WHY DIESEL MOTORCYCLES?

With fuel prices going the way they are and the modern day diesel engine being as advanced as it now is, it shouldn't be too long before a major manufactuer spots this growing gap in the market and produces a Diesel Motorcycle. The Military are going down this route and it surely will not be long before a machine is made available to the Public.These machines have MPG figures to die for. 140, 170 or over 200 miles per (imperial) gallon is not unheard of. Because of this a Common Rail Diesel Motorcycle would make an excellent Tourer or Dispatching bike.Having Power is what it's all about for bikers. It won't be power as most Bikers know it but the modern common rail Diesel engine promises economy, fexibility of fuel type (bio-diesel) as well as better roll on acceleration because of the increased torque available. Now that's gotta be better ain't it?

WHAT ENGINES TO USE?

The question I get asked the most concerns what engine to use when building a bike. I always give the same answer. Check through my site and see what others have used. A lot of thinking has been done by a lot of people and what you see here in the way of bikes is the result of all that. That's not to say everyone here is right, of course, because new engines come along. But for the most part this site represents all that effort and until some big concern designs an engine specifically for a bike, this is the best we got. Just remember to get a decent speed you really need something that produces over 15hp. An engine that produces in the region of 20hp will give you the best balance of economy to power.

THE REALITY OF RIDING A FIRST GENERATION DIESEL MOTORCYCLE

Being a Diesel Motorcyclist isn’t easy at times. Diesel is arguably a motorcyclists worst enemy, causing many accidents. But I have to say you get some interesting comments when bikers come across a fellow enthusiast riding a machine that actually runs on the stuff. The other down side is, of course, the smell and noise. Ladies, along with everyone I suppose, love a nice clean bike with an engine that sounds sweet. Riding upon our generator based machines, spewing out black, sooty smoke and knocking like a 'good’n', don’t be surprised if you have trouble pulling crumpet ;-)

INSURANCE AND THE DIESEL MOTORCYCLE

One question that I frequently get asked is " my bike is self built, will it be easy to get insurance?" Well, depending upon where you live, this can be a tricky one. The first company I approached to insure my bike were very unhelpful. They were not prepared to take the gamble on a non-standard machine and wanted an MOT certificate, even though the vehicle was brand new. I then went to Carol Nash who insured me without any trouble. Things are harder in Germany where strict rules, that were put in place during the early days of diesel development, mean that it is not easy to get a diesel motorbike on the road. The UK has the MOT man to get past while the German guys have to deal with the 'TUV Man'. Thankfully things are getting easier I'm told with the advent of the European Union Regulations but still, some guys have still registered their bikes in the UK.