connoisseur, and as your sommelier, I present to you a very fine vintage.
This is a 2003-ish Kawasaki KLR650, converted to run on diesel or jet fuel by the mad lads over at Hayes Diversified Technologies. That makes it an HDT M1030M1, a bike built to tackle all sort of terrain using whatever fuel happened to be sitting in other nearby military vehicles.
The seller claims this KLR may have been converted in 2006 from its Kawasaki origins to its military present. This bike could almost be confused with any other modified, rattlecanned KLR on Craigslist, if not for the HDT USA badge sitting beneath the rider’s left leg. That identifies it as a true, short-lived military bike.
As does the price, which sits far above even a new Kawasaki. At $13,800, this particular M1030M1 isn’t too pricey relative to the competition, but it far outstrips the KLR, which can often be found for under $3,000 in mediocre-but-reliable condition.
You, dear friend, need a bike like this in your garage. How cool will you feel at the next bike night, when everyone else is doing burnouts in their Gixxers? As you sit on your 30-hp dual-sport, choking out the crowd with diesel fumes, you’ll know that you’re the most unique little guy present. You deserve it.
