How difficult would a diesel conversion be?

[Thom]

I'm wanting a project and a cheapish bike with good mpg and power - i turn to diesel.

Im wondering how hard it would be to take a bike such as a gpz600 or similar (with chain drive) and converting it to a diesel engine?

What would be involved and more so, how would i do it?!
____________________
Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[Kickstart]

Hi

Do you mean fit a diesel engine? If so it is going to depend on what diesel engine (and possibly separate gearbox) you choose to fit.

If you mean convert your existing engine to diesel then a hell of a lot of work.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Drongo]

It's actually quite an easy job.
Get a hairdyer and heat the GPZ decals up for a few minutes, then try peeling them off, if they dont come easy, re-apply the hairdryer and try again.
Once they're off stick them onto a peugeot 306 diesel.
Have also seen it done with a Mondeo diesel but not sure if I'd risk it. Fords n'at ya know.

[N cee thirty]

eugh tractor bike ftl
____________________
'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[Thom]

Hi keith, i think i'd rather go down the engine replacement option, and understand i would be restricted in a number of ways.

I was thinking a small cc triple cylinder engine (if i could find one) however what really confuses me is how i would go about transferring power from a standard shaft drive into a chain drive...
____________________
Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[Kickstart]

Hi

How to fit the engine is going to depend on the particular engine. I presume that the engine would be a small diesel not designed for car or bike use, so it would need a gearbox. Should be possible to connect the engine and an old pre unit gearbox to get chain drive.

However the amount of work would probably count it out from being cheap.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Shaft]

Somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, a small and feeble light bulb has just cast it's dim glow over a magazine picture of a Royal Enfield with a diesel engine, which gave spectacular fuel consumption, but in every other respect, was neither use nor ornament.............but perhaps I just imagined it.

Citroen/Peugeot did a rather neat, all alloy 1360 diesel, which was light, compact and reasonably powerful, but as Keith said, the gearbox could be a challenge.

Transverse would need a unitary gearbox, inline would be easier, but you would be looking at a bespoke frame design.

Unless you've got lots of time and money at your disposal, I'm not sure I see the point.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[stinkwheel]

Start with a shaft drive bike.

Otherwise you'll need a pre-unit, chain drive gearbox which are almost all off old brit bikes.

A BMW, Ural or Guzzi are good starting points. The what you need is a custom madecollar to join the engine to the original clutch/gearbox unit or to join the car engine clutch to the bike gearbox. I've seen this done several times.

Another alternative is to do away with the gearbox altogether and run a car clutch straight through to a shaft on a single gear. With a sufficiently big car engine, this will still do silly mph while being able to pull away. Saw this done with a pinto diesel.

Enfields lend themselves to diesel conversions because they have a seperate gearbox that bolts to the frame. That means you can fit any diesel engine which fits in the frame and attach it to the primary drive using a belt or chain. They usually use a generator engine which is why they are so slow (but will do over 200mpg!).

I've seen a peugeot diesel engine used to power a sidecar outfit via an Albion 4-speed gearbox before but the engine was mounted between the bike and sidecar to get the final drive alignment.

Doesn't have to be expensive, but you need to be good with your hands. This thread may be of interest (1.9l VW diesel in the process of being shoehorned into a Dnepr chassis):
https://www.network54.com/Forum/598839/message/1294268741/The+next+FrankenFail+bike.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Thom]

Thanks mate, im going to do some serious homework, i may consider an xj900 due to its shafty goodness but i'll keep my eyes open for others.

I think it really would be a great idea.
____________________
Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[Kickstart]

Hi

If you really want one then not sure when the military diesel bikes will start to be sold on.

There was also a bike made in France in the late 1980s which used car engines including a diesel. However not sure how many were made (or even if the whole operation was a scam for EEC funds), and I have not been able to find anything on them via Google.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[chris-red]

I seem to remember a few Triumph Tigers having diesel conversions they got about 120mpg IIRC.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Few links here.

https://www.dieselbike.net/Links/links.htm

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Martay]

I think the Aixam car uses a 2cylinder diesel 500cc 'lump' and a form of Variator / belt drive. Is that too small?
____________________
Eat well, poo hard
Drives: Cavalier 2.0 16v
Rides: Slightly ratted Honda City Express

[yen_powell]

Enfield Robin was the diesel bike I remember. I have a vague recollection of a bike magazine saying you could ride from London to the scottish border and back without refueling.
https://www.dieselbike.net/Hamm09/FujiRobin.JPG
____________________
Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[stinkwheel]

Aye. Robin Diesels have been used in a few bikes. They are a generator engine and the bikes are all dog-slow.

The MZ ones have a variometer gearbox like a twist and go.

I've also seen one done with hydraulic drive. The diesel engine powering up the hydraulics them the wheel powered by a hub-mounted hydraulic motor. I'm a bit pissed off about that one because I reckon the company that made it pulled the concept off a discussion I was having with some mates on the ratbike board a good three years before they built it. There were details we'd come up with (such as a pressure dump-valve operated by a clutch lever for stopping) that were included in the design. They didn't make it 2WD though, which is what I wanted.

Here's another coold diesel bike. Hand crank start.
https://www.ratbike.org/docs/55.php
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.