Royal Enfield's first diesel bike

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 3:47 am

Hi, there. I am new.

I am doing some research on diesel bike history right now. I was wondering if anyone knows or has a way of researching on exactly what year Royal Enfield started making diesel bike. The models were 325 and 435, according to Stuart.

Help me!

oilburner · Post by **oilburner** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 5:11 am

A good start would be for you to follow up on the many web pages devoted to the Royal Enfield and its history. If you Google "Royal Enfield diesel history" you will get 69,100 web pages. You should find something there and/or follow up with the page authors.

Avery

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 5:27 am

I will try that!! Thank you.

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:27 am

Thanks to Avery, I may have found the answer. I punched in "RE diesel history" . And two people say that they only started the production of diesel bike in 1990. I will look more!

Post by **Diesel Dave** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:14 am

Royal Enfield only ever produced the 325cc Greaves engines bike.

Started in 1990 but I have no idea of the numbers produced.

Dave

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 3:40 pm

So it is true that they did not make anything earlier.
They kept the pruduction till 1994. What about 435? Then revival was around 1996-2001, Taurus.

Right?

Post by **Diesel Dave** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:31 pm

Royal Enfield never produced the 435......

The 435 is the largest engine in the Lombardini 6LD series from which the Greaves motor is based.

So some enterprising owners did the swap....

It was also offered by Beckerdorf and Sommer as upgrades.

Greaves do make a 360cc version of the same motor and this is what Sluggy has.

Regards
Dave

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:13 am

Thanks, Dave. I wonder why they were not interested in making diesel bike for a long time in their history, though.

I am so grateful that Stuart suggested to join this forum to find out the answers. It is true, you guys are awsome. I cannot believe that I was calling India a few days ago and not getting anywhere.

Now I can move on to the next subject!

Well, that is biodiesel. Perhaps, I should start a new topic. Comimng up soon!

trailer_parks · Post by **trailer_parks** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:00 am

The diesel bike is no longer produced by RE for a lot of reasons. Sluggish acceleration, high noise, black smoke exhaust... But, for the record, Indians are very anti-diesel now, since the government here started the anti-diesel propaganda a few years back. They needed the anti-diesel sentiment to force all the tuk-tuks (autorickshaws), taxis, buses, and large trucks to switch over to the cleaner burning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

It's illegal to operate, or even register a diesel motorcycle in Delhi. Plus, there are several gasoline motorcycles available here that have comparable fuel economy and performance. 100 cc bikes that have a top speed of 70-75 kph (like the 325 cc Greaves-Enfield), and getting 150-200 mpg.

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 5:57 am

Is there any interest in biodiesel in India? What about in England?

I am just curious.

Satori

Post by **Diesel Dave** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:06 pm

Biodiesel is not generally available in the UK.

There are specialist suppliers I can buy it from in containers only - no pumps. The nearest in in Canvey about 15 miles away from home.

Stuart and I did see a biodiesel fuel station in Germany in 2006 when en-route to the Mohnsee dam. Sadly it was shut (Sunday).

There is a supermarket chain selling Bio Ethanol from it's fuel stations.

Regards
Dave

andrewaust · Post by **andrewaust** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:00 am

Hi Guy's

Straight 100% Commercial Biodiesel is available via service station pump here in Australia - Guess we have at least one good thing going for us down here.

Problem is, it's near impossible to get through all the B.S and red tape here to get a Diesel Motorcycle on the road.

I don't know how much the Biodiesel industry will grow here in OZ, as the Biodiesel Association has combined with Renewable Fuels Australia. I was a member of the BAA, but not sure now with the merger.

Here's the link if anyone is interested http://www.biodiesel.org.au/

I'm lucky enough to have a bowser approx 10 K's away, and a refinery around 8 K's in the opposite direction.

So no playing with Methanol, Caustic Soda and chip oil here, with the refinery being so close it's hard to get the oil - the local takeaways sell it to a contractor, so there's money in waist cooking oil.

Cheers

Andrew

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:24 am

Thanks guys!

I think we should make a new ropic and move our exchange there now.

Cockney Bob · Post by **Cockney Bob** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:20 am

Unit 3 Hastingwoood industrial Estate Harbet Road Walthamstow supplies Bio Diesel direct by Pump or will put it in Cans to take away.
Never found the supplier in Canvey but there is a Garage in Clacton that supplies the only other one I know is on the Isle of Man as you go up from Douglas.
Bob F

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:40 am

Thanks.
I will reply on the new topic section for biodiesel.

BobMan · Post by **BobMan** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:07 pm

oilburner wrote:A good start would be for you to follow up on the many web pages devoted to the Royal Enfield and its history. If you Google "Royal Enfield diesel history" you will get 69,100 web pages.........

69,000 down, 100 to go, and I was only curious as to how many diesel bikes they made!

Anyone know?

desert sand · Post by **desert sand** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:21 pm

Hmm... I don't know...

By the way, Stuart knows about R.E. diesel bikes better than pretty much anyone I have encountered since I started researching on dieselbike except for the huge book on R.E. history.

Post by **Stuart** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:51 am

You flatter me DS

All I know is that when production moved to India the numbering system for frames/engines etc kinda went awry somewhat. Not sure anyone has any idea how many diesel bikes they eventually 'knocked out'. Perhaps a better avenue of enquiry might be to the engine suppliers, Greaves

BobMan · Post by **BobMan** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 12:21 pm

Anyone got a rough idea?

Is it in the tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands........?????

And how big is the diesel biking fraternity? Is it just a few DIY conversion enthusiasts and a few people hanging onto the last few old diesel production bikes, or is there a hidden army of diesel bikers in the West? Or is it mainly in India?

?

,

sbrumby · Post by **sbrumby** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:18 pm

Dont know the ansewers you require but I would certainly like to know.
I would think a good place to start would be the UK. Try asking the DVLA I would think its only a couple of computer key presses to find out, and with the freedom of information act they cannot denie you. Then I would think the Germans would do the same. India might be a whole different matter.

Post by **Stuart** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:13 am

A few years ago someone mentioned somewhere that about 200 diesel bikes were registered in the UK. I can't confirm that but, as Sam suggests, going down the DVLA route might shed more light on the situation.

DieselBike.net

Royal Enfield's first diesel bike

Royal Enfield's first diesel bike

O.K.

maybe the answer

Factory Diesels

RE Diesels

Thank you!

Biodiesel in the UK

moving to a new topic

Bio Diesel

don't know