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 promise's economy, some fexibility in 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.
Additional:
In my view it's best to pick a twin or triple cylinder engine because
an engine that fires on every stroke or more will give you superior
pulling power over a single - and you'll need this when your diesel
is likely only to rev to about 3800rpm max. 3800 equates at 1 to 1
to about 68mph through a standard bike gearbox (but I'm no expert
here!). I would also suggest you do your homework on the engines firing
pattern. Some diesels (such as the Ruggerini
used in the Centaurus) have both pistons going up and down together
and this causes much vibration. Others, like their MD191 engine, have
a 180 degree crank meaning one up one down and are far smoother. Remember,
Automotive engines rev higher, typically to 4600rpm. This will give
you a 100mph plus motorcycle!
It's 'horses for
courses' with diesel motorcycles. The diesel is a working engine and
thus is better on a long distance touring machine. It may also be
better for urban commuting where not much speed can ever be achieved.
Think carefully about the application before launching into a build.
Things
to watch out for
One
guy had a clutch cable break on him whilst pulling up to a T junction.
You'd expect the engine to stall with the brakes applied - but it
didn't - and carried on running for a crucial few beats - enough to
push him over the white line and out into the traffic! Luckily there
was none at that moment. Be warned or the you'll have a bloody personal
injury motorcycle accident claim attorney on the phone!!
Make
sure you have good brakes! There is little or no engine braking from
a diesel (with no slides to come down in carbs to restrict air flow)
and you should make allowances for this. The large flywheel won't
make things any easier either!
Because
of the centrifugal nature of some guvernor's, the tickover of diesel
bikes can slow or speed up depending on whether the bike is vertical
or on its side stand. Interesting!
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 - but it's getting harder. And remember, Carol
Nash will not give you a valuation on a self built bike. Some are
now using Peter
James Insurance here in the UK which was previously part
of with Footman James. Another company is Bikesure. According to their
website
they specifically show that they will issue insurance for the Eco
Rider diesel motorbike! Cool!
In the United
States of America, companies like Progressive offer helpful
advice.
Useful links:
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 there I'm told with the advent of the European Union Regulations
but still, some guys have still registered their bikes in the UK.
DIESEL
MOTORCYCLES TO BUY
Not many people make diesel motorcycles but try these two pages from
our website here
and here.
Best of luck!
OUR
HOSTING HERE AT DIESELBIKE
Our
website here is hosted by those lovely folks over at LCN
.And we bought our domain names through them too. We are also known
as DieselBike.eu.
