DieselBike.net

Hi Sam! My two cents on this: Awhile ago I contacted the HATZ-US distributor to ask some technical questions of their staff. Once I got to a guy who had the engineering knowledge, he advised that their engines should never be run on anything more than "B-5", or a five percent cut of diesel...

I just noticed this thread, and while it seems we've gone through it in past, there's recurrent confusion or disagreement about how to view it. So with my bike build despairingly idled from spending all my time on other people's things, I can at least talk about it by sharing the way I worked my pow...

Wups! So it was... must have been late when I replied. Best to you both then-- J.

Phil, that chain page is great--thanks for the reference. In the chain realm, I have cut down a standard #50 sprocket to 520 thickness for my jackshaft output-side, in order to run a motorcycle chain to my new aluminum rear sprocket--instead of industrial-width chain which will run but would be slop...

Update on my solution: I have had my machinist produce a "split collett" with matching taper in the bore to enter the outer side of the (CVT hub in my case) drive. It has a center bolt and an outer flange so it can be removed, either with a bearing puller or three small bolts run in throug...

Comet's remaining inventory, or some of it, has been bought by some other company in the recreational power sports line who now links to the old Hoffco/Comet website address and indicates that they will soon be up and running with some amount of the old equipment and support. They have apparently pu...

I'm going through this same situation with my Hatz 1B30 and a Comet 500; the Hatz I bought was built by factory to bolt up to a generator as Sam has said, and so it has a taper with no keyway. It has a section of 28mm, steps to 7/8" then tapers and threaded hole etc. I purchased a 1" bore ...

Hi-- Perhaps everybody but me is savvy to this, but I learned the hard way that engines produced to run generators are factory-governed for "static-speed' behavior (commonly at the top end of their rpm range), and the power plants we require for vehicular propulsion are built-up to run at varia...

This means spring and weight tuning-changes are now impossible for those like me with a brand new Comet 500! What about new belts, which will be a continuing need? Fortunately I think this belt is symmetrical, so maybe any good power supply shop will be able to get something that will work... Thanks...

Hello all-- Jeremy here from coastal California with a note of reintroduction. I got my learner's permit in 1973 at the irresponsible age of 15 1/2 and promptly put together an old Honda 350 cafe racer. I was an early rice-rocketeer and somehow survived the experience by luck alone, though at the ti...

Thank you gentlemen for your efforts--I know how difficult it can be to accomplish anything that isn't directly linked to livelihood, food on the table, jingle in the pocket, honey-do lists, roof-leaks and all other pressing obligations, so thanks for this fun place and all it takes to keep it worki...

I am awed, but--how do you keep it upright if it starts to go over at a stop-sign??? (and get it back up if it does--call a tow truck?)

jeremy wrote: The speed at 1450 rpm should be 6 mph plus-or-minus, and around 10.5 mph at 2400 rpm.

--Engagement or lowest-ratio speeds, that is...

Sphere--I checked my notes and the 7:1 ratio suggestion actually came from "Don" at Comet Mfg. I guess I chose optimistically when I elected to go with 5:1 which I think may give me a top speed of around 67 mph. downhill at least. The speed at 1450 rpm should be 6 mph plus-or-minus, and ar...

That bodes better for my (supposedly) 6.8 hp Hatz 1B30, doesn't it? How come nobody is including "in-the-real-world" all-up weight in this discussion? I understand that this feedback as well as the theoretical work you all are doing all refer to findings based on your real-world experience...

Sphere, this thread may be so old it's moldy and no longer of interest to anybody, but I just re-read the posts and realized that my particulars had been misrepresented. My final drive ratio is: 14-tooth jackshaft gear tied to a 70-tooth rear sprocket, amounting to 5:1--not 7:1. Perhaps that takes s...

From my experience, the new water-separating canister-type filter elements soak up the water and stop-up completely when they can absorb no more. I agree the picture seems to indicate the sludge resulting from bacterial infestation, a subject I became very familiar with last year after feeding my fo...

Okay I'll weigh in here too-- On my personal list : first, that we yankees do the right thing for a change in the next few years; that differences in religious affiliation no longer act as a wedge to the trunk of humanity; and that I miraculously get some entire days to focus on the creation of my d...

Sphere, The big rear sprocket seems normal to me since my first moto-power project about thirty years ago involved bolting a sheet-metal "Whizzer" belt sheave to the spoke-crossings of the rear wheel on a 1930's Schwinn ballooner-bike. I harnessed a 3 1/2 hp horizontal lawnmower engine thr...

Thanks, Dave--I've enjoyed reading your posts since signing on. Tell you what you could do: bring gobs of cash up so I can stay home from work for a couple of weeks and make some progress on this thing!! Seriously, though, thanks for the offer and I expect I'll be asking for some guidance along the ...

Yeah, Taildraggin, but where to source the ball'n'sccket joint? Most likely an orient-origin factory assembly part, though I haven't tried the web...could it possibly be procured in 1 3/8" dia. without an expansion chamber attached? I took a look at my old part from the Husky, too big surprisin...

I meant to mention that...conversations with Don of HOFCO/COMET, the maker of the torque-converter, indicated this ratio in the final drive: 13- or 14:70. He explained that they are geared for snowmobiles, go-karts and the like so need to be geared-down for big wheels like ours. In a nutshell, start...

Finally, an update on my progress with the HATZqavarna Clubman build: I got out to my shop last weekend and began again. Frame was on the newly re-assembled wheels (dropped from 21" to 19" front, stock 18" rear), forks, brakes and bearings all gone through. Brand new 1B30 engine in a ...

Thanks for your response--I have suspected this to be one of the natural options; two-cycle dirtbikes use it too. It appears though that most guys just hard-fabricate their pipes straight through on these diesel conversions. That has led me to wonder if there is failure occurring in these cases. Mus...

OK--there's a lot of talk now about flexible mounts for the engine, to control failure (of both engine castings and rider!). So who has elegantly addressed the resultant issues of stress on the exhaust line, which hangs upon a small attachment-area on the head and acts as a long lever, fastened to t...

Thank you Diesel Dave for an insightful piece on fan-cooled pro's and con's. I know secretly or otherwise I'd love to strip all semblance of lawn-mower-dom from my project, incl. pull-start cords, cooling shrouds, etc. and feel authentically motorcyclish--perhaps to the point of being unscientific a...

Hey Bob, I think you have a great point there, so I'll go with your "Diesel Bikers" idea. Says it all. Now what are we going to argue about? A logo for the Patch? Anybody here a pro graphic artist?

Tsk Bob, such pessimism...let's just work our way along the path one step at a time! Thanks for researching my last (Stuart's) suggestion, and no, I don't think we want to affiliate with a container company. So how about my earlier one, 'DEMO'? (diesel-engine motorcycle org.) Surely that can't be co...

I don't know how a vote is cast online in this format, but I do like Stuart's idea of CIMC, (or DMC if there is no copywriting issue)--something simple and to the point. Therefore I make a motion that we adopt CIMC as our Club Title, and get on wi'it! It's only a name. Chapters or no, I don't care. ...

FYI Bob, Our groupless fearleader is an idiot,:lol:, and we here are not nearly homogeneous . I wanna be a club member, and will offer to start a regional chapter here--if there is anyone else interested in joining. Of course we will be glad to tithe the central agency, within reason.