LA firefighters now know something you know

Now available with defibrillator option. If, that is, you work for the LAFD. SoCal firefighters need all the help they can get, fighting fires and clogged freeway traffic. Kawasaki's smart to have convinced them to add motorcycles to the mix just in time for fire season.

A bitchin' story in the LA Times caught my eye this morning -- it seems that the Los Angeles fire department just realized something you already know: that motorcycles can lane-split through clogged traffic even faster than a fire truck with lights and sirens blaring, and that motorcycles can also get places in the hills, off-road, faster than just about anything.

According to the LA Times, "The pilot unit features five off-road-capable motorcycles on loan from the Kawasaki Motor Corp. Each bike retails for about $6,300 and is outfitted with a defibrillator, a small fire extinguisher, various medical supplies and a handlebar-mounted GPS system. A dozen firefighters have undergone the necessary training, and a permanent unit could have up to 10 motorcycles and 28 riders, said Capt. Craig White, who first proposed the unit to the department."

Nice one, Kawasaki, for setting up this pilot program! The specific model is not named in the paper, but it will come as no surprise to Bikewriter readers that they're venerable KLR650s.