May 3/2008: Added rear shot and new right side pic.
Oct 18/2008 Added concept pic of completed project
Tasks completed since last update:
- exhaust system completed except for ss cosmetic/heat shield covers over pipes
- dummy oval air cleaner which covers throttle cable adapter and air intake adapter, KN air filter is located directly behind cylinder head
- instrument cluster installed
- lights installed
- throttle, clutch, brake cables connected
Engine: Daihatsu D950
Telescopic fork, gearbox, swingarm and final drive - BMW
Wheelbase: 61.75 inches
Frame height: 27 inches over the battery/fuel filter with the bike *on the centerstand*
Ground clearance with rider: 6 inches under the oil sump.
Weight: under 500 lbs
D950 Project Update
Moderators: Dan J, Diesel Dave, Crazymanneil, Stuart
D950 Project Update
Last edited by oilburner on Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:02 am, edited 15 times in total.
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- I'm pretty new here..
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:57 am
- Location: Farmington, MN USA
BMW/Diesel
Avery,
I have been watching you project for some time now. Sumo has a very interesting conversion going on with the Ural as well.
I really like what you are doing and are very interested in the conversion of a motorcycle to Diesel using a 3 cylinder Industrial Diesel engine. The BMW or Ural seems a logical choice as the Clutch and Gearbox seem to lend themselves to this type of conversion much better than other types of motorcycles.
I’m looking for any and all information on what others have done with regards to this type of conversion. What works and what does not.
My quandary is finding a good, inexpensive donor bike to start with. I live in the U.S. and am on a very tight budget. My dream would be a 2wd Ural to start with. A standard BMW, Moto Guzzi or Ural would be great as well (what model BMW did you use). Once I have the bike I’ll start looking for an engine.
I’m looking forward to your posts on the build. I’m very interested in any and all information about the whole process involved in joining the engine to the clutch/transmission and then fitting it to the frame. Ridged mount or Iso-mount?...
I understand the guy who made the overdrive type gears in Germany is out of business. Has anyone come up with a reasonably prices option to get a higher top speed on one of these conversions?
Best of luck with your project. Looking forward to the additional details!
Bill
I have been watching you project for some time now. Sumo has a very interesting conversion going on with the Ural as well.
I really like what you are doing and are very interested in the conversion of a motorcycle to Diesel using a 3 cylinder Industrial Diesel engine. The BMW or Ural seems a logical choice as the Clutch and Gearbox seem to lend themselves to this type of conversion much better than other types of motorcycles.
I’m looking for any and all information on what others have done with regards to this type of conversion. What works and what does not.
My quandary is finding a good, inexpensive donor bike to start with. I live in the U.S. and am on a very tight budget. My dream would be a 2wd Ural to start with. A standard BMW, Moto Guzzi or Ural would be great as well (what model BMW did you use). Once I have the bike I’ll start looking for an engine.
I’m looking forward to your posts on the build. I’m very interested in any and all information about the whole process involved in joining the engine to the clutch/transmission and then fitting it to the frame. Ridged mount or Iso-mount?...
I understand the guy who made the overdrive type gears in Germany is out of business. Has anyone come up with a reasonably prices option to get a higher top speed on one of these conversions?
Best of luck with your project. Looking forward to the additional details!
Bill
Dreamin of a Diesel Bike... Got Soot?
I can't speak for other builders, but despite having some crappy offshore machine shop equipment, MIG and TIG welders, a 20 year collection of BMW parts, and having done all of the work myself thus far except for surfacing of the bell housing and machining the flywheel to accept a BMW clutch, I've got $8K+US tied up in the bike. All that's left to buy is a set of tires.
Regarding conversions, personally I didn't go that route because everything is a compromise. I plunked the engine down on the floor and built a motorcycle around it. The challenge in the eyeball designing approach is that it's like putting a complete jigsaw puzzle together in your head before touching the pieces.
As far as BMW donor bikes, I didn't use any one bike, but parts from various models. If you re-read my posting of February 2007 you will find detailed info there on BMW donor parts.
Regarding gearbox modification for higher top speed, browse the posts - there are several folks who have successfully modified BMW/Guzzi gearboxes.
A question often asked is how to build an engine adapter. The following pictures and comments show how I built mine. No magic and no secret, just many, many hours of hard work. There are various approaches. I built mine from aluminum, and used flat bar welded together bcause it was much cheaper than buying a piece of aluminum plate.
Something tells me I posted this once already but I couldn't find my previous post. Anyway:
1. Ring large enough to enclose the flywheel, and pieces of aluminum flat bar for each side of the ring
2. The flat bars will be welded together and then welded to the ring to provide the mating surfaces for the engine and gearbox:
3. The flat bars for the gearbox side are trimmed to the OD of the ring, size, those for the engine side are cut for the ID of the ring:
4. The flat bars are welded to the ring. The hole is cut for the gearbox and the gearbox mounting holes drilled (shown in yellow):
Finally, the adapter is temporarily attached to the engine, the engine mounting holes are marked and the facing is marked for trimming of the excess material, and presto - you have an engine adapter. See, there's nothing to it!
Regarding conversions, personally I didn't go that route because everything is a compromise. I plunked the engine down on the floor and built a motorcycle around it. The challenge in the eyeball designing approach is that it's like putting a complete jigsaw puzzle together in your head before touching the pieces.
As far as BMW donor bikes, I didn't use any one bike, but parts from various models. If you re-read my posting of February 2007 you will find detailed info there on BMW donor parts.
Regarding gearbox modification for higher top speed, browse the posts - there are several folks who have successfully modified BMW/Guzzi gearboxes.
A question often asked is how to build an engine adapter. The following pictures and comments show how I built mine. No magic and no secret, just many, many hours of hard work. There are various approaches. I built mine from aluminum, and used flat bar welded together bcause it was much cheaper than buying a piece of aluminum plate.
Something tells me I posted this once already but I couldn't find my previous post. Anyway:
1. Ring large enough to enclose the flywheel, and pieces of aluminum flat bar for each side of the ring
2. The flat bars will be welded together and then welded to the ring to provide the mating surfaces for the engine and gearbox:
3. The flat bars for the gearbox side are trimmed to the OD of the ring, size, those for the engine side are cut for the ID of the ring:
4. The flat bars are welded to the ring. The hole is cut for the gearbox and the gearbox mounting holes drilled (shown in yellow):
Finally, the adapter is temporarily attached to the engine, the engine mounting holes are marked and the facing is marked for trimming of the excess material, and presto - you have an engine adapter. See, there's nothing to it!
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- I'm pretty new here..
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:57 am
- Location: Farmington, MN USA
THANK YOU!
Avery,
Thanks for the information. I truely value your input. You have a very nice project going on.
It looks like this may take a little longer than I planed. I will continue collecting information and keep my eye out for a bike to start with.
Best regards,
Bill
Thanks for the information. I truely value your input. You have a very nice project going on.
It looks like this may take a little longer than I planed. I will continue collecting information and keep my eye out for a bike to start with.
Best regards,
Bill
Dreamin of a Diesel Bike... Got Soot?
- andrewaust
- Site Admin
- Posts: 719
- Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:24 pm
- Location: Australia
- Contact:
Great job Avery - I bet you can't wait to swing your leg over - taking the bike for it's first run. By looking at the photo's that can't be to far away now.
Like you said the fuel tank will be the next thing to get around, but by looking at how you've put the bike together, it will probably be fiddly more than hard to do.
Looking forward to seeing the end result.
Cheers
Andrew
Like you said the fuel tank will be the next thing to get around, but by looking at how you've put the bike together, it will probably be fiddly more than hard to do.
Looking forward to seeing the end result.
Cheers
Andrew
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- I luv the smell of Diesel...
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:43 pm
Hi Oilburner,
About to embark on the same build, are there any major pitfalls I need to avoid. I will be using a dnepr gearbox & frame. How much did you have to extend the frame and did the down tubes need widening?I will probably fit a disc braked front end as I dont think the drum is good enough.
I like the way your bike is shaping up its giving me a goo to get mine started.
John.
About to embark on the same build, are there any major pitfalls I need to avoid. I will be using a dnepr gearbox & frame. How much did you have to extend the frame and did the down tubes need widening?I will probably fit a disc braked front end as I dont think the drum is good enough.
I like the way your bike is shaping up its giving me a goo to get mine started.
John.
The stock Dnepr downtubes have to be widened, the frame lengthened slightly and the backbone likely raised to accommodate the Daihatsu or similar engine. The amount depends on specific drivetrain component dimensions e.g. engine, Dnepr or BMW gearbox etc. and the builder's design objectives - each bike will be different. I highly recommend browsing http://www.dieselbike.net and http://dieselkrad.info and study the pictures - they show the various approaches used by the builders. Frame widening is usually necessary to accommodate the larger bellhousing and flywheel of the diesel engine. The amount of lengthening will obviously be dependent on the length of the diesel compared to the Dnepr engine. The height of the diesel engine will determine if the backbone has to be raised.
Pitfalls. I guess the major pitfall would be to start cutting metal without spending sufficient time to think completely through the project - every aspect. Take lots of measurements and make lots of sketches. A seemingly insignificant modification decision that isn't sufficiently thought out can turn ugly very quickly. Some potential pitfalls:
- not allowing sufficient height of the backbone to allow removal of the valve cover for valve adjustment without removing the engine.
- building the frame around the engine and finding out later that the engine can't be removed.
- excessive driveshaft angle, leading to possible premature wear of the driveshaft coupling, or excessive vibration.
- forgetting to include radiator when calculating frame modifications
+++
I have a disk brake front end that I will install if necessary but I am confident the twin leading shoe BMW drum is up to the task - I have had several BMWs with the drum brake and also installed one years ago on a Dnepr/BMW conversion that worked great. Besides, it's environmentally friendly - no brake fluid.
Good luck!
Pitfalls. I guess the major pitfall would be to start cutting metal without spending sufficient time to think completely through the project - every aspect. Take lots of measurements and make lots of sketches. A seemingly insignificant modification decision that isn't sufficiently thought out can turn ugly very quickly. Some potential pitfalls:
- not allowing sufficient height of the backbone to allow removal of the valve cover for valve adjustment without removing the engine.
- building the frame around the engine and finding out later that the engine can't be removed.
- excessive driveshaft angle, leading to possible premature wear of the driveshaft coupling, or excessive vibration.
- forgetting to include radiator when calculating frame modifications
+++
I have a disk brake front end that I will install if necessary but I am confident the twin leading shoe BMW drum is up to the task - I have had several BMWs with the drum brake and also installed one years ago on a Dnepr/BMW conversion that worked great. Besides, it's environmentally friendly - no brake fluid.
Good luck!
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- I luv the smell of Diesel...
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:43 pm