This US Marine Corps Motorcycle Doesn't Use Gas - It Runs On Jet Fuel

A motorcycle that runs on the same fuel as a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber sounds unreal, but the M1030-M1 was a special case. This military-grade motorcycle was made to skip the gas station and gulp down jet fuel instead. Designed for the United States Marine Corps, this bike was built to go anywhere and survive just about everything. A battleground means taking on anything from rugged mountains to war-torn deserts, and this unique bike was meant to deliver without needing special fuel stops along the way.

The Kawasaki M1030-M1 for the U.S. Marine Corps was not made from scratch. Instead, it started life as a Kawasaki KLR650 dual-sport bike, a favorite among adventure riders. But once Hayes Diversified Technologies (HDT) got their hands on it, the bike's transformation was far beyond ordinary. As a result, the gasoline engine was swapped out for a custom-built diesel that could run on JP-8 jet fuel, the same stuff powering tanks, helicopters, and bombers. But why was there a need for the customization? To simplify logistics. One fuel for everything in the field meant no confusion and no extra supply chains.

Kawasaki M1030-M1 features a 584cc diesel engine, and some models even went up to 611cc. It produces around 30 horsepower and 33 lb-ft of torque, which is not blazing fast, but enough to hit 90 mph if pushed. What it lacks in speed, it makes up for in efficiency — the M1030-M1 gets up to 96 mpg at cruising speeds. With a six-gallon tank, it can stretch over 500 miles before needing a refill. For the military, that's a mission-ready range without extra fuel cans.

To match its rugged engine, the bike got serious upgrades. The suspension was beefed up to handle gear and rough terrain, footpegs were widened to support boots and body armor, and blackout switches were added so soldiers could vanish into the night. There's even a heavy-duty rear rack and optional hard cases for carrying supplies or comms gear. It's not pretty, and it definitely vibrates more than your average road bike. However, for Marines, the bike ensured reliability.

The M1030-M1 was a perfect fit for the battlefield. It complied with NATO's Single Fuel Policy (STANAG 3149), which required all land vehicles to run on JP-8. That made it one of the only motorcycles in the world truly built for a jet-fueled military ecosystem. Also, while a diesel engine motorcycle sounds odd, it made a lot of sense in the field. It didn't sound like your average dirt bike and wasn't the quickest off the line, but it was reliable and got the job done.

Around 440 units were made before the program was phased out in the late 2000s. Many were used in Iraq and Afghanistan, mainly by Marines and Special Forces. Today, they're collectors' items. A few have popped up at auction, sometimes selling for more than a brand-new KLR650. For fans of military hardware or ultra-efficient machines, it's a dream ride, even if it takes jet fuel and probably a little luck to find one.