How About A Diesel ???

[wari]

Read it here

Whadya reckon ... would you have one ?

[georgedubyabush]

Not bad. I could fill'erup out of the farm diesel tank. RUCs?

[Motu]

That's a huge tank,at 100 miles per gallon(bloody yanks and poms) Auckland,Wellinton,Auckland should be posible! That's one hell of a rpm spread for a single cyl diesel,sounds scary.Diesels have amasing bottom end grunt - but you shouldn't actualy do that with them,they want to be running at their max revs if possible,but these high speed diesels are a new breed.Yep,I'd have one.

[bungbung]

I believe you can (or could) by a diesel powered Royal Enfield assembled in india.

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_bikes.html

http://www.royalenfield.com/

[Blackbird]

Interested to see that the diesel in the link was designed by a guy at my old university!

There's a guy in Matamata who has a diesel bike which he built himself many moons ago. He's done several long haul rides on it like the Grand Challenge 1000 miles in 24 hours ride!

[Motu]

Was that in NZ or overseas?

As they said,this is not a generator diesel bike,but a ground up motorcycle engine diesel...although it looks like it's based on the KLR 650 engine.This could be the biggest problem - all these Jap imort diesels are based on petrol engine technology....and they are just crap,you can't just beef up a petrol engine and call it a diesell....what do you think will happen to a bike engine turned into a diesel? I'll wait untill the public has been used as guinea pigs for a couple of years before I'd even think of getting one.

[bungbung]

The Enfield isn't a generator, its the real deal with a lusty 6.5bhp!

http://www.automeet.com/royalmodel5.html

[Motu]

I've seen the Enfield diesel in the flesh - sure doesn't look like a purpose built motorcycle engine to me,definetly a staionary engine in a motorcycle frame,or at least the designer was a staionary engine designer.

[bungbung]

doh! I was thinking "gas generator" i.e convert diesel into gas then burn in conventional low compression engine. Engine to power electrical generator - didn't even cross my mind. Sorry

[Blackbird]

Was that in NZ or overseas?

Motu: Cranfield University in the UK. Looks like they've incorporated the Royal College of Military Science since I was there.

Geoff

[Kiwibiker]

Amagine running on old cooking oil, cheap as chips

[Motu]

Maybe the Indian Enfield diesel could run on ghee?

[moko]

As it says the prototype motors were based on the KLR650,now they`re a ground-up purpose built unit.
Ex-military bikes have a cult following over here and you can buy the Armstrong 350 or 500 from surplus depots.These are either badged Armstrong,Bombardier or,get this,Harley Davidson depending on the year of manufacture,model.The Harley connection is a complicated story but if nothing else a Harley dirt bike causes a lot of looks and questions when parked up.They`re very basic and often have had a hard life but they do the job and they`re pretty much idiot-proof.(The British Army use them so they have to be)Engines are by Rotax who also make Aprilia and BMW engines.If anyone`s interest I think there`s a 350 Harley test on a site I sometimes use and I`ll post the link.

[wari]

As it says the prototype motors were based on the KLR650,now they`re a ground-up purpose built unit.
Ex-military bikes have a cult following over here and you can buy the Armstrong 350 or 500 from surplus depots.These are either badged Armstrong,Bombardier or,get this,Harley Davidson depending on the year of manufacture,model.The Harley connection is a complicated story but if nothing else a Harley dirt bike causes a lot of looks and questions when parked up.They`re very basic and often have had a hard life but they do the job and they`re pretty much idiot-proof.(The British Army use them so they have to be)Engines are by Rotax who also make Aprilia and BMW engines.If anyone`s interest I think there`s a 350 Harley test on a site I sometimes use and I`ll post the link.

I'd like to read it moko ... ... temps warming up over there yet ?

[moko]

Here you go Wari,if you use the links at the top there`s another 2 follow-ups to this write up.Woman that wrote it used to be editor of the old bike mag me and Bob used to write for,she`s a well-known bike journo here.Usually they`ve got the ammo-boxes e.t.c. taken off.These are kind of a cult thing here and you can get a bloody good Jap 250/350 trail bike for what she paid.Private prices are a lot more like it and for some reason you`ll pay less for the same bike with a different name on the side,they get sold as Armstrongs,Bombardiers,Can-Ams or Harleys,god knows why but we`re talking about the military so a bit much to expect any logic I suppose,2-wheeled Jeep basically.
http://www.realclassic.co.uk/snarley.html