The Diesel Powered HDT Motorcycle

Here is a link to an interview about the HDT Diesel Motorcycle I wrote of in a couple of posts ago. Originally the purposed civilian release date was for 2006 but it looks like 2010 is the projected date now. If you want to get 110 miles per gallon and up with a 670cc motorcycle then you just have to check this out. Just imagine a four gallon tank and 110 mpg, that has a huge WOW!!! factor of excitement in my gut. What about you?

HDT Diesel Motorcycles

Posted to American Rider by jgalvin on May 27, 2009

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Happy Thanksgiving

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Motorcycle and Motorbike Design & Research


Confusing, time consuming, frustrating, long hours, thinking, planning, searching.
Sometimes, now, I wish I had the ability to pay someone for the extra help. All of the above and more takes loads of time finding patents, engines, frame builders and the list goes on and on. Good news is I am having fun with it although I have as yet to be able to locate any American made Engines. The list of contact grows then shrinks with every email or phone call that is made. Two engines have caught my attention however, one is not in production yet but is a working prototype (I keep after him for pushing forward) The other has not been back with me on civilian sales yet. Perhaps giving him until the holidays are over would be in the best of interest thus avoiding a hasty decision. I don't want to be pushy but then again it isn't getting me anywhere if I can't get the answers so I can proceed with more searching.

What comes first, the horse or the saddle? Why did I ask that, because the engine is needed to design the frame to but on the flip side, the frame can be altered to fit the engine. It brings me back around to when I did the concert promotion, the bands wanted to know the venue and dates before committing, but the venue wanted to know who the bands where and what dates. So if I leased out the venue for specific dates but it conflicted with the bands available slot I would be out some cash. Both sides want the other side to already be set in stone.

So it goes around to the Horse or the saddle. There must be an engine MFG out there in the USA somewhere.

It's all part of the fun though. I mean, if it were all that easy everyone would be doing it, right!
I have also been trying to decide whether or not to go ahead and have some T-shirts made up with the Bike company name to help with cash flow for this venture. Decisions decisions.

Sell My Sportster

Okay, so I am at a point where I think I have to sell my Sportster. Not that it is something I want to do but if I am to proceed with this new venture I'll need the funds. A friend has a motorcycle shop and can put my Sporty on the floor for me. More foot traffic that way instead of Craigs list and potential buyers who never show up which corrupts your day. In my mind is that I can get another bike after my motorized bicycle shop is up and running or better, be riding one of my own motorcycle creations.
The wheels are turning with planning and searching for the right people and companies to work with. I just have to decide which I want more, the bike I have now or the two deals working for the future.

Then there is the Saddlebag sideline already in motion. Dang!

Whats In A Bike

I was sitting here wondering just what I'd want in a bike if I was wanting to build one to sell. An adjustable seat? Longer frame for cruising but short enough to be nimble on the twisty turnies. Overall it has to be comfortable from the get go but also have plenty OF get go and with good mileage. I think today's cruisers could be a little better on the fuel mileage side of things. All my bikes would come with no less than a four gallon tank and none of those electronic gauges that always seem to disappear in the sunlight. Plus the more electronic mess you have the more the wire gremlins you deal with. Lets see, spoke wheels is a gotta have and a choice of forks. An air filled seat perhaps or one that floats like a Semi rig driver seat. The whole bike needs to be update enough but also simple enough to work on and maintain.

Hey! If any of you know of a frame builder for a concept bike out my way on the east coast please let me know.

Diesel Powered Motorcycle

As if you have not guessed already, I like motorcycles. While I was doing research on, and looking for, different styles and types of small engines for a bike/motorcycle I wondered again about Diesel powered units. As my search for a frame builder and an American company that could supply engines, gas or diesel I have come across only one company. The sad part is the diesel engine is not available for civilian use...yet. But I'm working on it.
There is another man I have come in contact with whom has developed a gas V-twin engine, has a running on the road unit doing tests, and is hoping to produce the engine. This engine has an awesome sound and a fantastic retro-art deco look to it. Of course offering assitance and willing to invest a bit in the project was something I had to do. Nothing is at all firm but I'll be ready to help when he does take the plunge if asked. (That reminds me, I need to get with him on something)

Now, finding an American made engine to use in small to medium size motorcycles has become quite the challenge as to has the frame. So has the diesel been elusive so far, but all is not lost. During my inquiries back and forth with Jack from HDTusa (Hayes Diversified Technologies), he is going to check for me to see what the possibilities are for a future release for civilian use. In fact he gave me an invite to the Crown Expo in Fayetteville North Carolina for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to check out the bikes. This would have been such a good deal for me and an opportunity to ask him lots of questions. Like a lot of folks though there was not enough time for me to get off from my work to attend, what a bummer.
Here is what I know, the diesel motorcycle they make is the M1030-M2 670cc JP8 military unit with a range of 408 miles from its 4.25 gallon tank. It can also use several types of fuel, diesel, jetA1, Avtur, aviation, kerosene and biodiesel only to name a few. That is some diversity for getting where you need to go.

Jack gave me a link to check out the two motorcycles they make for military use and here I'll share it if anyone else is interested. Maybe if others appeal to them at HDT it would help get some of the engines freed up for civilian use, of course, then I could begin building the bikes. Give me some feedback and spread it around.

http://www.hdtusa.com/vehicle-m1030-m2.php

Sportster EFI to Carburetor

I don't know but I have read about several people having trouble with their EFI equipped Sportsters. The bikes having problems that has riders at the local shop instead of out riding the bike and enjoying the road. Instead the engines begins to run like crap and the dealerships just can't seem to get it right after several attempts making owners wish they had never bought the darned thing in the first place, worse, making them want to trade it in for a Jap bike. It doesn't have to be this way. My understanding is that the newer Sporties (2004 & up) have an ignition system akin to the twincam engines and guess what; there is a company that has the cure for this ailment to give you a more trouble free steed with the ability to run a carburetor instead of the troublesome fuel injected engine.

Here is a link for your reading and informational pleasure complete with instructions on how to perform this upgrade conversion. The company is Altmann Motorcycle Ignitions in West Germany:
www.amm.haan.de/EFI_to_carb_XL_models/EFI_to_carb_XL_models.htm

Resh
Motorbikes


Above is one of my future company names I have been messing around with today. I like the retro look of this one myself. To me it fits with the theme of the motorized bikes in the previous posting below. Thought I would put it up here to see how it looked. What do you think???

A Fun Two Wheel Alternative

Below you see two modes of two wheel transportation which is an affordable alternative to high gas prices, the first is a new version from ezmotorbike with a four stroke engine. The second is the old Whizzer type built from from 1936 to 1964 which ran a two stroke engine.
A friend, and former business partner of mine, has started his own business selling these cool mini steeds and has offered me my own territory. He is even going to give me a unit to test out and play around with to see what I think. He even said he would be willing to help me get up and running. That is a huge plus in my mind as to his faith in these machines.





So why would I be posting about these bikes? First off, it just has the ring of all that is supposed to be about two wheel transportation, cheap, reliable, fun and practical for people from all walks of life. Second, for someone who feels a motorcycle is to large and expensive or plain afraid of can feel right at home on one of these. Third, you need no license, insurance, tags or property taxes on one of these unless it exceeds the top speed law in your state. Most times it is 20 miles miles per hour or under but some states are now up to 30 miles per hour. Who cares really, most cities and towns for short distances you can't go much faster than that anyhow.

I have had a fascination with these machines for some time now because of the roots they have to the first motorcycles. The earliest motorcycle manufacturers actually started out as using bicycles to attach their little engines to. As these companies grew they needed heavier frames for support of the ever increasing horsepower and demands of the road on the bicycle frames. Also as the companies grew the prices began to go up on the machines. So as years went by the concept of a cheap mode of transportation came around once again and the popularity of attaching a small assist engine reared it's head. Whizzers became all the rage during post war because motorcycles and automobiles were stagnant mostly because the plants had almost all been producing vehicles for the war effort, the same was true even more so after world war two. Whizzers took hold even though their first engines were anything but reliable long term solutions with their pot metal crankshafts. However, they still sold well enough for the company to continue and the engines became more reliable. They even allowed the lessor engines to be traded in for an updated version - how many companies would do that now? - for people who had bought one of the earlier versions.

Now fuel prices and commuting has come around to be quite an expensive ordeal yet again. Only now we have better technologies with greater reliability to bring these jewels of cheap, more environmentally friendly modes of transportation to the forefront all over again. Bad news is most of these little engines, 49cc 2 strokes, are to be fazed out by the EPA. Two strokes give great power to weight performance and have less moving parts to go afoul but face it, they just do not burn the fuel in the most practical way. Most people don't know how to mix the fuel and oil properly and this results in smoke. A properly tuned and mixtured two stoke should not have any visible exhaust smoke from the pipe. To much oil belching out means unburnt oil that clogs up mufflers and ports, fouls plugs and is just plain smelly. On the flip side, if the mix is correct this is much less a problem and maintenance issues become less, the cost of running the engine is less and mileage goes up. These little motorized bikes get anywhere from 150 to 200 miles per gallon so in the long run it is better for the environment with far less impact when tuned correctly. And you never have to worry about changing the oil like the four stroke version. They both have advantages and disadvantages like anything else.
Four strokes have come a long, long way with more efficient operation and power in the small displacements. Four stokes last a good long time and are reliable under adverse conditions. I feel they are more forgiving in the less than perfect maintenance side of things to.

Another plus for me is that the interest for my saddle bags for bikes has been met with approval for these machines. So when my friends sales options are announced the saddle bags can be included, nice little bit of change for me in the pocket.

Will I jump on board with this offer from my friend to get me started? Right now I am thinking I would have to be one crazy stupid fool not to take a chance on it. How many times in ones life do you get an offer like this to help get you started? This whole thing sounds like a bunch of fun not work, and it can be my jumping off point for other things I have had in mind.