But it could also manage mpg and had a very relaxed feel to it. Other Enfield diesel conversions followed, and it turned into the most successful diesel bike of all — you can still buy a new one, from Price Part Motorcycles near Bristol. That's all very well, but even the Enfield diesel's best friends would admit that it's slower than a very slow thing, lovely on a quiet B road but not able to keep up with modern traffic.
But a modern diesel bike, with a purpose-designed engine, was about to break cover. Two engineers at Cranfield University developed a four-valve single of cc and 33bhp. Mounted in a Kawasaki KLR chassis, it had decent acceleration, reached mph, and still gave nearly mpg.
It was intended as a military bike, and a batch were eventually built in the States for the US Marines. Back in Europe, the Neander power cruiser was unveiled in This was different again, with a turbocharged cc twin offering lb ft at just rpm, and twin crankshafts which were claimed to eliminate vibration.
They also claimed a top speed of mph and mph in 4. It worked, but there were few takers, and Neander is currently developing the motor as an upmarket outboard. The Track T looked like a more practical proposition.
Built in Holland from , it used the little Smart car diesel, an cc turbo-intercooled triple that was lighter and more compact than any other car diesel engine important for a bike.
The Track looked good on paper, claiming mph and 80mpg. The year after, Belfast software engineer Neil Laughlin fitted the same Smart engine to his Triumph Tiger, mated to a Harley gearbox, and get this rode it to Nepal and back to prove the concept.
When he was back, I test rode it. The Tiger diesel was heavy, but easy to ride, fairly quick, and a day blatting around Northern Ireland returned There's no sign of this happening any time soon, but at that sort of price, with a mile range, it would certainly make sense, especially for overlanders.
In the meantime, there's no sign of a diesel bike from BMW, Honda or any of the major players, and it's not hard to see why. We all love torque, which diesel certainly delivers, but most of us still worship horsepower and acceleration times, which it doesn't. You get better mpg from a diesel, but that's not a big issue for most riders buying what for them is a leisure toy. Its turbocharged 3-cylinder engine was picked from a SmartCar to provide 45 hp on tap and 78 lb-ft of torque.
While the motor is not very powerful, it will give riders a mph time of four seconds. Additional features of the bike include long-travel suspension, Brembo brakes, upright ergonomics, Excel wheels, BMW-reminiscent shaft drive, and a trellis frame.
The bike is very much a niche motorcycle, and only over 50 of them have been sold since production started in With a marketed engine life of , miles, you will have to perform plenty of miles to make the bike pay. Production was halted in , but you can buy the blueprints to make your own. The Royal Enfield Bullet ranks as the only mass-produced diesel motorcycle in the world.
It was first introduced in , and it is iconic for being the longest-running motorcycle in production since The Bullet resembles an old-motorcycle, and current models come in more colors than the initial black paint scheme. The bike features a single downtube frame, inch wheels, and mm front disc and mm rear disc. Royal Enfield has fitted its signature teardrop fuel tank and a stepped seat. A ride on the Bullet is quite comfortable given its impressive specifications. A cc Lombardini single-cylinder engine powers the bike.
This four-stroke air-cooled motor produced less than 7 hp and gave out miles per gallon. The top speed was about 50 mph. The Hayes DT M is probably the toughest bike on the list, given its military beginnings. The bike runs on a cc liquid-cooled motor, which can power distances of more than miles before you need to refuel. It will, therefore, suit areas with inadequate refueling infrastructure.
The single-cylinder four-stroke engine has been modified for better performance under the patented MAC-C1 technology. The motor can run on seven kinds of fuel as a result, including biodiesel, truck diesel, and five variants of jet fuel. The level of engine power will depend on the fuel quality, but the motor is able to churn out 33hp and rev up to 7, rpm. The HDT M is built to be reliable in harsh conditions. It can cut through water that is two feet deep thanks to a fording depth of mm.
Its heavy-duty frame is reinforced by a solid bash plate and military-grade wire-spoke alloy rims. The bike is also designed to be stealthy, as witnessed in its non-reflective surfaces. Its blackout lighting means that it cannot be spotted at night, and you can also option an infrared driving light. The HDT M has never been put in mass production due to high military demand, but you can contact the manufacturer directly.
It is a product of Holland-based Star Twin, and it was introduced to the public in With a petrol engine, you only need an oil change after around 6, km to 8, km. These frequent oil changes required by diesel engines means that consumers would have to invest more time and money in maintaining their motorbikes.
However, since this is not the case with petrol engines, it means that manufacturers have an easy way out when it comes to choosing the type of engine to use on their bikes. Although diesel engines produce more torque, they cause low rpm, especially when compared to petrol engines.
Traditional air-cooled Harley-Davidsons aside, motorcyclists like to rev up their engines, and quick acceleration at highway speeds to merge with traffic or avoid danger avoid a bike that can rev quickly. A diesel engine would not be able to accommodate or support this nearly as well as a petrol gas equivalent could. Diesel tends to produce more energy per gallon in comparison to petrol.
When it burns, it produces great heat which might destroy such engine parts as the walls of the cylinder. To reduce this heat, you would need a proper cooling system and a greater surface area for the engine. Consequently, most diesel engines are relatively large, which is not ideal for motorbikes. Petrol engines, on the other hand, produce less energy per gallon of fuel burned.
This means that they are much cooler and less likely to cause any damage to the engine. Further, since bikes have low surface areas, it would not make sense to use an engine that has the potential of overheating, destroying the bike, or even harming the rider. In this case, it is clear to see why diesel is not used in motorbikes. If it were, the bikes would have to be made so large that it would make sense to get a car instead of investing in a motorcycle. Therefore, diesel engines cause more pollution in the long run.
The reality is that motorcycles do produce more pollution than cars in certain instances. So, there you have it — a simplified list of the reasons why most motorcycles use petrol instead of diesel. Although diesel may be cheaper in many parts of the world, it requires a bigger, heavier engine, and does not produce RPMs at the same rate as petrol.
Weight would go up, power would go down, and power-to-weight ratio would stink more than a Volkswagen cover-up. Peter Hanson is a motorcycle enthusiast and expert on motorcycle travel.
0コメント