Diesel Motorcycles

[Dr. Evil]

You gotta love our regressive-progressive society!

The United States of America: The richest and most powerful third-world country on the planet!

There are diesel bikes. Just not here.

Eva | Test Ride
Some company in Holland was/is making (or tried to make) to make a diesel streetbike

Turbocharged!?!?!?

 

[maxandgrinch]

C.A.R.B. has delayed the introduction of the 100% ELECTRIC Polaris Ranger which was aimed at municipalities and industrialcorporate campuses (landfills, parks, and etc.) and the 100% ELECTRIC 2013 Global Electric Motorcar (GEM)

Do you really think they'll allow a stinky, dirty, oily, black smoke belching 200mpg full size, full performance, lane sharing, wheelie makin', Hells Angel empowering motorcycle into California?

Can't buy a 100% electric 2013 GEM Neighborhood car or use blue dot tail lights on my 700HP hot rod made from rusty beer cans found in a creek bed that doesn't have front brakes though

 

[Joshman]

Dude, I now have a 7,000# truck and a 2,600# car with nearly the same horsepower rating. I know which one is good for what, and which one I could sell to some idiot kid wanting to go act like an douchebag in the twisties.

I dunno, Audi did amazing with their diesel racecar: http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/exp/motorsport/r10_tdi.html

 

[Kornholio]

Do you really think they'll allow a stinky, dirty, oily, black smoke belching 200mpg full size, full performance, lane sharing, wheelie makin', Hells Angel empowering motorcycle into California?

Why not? We (I mean they ) allow it in other applications.

If the manufacturers would get their ducks in order and fill out the paperwork correctly, it might have been for sale already.

 

[Kevlar49]

I would rock the shit out of a diesel motorcycle... I love the idea of an electric motorcycle, for the low cost of operation, but I hate the idea of being range-restricted by the size of the battery and how long it takes to charge. Diesel I could fill anywhere. Yes please.

Cost prohibitive. A new M1030-M2 will set you back about $18,000...if you could even buy one. Diesel engines require much more robust materials which cost a lot more.

Yes, but is that price point really a fair comparison? Anything built to MIL-spec is going to be a lot more expensive than a civilian version of anything, both because of the demanding specifications/expectations, and the inflated cost that goes with anything the government buys...

In general, yes, diesel engines do require more robust materials than a petrol engine. But, compared to a sportbike making 175 bhp/liter? Probably not so significant a difference. Metal alloy technology has come a long ways in the last few decades. BMW's diesel engines have aluminum blocks, so it's possible to keep the weight down as well. In a car, much of the added cost for a diesel comes from things like added emission control devices (extra cats, particulate collectors, urea injection, etc). I'm not sure what regulations do/would apply to a diesel motorcycle, but generally motorcycles have far less stringent emissions requirements than cars, so that could help keep the price differential down.

The point of the Ducati is that normally when you're diagnosing why a duck won't start, it is either the fuel or the spark.

With a diesel, you can safely eliminate one of these.

I dunno, Audi did amazing with their diesel racecar: http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/exp/motorsport/r10_tdi.html

Yes, diesels can be damned fast too, but the R10/15/18 also weren't designed to generate sales revenue

 

[auntiebling]

a diesel bike would be good for beginner bikes too. transitioning from american market cars to any small displacement bike is weird for many, as the way they develop power is completely different, so new riders not used to having to wind up a motor and leave it wound up on the freeway are... out of sorts.

a small displacement diesel should have more torque down low, minimizing the difference between big car motor behavior, and tiny beginner motorcycle engine behavior.

IMO blah blah blah

...that doesn't have front brakes though

thought front brakes were mandatory since the late 70s or so?

 

[Tim-That CX Guy]

Once upon a long time ago (20 years, ish), someone built a diesel superbike.

Top speed was in the 170 mph range, and got 14 mpg at that speed.

Those stats stuck with me, but for the life of me, I cannot find the magazine or article anywhere.

 

[Kornholio]

Yes, but is that price point really a fair comparison? Anything built to MIL-spec is going to be a lot more expensive than a civilian version of anything, both because of the demanding specifications/expectations, and the inflated cost that goes with anything the government buys...

In general, yes, diesel engines do require more robust materials than a petrol engine. But, compared to a sportbike making 175 bhp/liter? Probably not so significant a difference. Metal alloy technology has come a long ways in the last few decades. BMW's diesel engines have aluminum blocks, so it's possible to keep the weight down as well. In a car, much of the added cost for a diesel comes from things like added emission control devices (extra cats, particulate collectors, urea injection, etc). I'm not sure what regulations do/would apply to a diesel motorcycle, but generally motorcycles have far less stringent emissions requirements than cars, so that could help keep the price differential down.

The government buys from the lowest bidder, not the highest. They don't want to spend unrealistic money on something they can get cheaper somewhere else. The result is this motorcycle at the price they pay for it. The M1030-M2 doesn't have anything fancy in it either and adding more expensive metals to lighten it for civilian duty isn't going to lower the price. The reason the EPA and CARB are having an issue with diesel motorcycles is that there's currently no realistic way to make them compliant with the diesel emissions standards required of new diesel vehicles sold in the U.S. Until someone figures that part out, it's never gonna happen.

 

[russ69]

I dunno, Audi did amazing with their diesel racecar: http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/exp/motorsport/r10_tdi.html

The Audi diesel cars had a significant advantage due to the rules giving diesels added displacement and fuel capacity, IIRC. They would not have been raced if the rules were the same as the gas cars.

 

[MCCRASH]

My neighbor's son, Treven Baker, recently built a diesel motorcycle. (Both he and his dad are wrenching geniuses.) From last year's Quail:

Fred Hayes would ultimately claim the top prize in the Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge on his 2010 Hayes Diesel (MD690R1) which used a miniscule 1.04 gallons of gas on our 120-mile ride at a cost of only $4.73. Finishing right behind him was Treven Baker on his homemade diesel motorcycle which used 1.213 gallons at a cost of $5.65. We got a chance to talk to Baker who said he has wanted a diesel motorcycle for 20 years. So he built himself one. He had been keeping his eye on the European market, which has been at the forefront of diesel motorcycle technology and scored a direct injection, air-cooled Hatz military diesel engine from a military surplus store and started from there. Then he pieced it together from a hodgepodge of parts, like a headlight from a World War II International military truck, a Russian sidecar chassis, a rear shock he grabbed off a KZ550 he had in the garage and a front wheel he salvaged off a BMW R5. Baker literally finished just in time to participate in the Quail Motorcycle Ride where he proceeded to capture second place with an impressive 110 miles-per-gallon. His efforts also earned him the Innovation Award.

 

[Kevlar49]

The Audi diesel cars had a significant advantage due to the rules giving diesels added displacement and fuel capacity, IIRC. They would not have been raced if the rules were the same as the gas cars.

The diesels were limited to .5L less displacement than N/A petrol engines, or 1.5L more than forced-induction petrol engines (5.5 vs 6 and 4 liters, respectively), but with twin-stage charging. Their fuel capacity was the same as petrol, but they could go farther between stops, which adds up to a significant time advantage in a 12 or 24 hour race. Fuel capacity, minimum weight, and restrictor size for diesels were changed in subsequent years to try to keep it fair, but the diesels still dominated. Also, the rules were completely changed in 2011.

 

[mrc]

My neighbor's son, Treven Baker, recently built a diesel motorcycle. (Both he and his dad are wrenching geniuses.)

I would like to subscribe to this man's newsletter.

 

[MCCRASH]

Here is more on Treven's bike and other diesel bikes:

http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/2011- Fuel Economy Contests/2011-Quail-results.html