Marine Corps Gets “dirty”
MARINE CORPS GETS “DIRTY”
ON LAND, IN THE AIR AND even at sea, the Marine Corps' Kawasaki dual-purpose bikes no longer have a problem living up to the Corps' long-time motto.
Modified KLR650s, replacement for the outfit's 10-year-old KLR250s, were delivered to Okinawa, Japan, last November. The bigger, more powerful ma chines were broken-in during a "Military Motorcycle Operators Course," a quarterly, two-week class designed to teach Marines how to operate motorcycles both onand off-road. After completing the week-long "street-safety" portion of the course at Kadena Air Base, the class headed to Camps Hansen and Schwab for a week of "open-trail situations."
Attendees put the KLRs to the test by blasting through mud pits, lofting over obstacles ax~d even parting the seas off Schwab's Recon Point. One place the new bike really proved itself was in deep sand. Accord ing to instructor Sgt. Terry Greer, the 250, which was used as a means of communication during Operations Desert Shield and Storm, suffered from a shortage of power, which caused riders to get bogged down.
But thick sand isn't the only obstacle the 650 is better at ne gotiating. "If I wanted to ride up a steep hill on the 250, I had to get a lot of momentum going," Greer says. "With the 650, you just shift into first gear and go right up the hill."
Mud presented a similar problem. "With the 250, if you came off the throttle at any time, you were done," Greer says. "The 650 has the power right off idle to get through those situations." Greer also likes the 650's added cargo and weight capacity.
Hayes Diversified Technolo gy modifies the KLRs for the Marines. Changes include fitting an oversize gas tank, blackout lights, handguards anc a cargo platform. HDT is also developing a diesel conversion for the 650, which Greer says will give the bike a bit more torque and increase its mission capabilities since diesel fuel is more readily available in com bat environments.
In the modified KLR65Os, the Marines have finally found a competent off-roader. "The Commandant wants a faster, more efficient Corps," Greer says. "The 650 is just that."
-Jason S. Schaap
