I had a KLR that had been converted to diesel a few years back. It was converted by a guy in Texas. He fitted a 418cc diesel generator motor and CV transmission in the 2002 KLR. I tweaked it a little to get it to run better, and it gave me a top speed of 60 mph. I built a proper header and intake for it because my shop is set up to do stuff like that. I sold it to a friend in Ohio, and last we talked, he still rides it a lot. I saw 106 mpg out of it if I rode it easy. Worst mileage was 85 mpg. Though about putting a turbo on it but never did still have the turbo! Was going to build a diesel Triumph Tiger with a 3 cyl Diahatsu motor snd Harley 6 speed, but got diagnosed with cancer and had to shelve that project. I still ride my other KLR. 153K miles on it so far. Good video Craig!
There's a hidden benefit to having a diesel motorcycle. Pull up to the diesel pump and watch as people scream and yell at you not to pump it into the tank. You can cup your ear like you're trying to listen closely to their screams while pulling back the pump handle to give them a momentary respite and false sense of security before putting the pump nozzle back into the tank and start pumping while nodding and grinning like an idiot.
Had a customer like you at my mobil. He'd drive into the forecourt and tell the kid to fill it up walk inside. He drove a 57 chev with the filler cap behind the taillight. Poor kids would walk around the car looking for a few minutes
I served for 21 years in the Marine Corps. Attended the Division schools Marine Corps Motorcycle Combat school. Rode the KLR in Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms and the Saudi desert. Simple but great bike. Rode with radio and M16 on my back. I now own a 2023 KLR 650 as a off road and computer bike every day. I haven't seen a Marine Corps bike in years. He is right about the Harley, I tested one off road at Camp Pendleton. Way too heavy! Thanks for the memories!
Yeah,what he means is mil specs which translates to tough,and long lasting,plus it's often hardened against emp blasts... Lowest bidder often means stupidly high costing,but all materials are usually the best available.. 👍
As an equipment mechanic in the military, all of our stuff runs on Jet A (previously JP8). Small 2 cylinder deutz engines up to 4 cylinder Isuzu, Kubota, Cummins and 6 cylinder Cummins. We still have some older units running Detroit engines. All run pretty solid. I intend on a poor man's apocalypse build with a DR650.
@@tedthoman6580 no idea. I personally stay away from ev systems because personally dont believe battery technology is where it needs to be for practical vehicle usage and longevity as well as long term support of the software and circuitry to make it possible. Im always open to the idea, but not with what i currently see
As a fuel truck driver in the military, I can assure you that not all military equipment runs on diesel. I had two 800 gallon pods of diesel on the back of the M813 five ton truck, for the tanks, PCs, gamma goats, and other things, and I towed a trailer with one 800 gallon pod of 'mogas', the low quality military grade gasoline used in jeeps, pickup trucks, and many other pieces of equipment.
Praise God brother. Keep it up! KLR was.my first and only bike. Sketchy at high speeds. I would stand up to stop the death wobble but it totally worked. Don't remember it doing much better than maybe 90 tops but probably somewhere in the 80s.
i’ve done 115mph on my stock DR650. gets 55mpg if i stay on surface streets and ride it easy. 50mpg if on highway. super simple/cheap to fix/maintain, and rugged. 👍
Kinda reminds me of the sound my royal enfield Himalayan I bought new back in 2018. It didn’t run as rough as the diesel but reminds me of the sound it made when I did winter rides. Once the engine warmed up, it smoothed out a bit. Same as my Delica diesel. Thanks for sharing.
They are cool but there are so many good regular KLRs out there with a huge aftermarket support and readily available parts that I recommend the gas one. Mine is tuned enough to make it fun.
An Apocalypse Motorcycle that can run on Diesel or Kerosine spanning up to 600 miles, cool! I wish more modern bikes had larger fuel tanks. My Ninja 650 '21 has a decent 4.0 gallon engine with a range of 200 miles if riding conservatively around speed limits under 70 mph. Thanks for the review of this cool, utility bike. Glad you got it running again.
The Delray Misfits podcast in California also chose a diesel powered KLR as the bike to have during a zombie apocalypse, but I don't think I would choose a diesel powered KLR for these reasons. One, during a real life nationwide catastrophe there is a good chance all communications will be down for quite a while, and trying to find another diesel powered KLR for parts to fix a problem related to the bikes diesel technology will be pretty hard. Two, if you need to siphon fuel from another vehicle your odds of finding gasoline is better than finding diesel, so I don't really care about the extra mpg from a diesel engine. Three, like you said in the video, these diesel powered KLR's don't have many miles on them, so how can you be sure their more reliable than a gas powered KLR? How do you know how the diesel KLR will behave in extreme climates and riding conditions? I've got over 40k miles on my KLR without any mechanical problems, so I already know from experience the gas powered KLR 650 is reliable enough for me to feel confident it will get me where I want to go. I never did any mods to the engine, so its reliable right off the showroom floor. Also, Supposedly a gov? commission determined that most vehicles would survive an EMP, and since the first and second gen KLR's don't have a computer I would think they would be included in the OK list.Those are the reasons why I would choose a gas powered KLR over the diesel model.
Love the idea of a diesel motorcycle, although something with at least 2 cyllinders for balance would be preferred. Would be interesting to see a BMW 4 cyllinder diesel or a small 4 cyllinder diesel as well. Unfortunately the EPA is really being a bear like you said. The DEF and EGR systems are entirely unnecessary on a diesel and actually make it more likely to fail and harder to troubleshoot. Government knows best though, just like the auto start/stop technology on vehicles. I have a diesel car that was the last run of diesel cars in the US since the volkswagen incident. This was mostly due to the toshiba controller being common on a majority of the cars. Could get minimum 10 more mpg with a delete, around 100 more hp, and around 200nm more torque. Plus I can see when its smoking something isn't right. I think diesel would be a better future for cars than electric, I would also like to see diesel/electric hybrids though where the diesel engine just charges the battery and runs full bore all the time at peak efficiency.
I love the idea of a multi-fuel go anywhere bike. A single cylinder diesel will never impress anyone with its performance. If there was one available on the market, what would it cost? I live in Montana, on the edge of the Beartooth Mountains, so just this idea appeals to me. I am subscribed and enjoy your brief devotional offer every episode.
I have an Ex-Military Polaris D-BAT 6x6 400cc diesel. The engine is a Yanmar. The battery power problem is solved by putting a 12V car battery in the front sitting across the front axel. Always starts even when left standing for months. It's in the UK and I paid GBP 1500 (USD 2000) for it back in 2020. The torque from the engine and 6x6 drive is amazing. The fuel economy and pulling power along with the weight it can carry ticks all the boxes. We use it on or small holding and have a bunch of equipment to fit it. Sprayer, Fertilizer spreader, Pulls a large rake, Pulls a large flail mower, Pulls a 1000kg IBC water butt. Put generator in the back when needing mobile power units taking across the fields and all the tools you might need. EMP proof. Can't believe there not main stream work machines, where you need torque, power, economy and reliability with heavy lifting cargo capacity. That said I also have the 2000 year Polaris Big Boss 6x6 500cc Petrol. Does everything the diesel does without the economy and is super scary fast but not EMP proof and only has a standard motorbike battery. Both machines are low maintenance, no electronics and easy fix. Both bikes are keepers. My friends thought these were toys initially, now they think otherwise and all want to buy the set-up from me ! E.P. Barrus Ltd in the UK still make Yanmar single cylinder diesel engines for generators.
I have Polaris/Barrus D-Bat 4x4 and it is an amazing machine for pulling logs. I wanted 6x6, but was not available then. But I am not sure about the military use, did not find any information.
Nice presentation, and nice diesel sound from "the AK-47 of Motorcycles"... There are parts Anywhere in the World for the stock gas version. Had only 2 issues with one in 50K miles : "O" ring in the water pump letting the oil & coolant mix [ easy fix ] and a wire broken from vibration, buried deep in the wiring harness, where 2 wires were joined to 1 wire w/ a little crimped brass sleeve.... [ under the gas tank ] 40-50 MPG @ 60+/- cruise....
I think you need to do a cross country ride with this bike! With the amount of Miles that are on it now it hasn’t even burned through a whole tank of diesel yet. Thats crazy!
It’s definitely not the only diesel powered motorcycle. Here in The Netherlands I’ve encountered a Track T800 motorcycle. It’s powered by a Smart CDI engine and I believe has a cvt transmission.
Back in 06 I had a regular KLR. I lived near the shop that did the diesel conversions. I bought take off plastic from them to completely change the color of my KLR. Good times. KLR is slow with gas engine, can’t imagine how slow it is with diesel.
Had a 2013. Very nice big bike for a very big guy. The only motorcycle that is tall enough that I can sit comfortably without flat footing at the light. Huge bike. Also fun to work on.
If you think its nice and torquey now. I recommend dropping a teeth on the front sprocket and up 2 teeths on the rear sprocket. ;) I changed my sprockets on my 2003 KLR 650 to 14 and 46 teeth sprockets and it now has really nice grunty low end. She will wheelie at user will. But man, I need to keep oil on the bike. I feel like I need to drop the rear sprocket down so it's not as hard on the engine
I used to run the big rigs so a diesel motorcycle would be fantastic to have! Would love one of them. Once it quits accelerating is the moment to shift up is correct. Doesn't matter the rpm if it quits accelerating then that's it.
Not sure, seems plausible considering the size of the engine, my diesels car red lines at 6k rpm (1600cc), never taken it up there though because it runs out of power after 4k rpm, where it really shines is in the 1250 - 3000 rpm range, so I normally change up gears between 2500 and 3000 rpm
Stationed on camp Lejeune, from 1998, all the way up until 2014. Working at the ammo dump they used to ride these motorcycles across the street all the time. I remember seeing them Tearing up the backwoods of camp Lejeune
I really, really wish this thing or something very similar had taken off and gotten a chance in the civilian market. I can't imagine Kawasaki would have been willing to supplying frames for a competitor, but a partnership might have been possible if the bean counters in Japan didn't think it'd cannibalize KLR-650 sales.
I love it. You can't draw comparisons to a bike that is in a category of its own, and unlike anything else out there. It quirky and that makes it awesome. Nice presso. 👍
I was working in a supply lot at Camp Lejeune one time about fifteen years ago and there were like 20 of these lined up in the corner of the lot under an awning.
I had this maybe not this exact but same bike in my shop here in southern Wi about 10 years ago. I should have made content then. I was doing work for the DNR and have a picture of my son sitting on it. It was interesting to say the least. Great Video!
I once drove my 1100 virago from phoenix az to baltimore md with two 5 gal gas cans strapped on like saddle bags and fuel lines hooked up to the pump. I could go something like 550 miles on one fill without stopping. man your diesel KLR beat me on range!
I used to live in Spring Hill. I rode that same road multiple times. You might be interested in knowing you passed right past the creators of Daily Audio Bible on your trip this day. 😊
Great video. We need this in Australia because of the long distances on many popular long trips. Would be ideal for the Great Central Road and on through to Brisbane from Perth. Must be possible to modernise. Thanks.
Running the Dieselbike website as I do, I actually received (and passed on at the time) an email from an Australian postal employee who thought exactly the same thing as yourself. If the bike had taken off I’m pretty sure a good quantity would have ended up down under in the service of the Australian PO 😊
Maryland doesn't emissions test Motorcyles, but some states surely do, whereby a diesel might get by w/o emissions test. The Torque off idle on a Diesel must be quite a plus for puttin' around overland..
As an adventure bike rider, and diesel car driver, my ultimate street and off-street vehicle would be adventure bike with turbo diesel engine. Dutch company Tarck did build those. I don't know if they are in the business anymore.
We have lots of the Harley 350 electric start millitary bikes hear in the UK, they are popular with the off road bunch .I would love a diesel bike as you mentioned that they can even run on old engine oil or cooking oil (filtered)👍
There needs to be a small light turbo opposed piston diesel using swash plates that is two opposed pistons that makes about 40hp or so. Something under 10kg for an engine.
Love your videos ! Can I ask who taught you how to ride? In the video you go from riding it like a bicycle in the bike lane! To riding the grease strip? Never ride the grease strip in the centre of the lane. You can pick up oil and coolant on your tires and wipe out. Always ride in the left of the lane to prevent people passing you and STAY off the grease strip!
Incredible that motorcycle manufacturers don't make diesel bikes, I'm certain they would sell. Here in Australia because of the remoteness it's better to drive a diesel 4wd in the outback because diesel is available everywhere, whereas petrol (gas) is not. Also, you need the range because of the massive distances. I'd buy one of these! I owned a KLR, they're a great outback touring bike.
I have the gasoline klr without fuel injection . I rode a shovelhead 68 for 30 years . I put a big seat on it for my back . I could never ride comfortably on this bike no matter what . The klr is real comfortable I was shocked by its ride . Power is fine with me I don't need to leave anything at a light I just come from .
In an apocalypse situation after around 6-8 month most of the diesel around would have gone bad. The best apocalypse motorbike would be electric, crazy as it sounds. With some flexible solar panels you could generate energy during the day and ride silently trough the night… (maybe it’s a thing with religious people. Thinking something trough isn’t as easy as believing something others tell you…)
Diesel is heavier than gasoline. If you go by weight ratio gasoline would be close to competing with diesel. When i was in the army in the early 80s the rangers at hunter army airfield had trail bikes. I think it was a feasibility test that apparently didn't satisfy the need. Good video
Looking for a touring bike for an australian trip for both road and bush and this would be perfect. Issue with normal bikes is the poor range they can have and carrying fuel takes away cargo space and is not safe on a bike. But this thing I could cross the nullabor plains and still have half a tank going by what you said.
When I was in Jaipur in about 1992 I saw one parked in the street. It was a Royal Enfield diesel engined Bullet. I did a little research and it only had 7.5 HP from a 436cc engine! Claimed top speed of 55 MPH and 200 MPG. They didn't sell well.
It's neat. Regular klr honestly better bike in every way. The mpg really starts to feel trivial quickly. With military everything took jp8 so it made more sense.
If it wasn't for the lack of parts for the motor. Most Canadians would buy it. On the fuel range point alone. Also need better visibility friendly colors on the highways. And far out On the sticks roads.
Millitary grade means, build it as cheap as possible to spec. Make it reliable and easy to work on, for any millitary mechanic with minimal experience to fix with as little tools as possible.
A guy near me has a Dutch built bike by as company called Trak I think it's called, I could be wrong. Anyways, it uses a turbo diesel smart car engine mated to a BMW GS gear box and finally drive. It's an adventure style bike and looks pretty good. Not sure the company is still in excellence though. The guy loves it and it's certainly unique.
I am a KLR fan, own a Gen3 now, and my name being what it is... I have wanted one since I saw the first video. But I have had an eye out the last 9 months or so, and I have seen 1 and it was a "parts" bike for sure. I will let you ride my Gen3 KLR if you let me ride your KLR? haha.
The diesel motorcycle is a fantastic idea and the reason they sat without being used is because the military idiots could not and would not understand the value of motorcycle operating units. Had they done that, the bikes would not have sat unused and the military would have increased their mechanized capability. Also, they would have had a 100 mile long line at their recruiting stations of individuals wanting to sign up for a motorcycle unit.
I guess if you want one, you're going to have to do it yourself.. maybe done with the new Mazda 2 cycle (top down intake) design... Then you could sleeve it down to 600cc.
That thing definitely isn't a Hayabusa but then it's intended to get up hills on unimproved Terrain. You're not taking it to Laguna Seca, although it would be fun to watch it go up the hill!
Can you try aprillia pegaso 2002 650cc in deep water because I'm thinking of buying one to go to work because my manager said if I miss a nother day I will lose my job because of the message flud
KLR is a tough bike but the 2013 I didn't keep it very long because it had a alligator wrapped in vinyl for a seat. 50 miles and you're crippled for a few days.
Well there’s way more locked up energy in fuel oils than there is in Gas/Petrol so diesel has more power if it’s burnt efficiently. That’s why they have more torque than gas engines and are built tougher. So is that a commonrail engine. Has over 1000 PSI injector ?
I wonder if it will run on regular gas with 1 quart of motor oil for every 15 gallons. The other multifuels run on that mix as well as they do on diesel.
I argue that it is not the perfect apocalypse motorcycle. In the apocalypse you want to be able to scavenge parts off other bikes. This thing is a one off. It's amazing, but not zombie escaping material.
A bike for survival. Cool You have ridden just about every bike it would be good to know if you had to have a top 3 or top 5 forever bikes what would they be.
I had a KLR that had been converted to diesel a few years back. It was converted by a guy in Texas. He fitted a 418cc diesel generator motor and CV transmission in the 2002 KLR. I tweaked it a little to get it to run better, and it gave me a top speed of 60 mph. I built a proper header and intake for it because my shop is set up to do stuff like that.
I sold it to a friend in Ohio, and last we talked, he still rides it a lot.
I saw 106 mpg out of it if I rode it easy. Worst mileage was 85 mpg. Though about putting a turbo on it but never did still have the turbo!
Was going to build a diesel Triumph Tiger with a 3 cyl Diahatsu motor snd Harley 6 speed, but got diagnosed with cancer and had to shelve that project.
I still ride my other KLR. 153K miles on it so far.
Good video Craig!
Sounds like an awesome idea for a project bike. Hope you get well soon!
Craig is the other one 🧔🏻♂️
A Triumph Rocket III would allow you to fit a 1.6 or 2 litre turbo diesel with close to 200HP
Fight the good fight bud
I have a first Gen klr650 that had 27k miles on it. I love that bike
There's a hidden benefit to having a diesel motorcycle. Pull up to the diesel pump and watch as people scream and yell at you not to pump it into the tank. You can cup your ear like you're trying to listen closely to their screams while pulling back the pump handle to give them a momentary respite and false sense of security before putting the pump nozzle back into the tank and start pumping while nodding and grinning like an idiot.
That used to happen to me back when I had an '82 VW Diesel pickup. Lots of people weren't aware of them.
Too funny, 💯👍😎
😂 are you a comedy scriptwriter? You have talent.
@@RC-br1ps I am, actually. Well, not a comedy scriptwriter specifically, but a writer nonetheless.
Had a customer like you at my mobil. He'd drive into the forecourt and tell the kid to fill it up walk inside. He drove a 57 chev with the filler cap behind the taillight. Poor kids would walk around the car looking for a few minutes
I served for 21 years in the Marine Corps. Attended the Division schools Marine Corps Motorcycle Combat school. Rode the KLR in Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms and the Saudi desert. Simple but great bike. Rode with radio and M16 on my back. I now own a 2023 KLR 650 as a off road and computer bike every day. I haven't seen a Marine Corps bike in years. He is right about the Harley, I tested one off road at Camp Pendleton. Way too heavy! Thanks for the memories!
Cap
I want you to make jet fuel powered motorcycle or dirtbike.
SEMPER FI !
Oohrah. Yuuut
@@RepublicanPoliticalParty1854bruh this can run on jet fuel. What do you think JP8 is?
Every diesel engine fan was waiting for the start-up to hear that diesel sound. Which totally got lost in the background.
He has some other videos where you hear it more in the Bikes and Beards channel.
This dudes channel sucks ass now. Good thing we still have Craig's channel which is where everything good about this guy's channel went.
Kinda disapointing... 😂
I laugh when I hear “Military grade.” Basically translates to “built by the lowest bidder.”
Bingo
Yeah,what he means is mil specs which translates to tough,and long lasting,plus it's often hardened against emp blasts... Lowest bidder often means stupidly high costing,but all materials are usually the best available.. 👍
Yeah, the lowest bidder for a thing with military specification. So often quite durable stuff.
So are bridges. Think about that next time you drive on one.
As someone who works in military contracting…..it’s awful especially post covid
As an equipment mechanic in the military, all of our stuff runs on Jet A (previously JP8). Small 2 cylinder deutz engines up to 4 cylinder Isuzu, Kubota, Cummins and 6 cylinder Cummins. We still have some older units running Detroit engines. All run pretty solid. I intend on a poor man's apocalypse build with a DR650.
Best of luck on the dr650. Im trying to do the same 😎
@@clutch2315 Being that there are so many KLR's, Has Anyone come out
w/ a bolt-on EV conversion kit ?
@@tedthoman6580 no idea.
I personally stay away from ev systems because personally dont believe battery technology is where it needs to be for practical vehicle usage and longevity as well as long term support of the software and circuitry to make it possible.
Im always open to the idea, but not with what i currently see
As a fuel truck driver in the military, I can assure you that not all military equipment runs on diesel. I had two 800 gallon pods of diesel on the back of the M813 five ton truck, for the tanks, PCs, gamma goats, and other things, and I towed a trailer with one 800 gallon pod of 'mogas', the low quality military grade gasoline used in jeeps, pickup trucks, and many other pieces of equipment.
@shepberryhill4912 when I said "our equipment" I meant the equipment my job maintains.
EPA would say hold my beer and dream up a bunch of restrictions that kill any high efficiency (mpg wise) diesel alternative.
Egr ad blue and dpf have stepped into the chat
One of my favorite bikes that you have picked up. Very cool.
That white truck made me think that you would end up on the Moto Stars channel!
Which would then end up asDan Dan The Fireman's review. 😂
Praise God brother. Keep it up!
KLR was.my first and only bike. Sketchy at high speeds. I would stand up to stop the death wobble but it totally worked.
Don't remember it doing much better than maybe 90 tops but probably somewhere in the 80s.
i’ve done 115mph on my stock DR650. gets 55mpg if i stay on surface streets and ride it easy. 50mpg if on highway. super simple/cheap to fix/maintain, and rugged. 👍
Kinda reminds me of the sound my royal enfield Himalayan I bought new back in 2018. It didn’t run as rough as the diesel but reminds me of the sound it made when I did winter rides. Once the engine warmed up, it smoothed out a bit. Same as my Delica diesel. Thanks for sharing.
They are cool but there are so many good regular KLRs out there with a huge aftermarket support and readily available parts that I recommend the gas one. Mine is tuned enough to make it fun.
An Apocalypse Motorcycle that can run on Diesel or Kerosine spanning up to 600 miles, cool! I wish more modern bikes had larger fuel tanks. My Ninja 650 '21 has a decent 4.0 gallon engine with a range of 200 miles if riding conservatively around speed limits under 70 mph. Thanks for the review of this cool, utility bike. Glad you got it running again.
Yea but imagine this you got the bike but do you got the parts to keep it running
The Delray Misfits podcast in California also chose a diesel powered KLR as the bike to have during a zombie apocalypse, but I don't think I would choose a diesel powered KLR for these reasons. One, during a real life nationwide catastrophe there is a good chance all communications will be down for quite a while, and trying to find another diesel powered KLR for parts to fix a problem related to the bikes diesel technology will be pretty hard. Two, if you need to siphon fuel from another vehicle your odds of finding gasoline is better than finding diesel, so I don't really care about the extra mpg from a diesel engine. Three, like you said in the video, these diesel powered KLR's don't have many miles on them, so how can you be sure their more reliable than a gas powered KLR? How do you know how the diesel KLR will behave in extreme climates and riding conditions? I've got over 40k miles on my KLR without any mechanical problems, so I already know from experience the gas powered KLR 650 is reliable enough for me to feel confident it will get me where I want to go. I never did any mods to the engine, so its reliable right off the showroom floor. Also, Supposedly a gov? commission determined that most vehicles would survive an EMP, and since the first and second gen KLR's don't have a computer I would think they would be included in the OK list.Those are the reasons why I would choose a gas powered KLR over the diesel model.
I don’t even like motorcycles, but I like this channel!
Love the idea of a diesel motorcycle, although something with at least 2 cyllinders for balance would be preferred. Would be interesting to see a BMW 4 cyllinder diesel or a small 4 cyllinder diesel as well.
Unfortunately the EPA is really being a bear like you said. The DEF and EGR systems are entirely unnecessary on a diesel and actually make it more likely to fail and harder to troubleshoot. Government knows best though, just like the auto start/stop technology on vehicles.
I have a diesel car that was the last run of diesel cars in the US since the volkswagen incident. This was mostly due to the toshiba controller being common on a majority of the cars. Could get minimum 10 more mpg with a delete, around 100 more hp, and around 200nm more torque. Plus I can see when its smoking something isn't right. I think diesel would be a better future for cars than electric, I would also like to see diesel/electric hybrids though where the diesel engine just charges the battery and runs full bore all the time at peak efficiency.
Wrong Fred. Hayes is the diesel bike guy. The Fred you pictured is the astronaut that didn’t mess with bikes. But great video 😁
There’s a lot of mistakes in this video. Piss poor presentation IMO and not checking that it’s the correct Fred HAYES and not Haise, is unforgivable.
I love the idea of a multi-fuel go anywhere bike. A single cylinder diesel will never impress anyone with its performance. If there was one available on the market, what would it cost? I live in Montana, on the edge of the Beartooth Mountains, so just this idea appeals to me. I am subscribed and enjoy your brief devotional offer every episode.
I have an Ex-Military Polaris D-BAT 6x6 400cc diesel. The engine is a Yanmar. The battery power problem is solved by putting a 12V car battery in the front sitting across the front axel. Always starts even when left standing for months. It's in the UK and I paid GBP 1500 (USD 2000) for it back in 2020. The torque from the engine and 6x6 drive is amazing. The fuel economy and pulling power along with the weight it can carry ticks all the boxes. We use it on or small holding and have a bunch of equipment to fit it. Sprayer, Fertilizer spreader, Pulls a large rake, Pulls a large flail mower, Pulls a 1000kg IBC water butt. Put generator in the back when needing mobile power units taking across the fields and all the tools you might need. EMP proof. Can't believe there not main stream work machines, where you need torque, power, economy and reliability with heavy lifting cargo capacity. That said I also have the 2000 year Polaris Big Boss 6x6 500cc Petrol. Does everything the diesel does without the economy and is super scary fast but not EMP proof and only has a standard motorbike battery. Both machines are low maintenance, no electronics and easy fix. Both bikes are keepers. My friends thought these were toys initially, now they think otherwise and all want to buy the set-up from me ! E.P. Barrus Ltd in the UK still make Yanmar single cylinder diesel engines for generators.
I have Polaris/Barrus D-Bat 4x4 and it is an amazing machine for pulling logs. I wanted 6x6, but was not available then. But I am not sure about the military use, did not find any information.
Nice presentation, and nice diesel sound from "the AK-47 of Motorcycles"...
There are parts Anywhere in the World for the stock gas version.
Had only 2 issues with one in 50K miles : "O" ring in the water pump letting
the oil & coolant mix [ easy fix ] and a wire broken from vibration, buried deep in the
wiring harness, where 2 wires were joined to 1 wire w/ a little crimped brass sleeve....
[ under the gas tank ] 40-50 MPG @ 60+/- cruise....
I think you need to do a cross country ride with this bike! With the amount of Miles that are on it now it hasn’t even burned through a whole tank of diesel yet. Thats crazy!
It’s definitely not the only diesel powered motorcycle. Here in The Netherlands I’ve encountered a Track T800 motorcycle. It’s powered by a Smart CDI engine and I believe has a cvt transmission.
I just watched a video on that the other day, with the mini cooper diesel engine.
Man I hate cvts
@@TheAnnoyingBoss CVTs only belong in scooters, not motorcycles and cars.
Royal Enfield also used to offer a diesel version of the. bullet.
@@ItsDaJaxThe T800 CDI uses a Smart Car diesel engine. I have one in my garage.
Back in 06 I had a regular KLR. I lived near the shop that did the diesel conversions. I bought take off plastic from them to completely change the color of my KLR. Good times. KLR is slow with gas engine, can’t imagine how slow it is with diesel.
Had a 2013. Very nice big bike for a very big guy. The only motorcycle that is tall enough that I can sit comfortably without flat footing at the light. Huge bike. Also fun to work on.
If you think its nice and torquey now. I recommend dropping a teeth on the front sprocket and up 2 teeths on the rear sprocket. ;)
I changed my sprockets on my 2003 KLR 650 to 14 and 46 teeth sprockets and it now has really nice grunty low end. She will wheelie at user will. But man, I need to keep oil on the bike. I feel like I need to drop the rear sprocket down so it's not as hard on the engine
I used to run the big rigs so a diesel motorcycle would be fantastic to have! Would love one of them. Once it quits accelerating is the moment to shift up is correct. Doesn't matter the rpm if it quits accelerating then that's it.
I’m thinking the 7500 redline is just the original gauges which they didn’t bother to alter.
I've just asked that question above about the red line being so dam high.
Had a used 650KLR,
Thang ran very strong,
Blow tears outa my eyes
Straight back😎
Not sure, seems plausible considering the size of the engine, my diesels car red lines at 6k rpm (1600cc), never taken it up there though because it runs out of power after 4k rpm, where it really shines is in the 1250 - 3000 rpm range, so I normally change up gears between 2500 and 3000 rpm
@@rickreese5794 Cee Bailey makes nice oversize windshields for them
@@tedthoman6580
Thx Ted 👍💯😎
Stationed on camp Lejeune, from 1998, all the way up until 2014. Working at the ammo dump they used to ride these motorcycles across the street all the time. I remember seeing them Tearing up the backwoods of camp Lejeune
Did you get poisoned from the water
I can safely say if new zealand army had these bikes they would have worn them out by now
I really, really wish this thing or something very similar had taken off and gotten a chance in the civilian market. I can't imagine Kawasaki would have been willing to supplying frames for a competitor, but a partnership might have been possible if the bean counters in Japan didn't think it'd cannibalize KLR-650 sales.
Fred Haise was also the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 13. He was portrayed by Bill Paxton in the movie.
The Apollo scene was made in a hollywood studio.
The video creator didn’t check many facts. Fred Hayes was the man behind HDT, Hayes Diversified Technologies, the company behind making the bike.
Apollo missions all staged fool.
Seems like a tach isn't really necessary on this bike
I love it.
You can't draw comparisons to a bike that is in a category of its own, and unlike anything else out there.
It quirky and that makes it awesome.
Nice presso. 👍
Thank you for making this almost into a series about this cool motorcycle. It’s cool wverytime
There was one like this for sale on Marketplace about a month ago in NC for around $14,000. Seriously considered buying it.
There's one in central Florida right now for 10k. Been listed for months.
You could buy four or five regular used Kawasaki KLR’s for that price
I was working in a supply lot at Camp Lejeune one time about fifteen years ago and there were like 20 of these lined up in the corner of the lot under an awning.
I had this maybe not this exact but same bike in my shop here in southern Wi about 10 years ago. I should have made content then. I was doing work for the DNR and have a picture of my son sitting on it. It was interesting to say the least. Great Video!
I once drove my 1100 virago from phoenix az to baltimore md with two 5 gal gas cans strapped on like saddle bags and fuel lines hooked up to the pump. I could go something like 550 miles on one fill without stopping. man your diesel KLR beat me on range!
I used to live in Spring Hill. I rode that same road multiple times. You might be interested in knowing you passed right past the creators of Daily Audio Bible on your trip this day. 😊
Yeah I sure wish I could afford one of those and get one.
Love this show!
its running wooot wooot
nice job mate
Great video. We need this in Australia because of the long distances on many popular long trips. Would be ideal for the Great Central Road and on through to Brisbane from Perth. Must be possible to modernise. Thanks.
Running the Dieselbike website as I do, I actually received (and passed on at the time) an email from an Australian postal employee who thought exactly the same thing as yourself. If the bike had taken off I’m pretty sure a good quantity would have ended up down under in the service of the Australian PO 😊
You can't say "they don't make parts for the engine" while also saying"this is the best bike for the apocalypse." Don't make much sense.
Maryland doesn't emissions test Motorcyles, but some states surely do, whereby a diesel might get by w/o emissions test. The Torque off idle on a Diesel must be quite a plus for puttin' around overland..
As an adventure bike rider, and diesel car driver, my ultimate street and off-street vehicle would be adventure bike with turbo diesel engine. Dutch company Tarck did build those. I don't know if they are in the business anymore.
You had me at "EMP Safe"
time to google :D
We have lots of the Harley 350 electric start millitary bikes hear in the UK, they are popular with the off road bunch .I would love a diesel bike as you mentioned that they can even run on old engine oil or cooking oil (filtered)👍
There needs to be a small light turbo opposed piston diesel using swash plates that is two opposed pistons that makes about 40hp or so. Something under 10kg for an engine.
Love your videos ! Can I ask who taught you how to ride? In the video you go from riding it like a bicycle in the bike lane! To riding the grease strip? Never ride the grease strip in the centre of the lane. You can pick up oil and coolant on your tires and wipe out. Always ride in the left of the lane to prevent people passing you and STAY off the grease strip!
He's riding in a straight line in the middle of the country... Not carving canyons. He'll be just fine
Incredible that motorcycle manufacturers don't make diesel bikes, I'm certain they would sell. Here in Australia because of the remoteness it's better to drive a diesel 4wd in the outback because diesel is available everywhere, whereas petrol (gas) is not. Also, you need the range because of the massive distances. I'd buy one of these! I owned a KLR, they're a great outback touring bike.
Literally the most awesome thing that exists! Had I one of these, I would need nothing else :D
The rev sound of this thing is awesome.
Yes, more Diesel bikes, please.
Brother you have to upload videos regularly I wait so patiently for your videos I love it ❤ keep it up bro
cool bike man id love one of those! great for going long distance
I have the gasoline klr without fuel injection . I rode a shovelhead 68 for 30 years . I put a big seat on it for my back . I could never ride comfortably on this bike no matter what . The klr is real comfortable I was shocked by its ride . Power is fine with me I don't need to leave anything at a light I just come from .
I like the diesel bike. Looks like it would be fun to ride.
In an apocalypse situation after around 6-8 month most of the diesel around would have gone bad. The best apocalypse motorbike would be electric, crazy as it sounds. With some flexible solar panels you could generate energy during the day and ride silently trough the night… (maybe it’s a thing with religious people. Thinking something trough isn’t as easy as believing something others tell you…)
10:31 the turning indicators wobbling :D
Sean, are you planning to get a diesel Royal Enfield? That would be cool too.
*With the ubiqutitous Royal Enfield vibrations. Those nasty RE VIBRATIOS. You’ll need lifetime Physiotherapy Wry Neck/ Stiff Neck diagnosis*
I remember watching the series where you guys tried getting it running- that was no small feat!
Diesel is heavier than gasoline. If you go by weight ratio gasoline would be close to competing with diesel. When i was in the army in the early 80s the rangers at hunter army airfield had trail bikes. I think it was a feasibility test that apparently didn't satisfy the need. Good video
These things are very interesting. I don't think I would want to own one because of all the rare and specialized maintenance, but very cool.
Looking for a touring bike for an australian trip for both road and bush and this would be perfect. Issue with normal bikes is the poor range they can have and carrying fuel takes away cargo space and is not safe on a bike. But this thing I could cross the nullabor plains and still have half a tank going by what you said.
When I was in Jaipur in about 1992 I saw one parked in the street. It was a Royal Enfield diesel engined Bullet. I did a little research and it only had 7.5 HP from a 436cc engine! Claimed top speed of 55 MPH and 200 MPG. They didn't sell well.
Unsure why the lengthy development by Harley. That bikes engine was sourced from Rotax.
It's neat. Regular klr honestly better bike in every way. The mpg really starts to feel trivial quickly. With military everything took jp8 so it made more sense.
If it wasn't for the lack of parts for the motor. Most Canadians would buy it. On the fuel range point alone. Also need better visibility friendly colors on the highways. And far out On the sticks roads.
Love that you give start up instructions for a bike that none of us will ever have 😂
Love your videos bro. Maybe one day I'll be able to get a bike. That apocalypse bike is pretty on point. Cool bike.
Millitary grade means, build it as cheap as possible to spec. Make it reliable and easy to work on, for any millitary mechanic with minimal experience to fix with as little tools as possible.
A guy near me has a Dutch built bike by as company called Trak I think it's called, I could be wrong. Anyways, it uses a turbo diesel smart car engine mated to a BMW GS gear box and finally drive. It's an adventure style bike and looks pretty good. Not sure the company is still in excellence though. The guy loves it and it's certainly unique.
I am a KLR fan, own a Gen3 now, and my name being what it is... I have wanted one since I saw the first video. But I have had an eye out the last 9 months or so, and I have seen 1 and it was a "parts" bike for sure. I will let you ride my Gen3 KLR if you let me ride your KLR? haha.
I have never had to say on my stock KLR”.I needed more power”. They are a tractor,just give it more trottle. I would call them very touque.
That is cool! Where can you start looking for one? Military auctions?
I would absolutely love to own a bike like this. That’s pretty cool
Would be interesting to see the HP and torque figures of the diesel KLR.
Is it two-stroke or four-stroke? Even if the engine could be put into production would be great - buy KLR and an engine swap.
10:16 what a twot
Happens all the time to me 🤬
The bike is a Neander Turbo Diesel 1400 cc built in 2019 I don't know why it never came to America maybe you can find one.
I just got a Honda CT 90 for my apocalypse machine lol. Looking for a bigger frame with no motor to put a diesel motor into. Awesome.
The diesel motorcycle is a fantastic idea and the reason they sat without being used is because the military idiots could not and would not understand the value of motorcycle operating units. Had they done that, the bikes would not have sat unused and the military would have increased their mechanized capability. Also, they would have had a 100 mile long line at their recruiting stations of individuals wanting to sign up for a motorcycle unit.
That low end torque…. Makes it extremely quiet to run behind enemy lines.
Since you put out the first video of the diesel klr650 , all of us have been waiting for you to roll some coal outta that thang! 💨
That's a nice bike. It needs an updated look but keeping the origins.
Loved the idea of a diesel bike fer a long time, out of curiosity what does it weigh? Anyhow glad yer enjoying it, God be with you brother!
I've got a 1st gen klr. It sorta sounds like that. Lol. Great review. I wish I had it.
I guess if you want one, you're going to have to do it yourself.. maybe done with the new Mazda 2 cycle (top down intake) design... Then you could sleeve it down to 600cc.
That thing definitely isn't a Hayabusa but then it's intended to get up hills on unimproved Terrain.
You're not taking it to Laguna Seca, although it would be fun to watch it go up the hill!
Startwin in the Netherlands build a really nice dieselbike years ago
Can you try aprillia pegaso 2002 650cc in deep water because I'm thinking of buying one to go to work because my manager said if I miss a nother day I will lose my job because of the message flud
Not a Power bike it a “Get you there every time Bike.”
KLR is a tough bike but the 2013 I didn't keep it very long because it had a alligator wrapped in vinyl for a seat.
50 miles and you're crippled for a few days.
Well there’s way more locked up energy in fuel oils than there is in Gas/Petrol so diesel has more power if it’s burnt efficiently. That’s why they have more torque than gas engines and are built tougher. So is that a commonrail engine. Has over 1000 PSI injector ?
I wonder if it will run on regular gas with 1 quart of motor oil for every 15 gallons. The other multifuels run on that mix as well as they do on diesel.
Instead of using ether starting fluid, use WD-40. It is WAY easier on the top end.
I argue that it is not the perfect apocalypse motorcycle. In the apocalypse you want to be able to scavenge parts off other bikes. This thing is a one off. It's amazing, but not zombie escaping material.
A diesel topend was first put on a KLR bottom end at Queen's University in Belfast. Haise stole the tech.
Sounds fairly quiet (think SHTF stealth). Would you say it's quieter or louder than a KLR 650?
Wasn't the only thing left from the original Kawasaki part of the crank case and part of the fork assembly, the rest is custom lol
A bike for survival. Cool
You have ridden just about every bike it would be good to know if you had to have a top 3 or top 5 forever bikes what would they be.