Gas

[monkeyman]

With the growing cost of fuel, Converting to gas is starting to look like a very good idea.

Gas costs about 36 pence or 27 pence if you take it from a house tank (if you live out in the sticks and there are no gas mains).

I was just wondering has anyone actually done this to a motorcycle and could it be done to a 2 stroke.

In practice I think it would probably be a bit dangerous as you would be literally riding a can of propane.
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RM 250, Husky TE610, K1 GSXR 750

[carvell]

You couldn't do it to a bike really.

There's generally not enough space around the engine, and where do you plan to keep the big gas tank that would go in the boot of a car.
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Yamaha TDM 850

[dibbster]

Can you imaging riding a mobile gas canister. In a car the gas canister is reasonably well protected in a crash.
However on a bike..... Not something I'd try.
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Suzuki GSXR - Now stops on a sixpence; SBK3's
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[True Blue]

I was seriously considering LPG for my next car. It's only 33p per litre up here However I went and bought a diesel. Apparently you can convert diesel cars to but it costs lots and lots, as in 7 grand

I hear there is some kind of bio diesel coming out soon though.
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[Danny]

Remember that if you convert your car, your probably entitled to a government grant to help cover the cost of conversion.

[True Blue]

What I didn't know is that the grant is only available for certain cars
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[hugo-a-gogo]

You can run a diesel on Bio-diesel (made from rape seed) or even on normal sunflower cooking oil from Aldi or suchlike (just remember to send off your tax contribution to HM customs and Excise, right kids?)

where would you put your LPG tank on a bike? (you still need petrol, right?)
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"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them - but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one. That is why they are dangerous."
Hunter S Thompson
clicky 4 bikey

[kev]

Get a better job and earn more money then you don't need to worry about fuel prices.
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[Robby]

The big problem with LPG is getting the stuff. The tank range isn't good, and for really good tank range you need a really big tank - that means a lot of weight and less storage space.

It is cheaper than petrol, but also contains less fuel - basic figures I have are that if petrol was giving you 40mpg, lpg would give you 24mpg and diesel would give you 55mpg.

I believe you can get a petrol car conversion for about 2 grand. Based on a 10000 mile year you would save around about 300 quid (At 40mpg and current prices petrol would cost you about 930 quid for 10000 miles, LPG would cost you 630 quid for 10000 miles at 24mpg). So you would have to keep the car for 7 years for it to be worthwhile. Budget in that LPG is getting hit on tax now more people are using it, and its not really worthwhile.

So, if you want low running costs, get a 1litre diesel and drive slowly. If you want fun, get a big petrol or a bike. If you want a mix.. get an older bike. New ones seem horrendous on fuel.

[carvell]

[True Blue]

You'd be surprised how many places sell LPG. I notice a taxi I was in had a conversion and I said to the guy

[True Blue]

[mr.z]

[True Blue]

Wouldn't it all solidify inside the tank like what a chip pan full of oil does?
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[carvell]

On top gear they literally just emptied a car, filled it with cooking oil, bled the system and it was fine and ready to go - it ran well too.

Suspect if you are using it daily and doing a lot of miles you would have to make some modifications yes.

If you can be bothered with the legal paperwork - you are still getting fuel at a very, very cheap rate!
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Yamaha TDM 850

[izzi81]

[carvell]

[izzi81]

[mr.z]

It probably depends on the engine really, but hardly a major thing is it? i'd suspect leaveing it idle for a long time would not be good for it BUT modern chemical addatives would stop it being a problem, as would the dirtying of the engine..

As far as i unerstand it you have to be able to proove your milage every two weeks/1 month the only way you can do this is with a card like hgvs use e.t.c. and then fill out a load of paper work for it...

As long as oil companys are pulling strings in the government you will not see this made widely available...

I mean what would it take? a year to get this through government legislation? the only reason petrol is extortionate in this country is the 80%odd tax, you think they would let that go? don't think so...
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[True Blue]

[mr.z]

https://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~noriba74/images/bike/LPG.jpg

And it is possible, LPG imean.. if a little bit... strange... unlikely your passenger would appreciate it...
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Kickstart]

Hi

As I understand it you can happily run a diesel car on chip fat. However it is likely to have problems in very cold weather and is almost certain to wear out the pump (and a diesel injection pump is a very expensive part to buy).

There is little reason why bio fuel could not be sold with a suitable additive pack to allow its use. The trouble is the cost. Basically road fuel is only as expensive as it is due to the very high taxes. The actual basic fuel is quite cheap (even at the £1.10 a litre that was reported in London, the non tax part was probably only 40p).

Few years back I read that, at the time, a steady oil price of US$40 a barrel made bio fuels economically viable. Not sure how accurate the figure is, but it would not surprise me.

All the best

Keith
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[True Blue]

Well basically from what I have heard it may be available at the pumps from September some time. Though I doubt it somehow.
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[Kickstart]

Hi

Think it is already available in limited quantities in some areas.

I have heard that it is sold in France already, blended in with normal diesel, but nothing to confirm that.

All the best

Keith
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[Robby]

Next step up from chip fat is biodiesel, which is basically just mildly refined chip fat. You don't need to get a new pump for it, but you need to replace all the rubber seals in the fuel system with metal as it will eat through them slowly, if used neat.
Apparrently you can also run a couple of degrees of ignition advance with it, due to it containing more power, and its supposed to run cleaner.

You can always run 50/50 diesel/chip fat or biodiesel. Might not go everywhere smelling like a chip shop then.