Evolved from a simple napkin sketch to a purpose built two-seat utility vehicle, Kawasaki revolutionized the side-by-side utility vehicle segment with the introduction of the MULE 1000, 30 years ago. Kawasaki saw a need in the market that was being underserved by the ATV segment, which generated the idea for a two-seat, four-wheel utility vehicle.
It took nearly seven years of development by Kawasaki’s research and development team to bring the first MULE 1000 side-by-side to production in 1988. The design team worked through a variety of engines and designs to meet the needs of the ranchers and farmers, eventually incorporating a 454cc liquid-cooled parallel twin, which was a proven platform in Kawasaki’s cruiser lineup. The engine was large enough to support the 500-pound carrying capacity and two riders and quiet enough not to scare animals out on the farm.
Codenamed “Pony” by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, LTD in Japan, a production name was needed for the new utility vehicle. The advertising agency for Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. at the time, Bozell Advertising, pitched using the acronym Multi-Use Light Equipment or MULE for the new side-by-side line—and so the MULE was born.
Over the last 30 years the MULE has evolved with the inclusion of four-wheel drive, locking differentials and the TransCab seating system, but at the heart of every MULE side-by-side, which are assembled with foreign and domestic parts in Lincoln, NE, is the strength of the 30-year old MULE 1000 side-by-side utility vehicles, which are still in use today.
