Royal Enfield Motors of India still makes these classic British bikes, and exports them to more than 20 countries, including Japan, the USA, Canada, France, Germany -- and Britain. http://www.royalenfield.com/
For a long time they also made diesel versions. Unfortunately the diesel models are now out of production, but diesel Enfields are still available from other sources.
"Royal Enfield -- Made like a gun, goes like a bullet" -- Berlin Enfield dealer Pig7 exports the Enfield Diesel 325 and Diesel 435: 1,000 km on a tankful. http://www.pig7.de/enfield.htm
Above left: Royal Enfield Taurus diesel. Above right: Indian-made Royal Enfield Bullet fitted with a German made 350cc direct injection HATZ Diesel engine.
Royal Enfield Restorations -- Beautifully restored 1960s petrol and diesel Royal Enfields from F2 Motorcycles Ltd in the UK, diesel models fitted with a new Greaves 325cc diesel engine: http://www.f2motorcycles.ltd.uk/
restoration.html
Riding on Salad Oil (Vegetable Oil / Biodiesel / Diesel / old motoroil / whatever ...) A motorcycle enthusiast's guide to low speed, miniscule acceleration and about zero power, but fun fun fun :) Ingredients: one stripped Royal-Enfield Bullet 500 motorcycle, add one 406cc, single cylinder, direct injection Yanmar L100 diesel engine (or chinese clone -> Kama KM186, Changfa, etc). http://www.altmann.haan.de/riding_on_salad_oil/default.htm
Still under development, the Dutch Star Twin ThunderStar 1200 TDI diesel motorcycle has a three-cylinder turbo charged, direct injection diesel engine from the VW Lupo -- "a user friendly, powerful and unique motorcycle. A motorcycle with an engine for a diversity of possibilities: races, city traffic, long distances and off-road riding." http://www.startwin.com/
English translation of an article on the ThunderStar in "de Ingenieur" magazine (448kb Acrobat file): http://www.startwin.com/pagina/bikes/special/
thunderstar/artikel%20ingenieur/motorEN.pdf
The Ecorider off-road all-terrain diesel ATV built in Scotland uses a Hatz 1B20 232cc diesel engine that delivers 120 miles per gallon of diesel or biodiesel. It's automatic, and can tow up to 250kg -- "a truly remarkable workhorse". http://www.ecorider.com/
Unveiled in May 2001, the M1030M1 is claimed to be the world's first diesel-powered motorcycle designed specifically for military use. It is derived from a stock Kawasaki KLR650, and has been developed jointly by Californian firm Hayes Diversified Technologies and Britain's Royal Military College of Science. It is intended for the British and US military and for NATO. The 580cc diesel engine boasts a 50% improvement in fuel consumption over petrol-engined equivalents, lower emissions, and better cross-country utility. It gets 120 miles per gallon, the engine develops 33ft/lb of torque and the bike has a top speed of 85 mph.
Description, more pictures (Acrobat file, 164Kb): http://www.peace65.freeserve.co.uk/Pictures/MDIESHDT3.pdf
Specifications (Acrobat file, 26Kb): http://www.peace65.freeserve.co.uk/Pictures/M1030M1%20spec-3.pdf
The M1030M1 diesel-powered motorcycle put through its paces at a recent demonstration in Chertsey organised by the UK Defence Procurement Agency -- view the video (RealPlayer): http://www.janes.com:8080/ramgen/janescom/diesel_mc.smi
F1 Engineering: "M1030M1 Diesel Combat Motorcycle -- This is no wimpy bike with a converted diesel generator for an engine. This is a high performance enduro bike that will run over 100 mph, revs over 7000 rpm and will climb the proverbial 'brick wall'." http://www.f1engineering.com/diesel%20bike%20specs.html
Dnepr-Hatz Diesel
The unstoppable Dnepr MT11 motorcycle-sidecar combination from the Kiev Motorcycle Factory in the Ukraine -- fitted with a blower-cooled 2-cylinder 1000cc Hatz Diesel engine in place of the original 650cc horizontal twin BMW lookalike, and a specially strengthened frame. Available from 2002.
The eCycle Hybrid Motorcycle is a 125cc diesel-electric hybrid with a top speed of 80mph, accelerating from 0-60 mph in 6 sec and with fuel consumption at 160 mpg. But, nearly four years after being announced, it still isn't on sale. http://www.ecycle.com/
powersports/hybrid.htm
See "Green machines could do 170mph" -- Motor Cycle News, 12 May 2001
Royal Enfield Motors of India still makes these classic British bikes, and exports them to more than 20 countries, including Japan, the USA, Canada, France, Germany -- and Britain.
Royal Enfield Restorations -- Beautifully restored 1960s petrol and diesel Royal Enfields from F2 Motorcycles Ltd in the UK, diesel models fitted with a new Greaves 325cc diesel engine:
Riding on Salad Oil (Vegetable Oil / Biodiesel / Diesel / old motoroil / whatever ...) A motorcycle enthusiast's guide to low speed, miniscule acceleration and about zero power, but fun fun fun :) Ingredients: one stripped Royal-Enfield Bullet 500 motorcycle, add one 406cc, single cylinder, direct injection Yanmar L100 diesel engine (or chinese clone -> Kama KM186, Changfa, etc).
The "Dieselfighter" is a "Volksaki GPZ 1600 TD Mk I", with a Kawasaki 1000 RX frame and 1570cc diesel from a 1985 Volkswagen Golf II TD. website in German, lots of photos on the secomnd page:
Still under development, the Dutch Star Twin ThunderStar 1200 TDI diesel motorcycle has a three-cylinder turbo charged, direct injection diesel engine from the VW Lupo -- "a user friendly, powerful and unique motorcycle. A motorcycle with an engine for a diversity of possibilities: races, city traffic, long distances and off-road riding."
Unveiled in May 2001, the M1030M1 is claimed to be the world's first diesel-powered motorcycle designed specifically for military use. It is derived from a stock Kawasaki KLR650, and has been developed jointly by Californian firm Hayes Diversified Technologies and Britain's Royal Military College of Science. It is intended for the British and US military and for NATO. The 580cc diesel engine boasts a 50% improvement in fuel consumption over petrol-engined equivalents, lower emissions, and better cross-country utility. It gets 120 miles per gallon, the engine develops 33ft/lb of torque and the bike has a top speed of 85 mph.
The eCycle Hybrid Motorcycle is a 125cc diesel-electric hybrid with a top speed of 80mph, accelerating from 0-60 mph in 6 sec and with fuel consumption at 160 mpg. But, nearly four years after being announced, it still isn't on sale.
