Diesel motorcycle

Thought this was interesting

December 30, 2008 The Dutch E.V.A. company has been working on both a dieselhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel motorcyclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle and a 2WD system for several years and the two have finally come together, with the release of the EUR 17,500 Track Diesel Motorcycle with adjustable front wheel hydraulic drive system as an optional extra. The 50 bhp in-line three cylinder diesel is both turbocharged and intercooled and offers a whopping 130Nm of torque from 1800 rpm upwards. The CVT (Constantly Variable Transmission) helps the motorcycle keep its revs low and it hence uses very little fuel – 2.1 l/100km at 90 kmh – and is to be marketed as a go-anywhere adventure machine with an appetite for almost any fuel available (it’ll run on PPO), a full aluminium luggage travel system, and a desert-sandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand lifting device for lone adventurers.

The bike doesn’t have a ballistic top speed, but at 175 kmh, it’s still getting 4.2 l/100km, and will give very little away in acceleration to sports bikeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle due to its muscular bottom end torque. Most importantly, it gets there very frugally, and is to be marketed as a go-anywhere adventure machine with low maintenance (shaft drive included), low seat height and the ability to run on almost any fuel from standard diesel through bio-diesel through to PPO (pure plant oil).

The optional extras include the adjustable front wheel hydraulic drive system, a full aluminium luggage travel system, and a desert-sand lifting device for lone adventurers. The first 250 units of the bike are in production now, and we just can’t help but see this as a perfect military motorcycle. The bike will be unveiled at the Utrecht Dutch motorcycle trade fair in February.

Many of the features incorporated in the bike just make so much sense – it’s a motorcycle that incorporates a crashbar, and the best of all, totally adjustable ergonomics including the ability to reposition the footrests, adjust the seat height and significantly vary the handlebar position. There’s also a progressive LED headlight and tail light/brake light and we’re currently clarifying the functionality of the set-up.

The US military has done some work with a Kawasaki enduro for a couple of years for desert work. The thinking was for all equipment to run on diesel for logistical purposes

Kawickrice wrote:

The US military has done some work with a Kawasaki enduro for a couple of years for desert work. The thinking was for all equipment to run on diesel for logistical purposes

About a year ago Cycle World did a story about the military diesel bike. It's a modified KLR650 and gets 90-100 miles per gallon. They are being used in Iraq. I would love to have one as a commuter bike. Supposedly the company that is building them for the military is going to market a civilian version, ala Hummer, but I haven't seen any more about it.

tjhiggin wrote:

Kawickrice wrote:

The US military has done some work with a Kawasaki enduro for a couple of years for desert work. The thinking was for all equipment to run on diesel for logistical purposes

About a year ago Cycle World did a story about the military diesel bike. It's a modified KLR650 and gets 90-100 miles per gallon. They are being used in Iraq. I would love to have one as a commuter bike. Supposedly the company that is building them for the military is going to market a civilian version, ala Hummer, but I haven't seen any more about it.

That is the article I saw also. It would be cool to see a civilian version. If its a diesel it will run on french fry oil, with minimal conversion. I have a friend with a VW Rabbit truck converted to french fry grease.

you can only use certain types of grease,i bought a machine for making bio diesel from grease but havent had much luck so far.

I would be interested in any diesel motorcycle over electric. The one above is an 800cc three cylinder model and seems to make decent power - 175km/hour is over 100mph. The price would have to be a bit beter than 17,500 euros though.

Now ....if ma Kaw came out with a diesel KLR that would be awesome

Speaking of french fry oil one of my cousins has converted his diesel pickup to run on bio diesel.

PLUMMEN wrote:

you can only use certain types of grease,i bought a machine for making bio diesel from grease but havent had much luck so far.

My friend did everything homemade. He made a filter system out of 5 gal buckets and t shirts. What he did was run an auxiliary tank with a solenoid for the grease (not bio diesel). He ran a copper line wraped around his radiator hose (kinda like a liquor still) to preheat the oil, if the oil is heated it WILL burn. When the motor warmed up he switched from the primary tank which is regular diesel, to the auxiliary tank which was filtered grease. On cold starts he started the engine normally with diesel fuel. He had a solenoid to switch back and forth, and had it plumbed to the carb if thats what its called on a diesel engine. Chinese restaurants have cleaner grease because they usually fry eggrolls and such instead of alot of breaded foods like chicken. I was with him on day and the exhaust was smelling like cotton candy because the grease that day came from the local fair. He got 45 to 50 mile per gallon on french fry grease. I would not believe it if I had not of seen it (smelled it) myself.

My cylinder guy "Jims Cylinder Heads" In Buffalo, NY tried, and ran a top fuel Nitro drag bike in the late 80's on diesel, with a blower and nitromethane!

One camshaft! don't know the particulars, but he managed high 7 second et's. This was the begining of the turn the head around 180 degree's.

Like Elmer Trett, with the "Puppet" Race Visions Bikes"
Exhaust out the back, small GMC blower and NITRO!!!

Brings back memories!! Was in some bike magazines years ago!

I sure don't remember any diesel drag bikes, but we'll never see a diesel motorcycle in the USA for many reasons including emissions standards that would be impractical if not impossible to pass and the fact I beleive we are the only country in the entire world that diesel fuel costs nearly twice what gas does.

yeah, fuel's at around $1AUD per litre here in Oz, diesel $1.30AUD.

Those crazy kids at Royal Enfield have been doing a production diesel bike for a fair while haven't they? don't know that it's going to break any records, or that the bike surrounding the engine is exactly commuter standards, but you'd look cool doing it!

Kawickrice wrote:

PLUMMEN wrote:

you can only use certain types of grease,i bought a machine for making bio diesel from grease but havent had much luck so far.

My friend did everything homemade. He made a filter system out of 5 gal buckets and t shirts. What he did was run an auxiliary tank with a solenoid for the grease (not bio diesel). He ran a copper line wraped around his radiator hose (kinda like a liquor still) to preheat the oil, if the oil is heated it WILL burn. When the motor warmed up he switched from the primary tank which is regular diesel, to the auxiliary tank which was filtered grease. On cold starts he started the engine normally with diesel fuel. He had a solenoid to switch back and forth, and had it plumbed to the carb if thats what its called on a diesel engine. Chinese restaurants have cleaner grease because they usually fry eggrolls and such instead of alot of breaded foods like chicken. I was with him on day and the exhaust was smelling like cotton candy because the grease that day came from the local fair. He got 45 to 50 mile per gallon on french fry grease. I would not believe it if I had not of seen it (smelled it) myself.

if i can make it work ill definately invest in another diesel pickup i sold my 2005 350 superduty 4x4 back when i quit working the last time.i worry about those shmucks from dot wanting to pull me over to check my tanks on my trucks,so i think ill just buy a pickup truck that i dont pull equipment around with so i dont need dot #s on it.they cant say anything about my skidloaders or backhoes since i dont pay road tax on the offroad fuel to run them.

My friend did alot of online research and got it figured out. Most online sites want to sell you a book or video, he was a cheap bastard so he searched and searched for free un till he got enough info. Plummen if you try this out keep us informed on how its going. I find it interesting.