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Royal Enfield Diesel Royal Enfield Diesel
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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 21 Jun 2002
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Royal Enfield Diesel
That's my bike for travelling :-) It has got an 8KW 325cc Diesel Engine which takes about 1.8liters/100km :-)) So the standard 18l tank is good for 1000km.
The bike was developed about 50 years ago and is still in production in madras/india.
It is made for the rough indian roads - not fast, not strong but a steday going working bike. You only need the most basic tools to repair everything, but at least for the last 10.000km there was nothing to repair. Just replace the screws thate came off because of the heavy vibrations, nothing else to do but ride the whole day. The max. "speed" is about 90-100km/h.
It's a wonderful bike - slow - loud - good looking and it always works!
(the best is that everybody likes it - wherever you stop people gather round, have questions and invite you to their home...)

phil
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  #2  
Old 21 Jun 2002
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Phil

If you have picture of you bike or link to webside that has one, please shear it with us.

For how long have you been using Royal Enfield?

Jakob
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  #3  
Old 21 Jun 2002
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hi,

i have got the bike now for about 3 years and just came back from a trip round turkey.

you can find some pics of the thing on my (bad) webpage: http://www.meine-adresse-ist-viel-la...ne-adresse.de/

the links on the left side will give you the pics

so long
phil
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  #4  
Old 22 Jun 2002
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Phil

What can you tell me about the suspension system? Do you have suspension in the seat? The rear travel is not that great, how is it to ride it on bumpy roads.

Is this the only factory making diesel motorbikes? Last weekend I was riding in the mountains, and me and my budies started to talk about diesel motorbikes. We thought they were all behind glasses in museums.

I find the look of the Enfield really cool, it would be even more cool if it had side-car. Do you know if they make them?

Jakob

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  #5  
Old 24 Jun 2002
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hi jakob,

i have got an old fashioned saddle with spring suspension and you can set the rear suspension form very hard to very comfortable.
But it is still a street bike, not an offroad model. You do not have any problems on bumpy roads, but don't try to ride offroad. The problem is not the suspension but the lack of power.
You can get a sidecar for that model, but i do not think that it is very useful with that engine.
A german dealer builds the bike with a 20hp hatz diesel, this might be perfect for a side car. (an other idea would be a WW2 BMW with (Dnepr - Ural) with diesel and sidecar. http://www.loew-gmbh.de/hatz.htm )

i have got no back seat on my bike, just a small pillow to drive through the city with my girl, but again, the diesel is completely underpowered to do a tour with two persons and luggage...

another link with information about diesel bikes (in english):
http://www.peace65.freeserve.co.uk/Pictures/diesel.htm

unfortunately the army bike is not jet available for the public...

phil
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  #6  
Old 24 Jun 2002
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My friend Jarno hand built a diesel motorcycle last year and attempted to ride it home from the UK to Italy.

If anyone is interested I'll scan in the photographs...

He even built the frame from scratch and bent the pipes himself. The engine was bought separately - it had a pull cord start (like a lawn mower).

The back sprocket was about 18 inches in diameter and there wasn't any gearbox - just a pulley and chain system.

It was quite a bike!

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  #7  
Old 24 Jun 2002
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PLEASE scan the pictures - it sounds better than great(or crazy...)! ;-))

phil
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  #8  
Old 12 Jul 2002
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Sorry to say so, but officials at Enfield and official statements say, that the Enfield Diesel "Taurus" is no longer in Production...

But at least the alternative is coming up in a couple of few years - the DIESEL KLR ;-)
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  #9  
Old 12 Jul 2002
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by onlycookie:
[B]Sorry to say so, but officials at Enfield and official statements say, that the Enfield Diesel "Taurus" is no longer in Production...


but you can still get it with the lombardini or hatz diesel engine. (even stronger and less vibrations...)

just ask your enfield dealer in germany :-)

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Old 24 Aug 2002
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any1 wants as disel in india?i can help u/u can get a pertol one and the guys fit in a disel greaves lombardi engine fer u/thats the most popular as not many disel taurus/ sooraj were sold/
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Old 16 May 2008
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Onlycookie, latest from here in the States is that 100% of diesel production of KLRs is going to the military and if the small producer ever gets caught up the bike will be almost $30000 USD for the civilian version. So not likely to be driving one in the near future. Chris
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  #12  
Old 16 May 2008
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Six years on and still no diesel bikes. I suppose it is a bit of a niche market but maybe when petrol and diesel hit £10 / gallon (next couple of months the way things are going!) someone will think it worthwhile.
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Old 16 May 2008
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There are pictures of my Enfield Robin here Kingston & District Motor Cycle Club (http://www.kdmcc.com/) to find out more abot Diesel bikes go here DieselBike.net The Original Diesel Motorcycle website. The UK Dieselbike rally is at The Bat and Ball pub from May 30th (clashes with the TT so I will miss it) But I hope to make it to the German dieselbike rally at Hamm on September 12th-14th. Hopefully 'lowtech' I will see you there?
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Old 21 May 2008
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Question
Any idea on prices for the disel engines/bikes, couldnt get any info from the enfield uk website.

With the rising fuel costs I have to look at keeping the cost down. Would these run on a cooking oil/disel mix. If they are low tech i guess they should.

My idea would be to retro fit the engine into an off road style frame ?
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  #15  
Old 22 May 2008
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There are a couple on mobile.de - der Automarkt für Gebrauchtwagen und Neufahrzeuge - Finden oder verkaufen Sie einfach und schnell Ihr Auto ranging from €2000 to €10k for a new (full spec) Vahrenkamp.

Most of them seem to use the Hatz-Diesel engine of 462 or 325cc

Enfield have nothing to do with the conversions as far as I know.

John
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