Honda Goldwing GL1100 Conversion

alan.rand · Post by **alan.rand** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:35 am

Hi has anyone done a diesel conversion of a goldwing or know of any web sights about the same as I want to convert mine to diesel.I want to try and fit at least an 1100 cc lump or bigger as it is an 1100 anyway.I dont know wether to use a torque converter straight to the drive shaft or try and fit a gearbox.
Any helpfull ideas gratefully received.
Thanks
Al

Post by **Byrdman** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:46 am

I've thought about this conversion quite a bit myself.

The concern I would have is in regard to final drive ratos and the low RPM range a typical diesel engine operates in. I'd be afraid that the bike would be too slow for most road use.

Post by **Stuart** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:34 pm

Met some English guys at this years Hamm rally (they were staying nearby) and I recall that one of them mentioned he had a Goldwing he was planning to convert. He said he wasn't about to start it soon but may have by now. Who knows, it may appear here in the future. Apart from that slender lead I know of no others

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:10 am

While I guess anything is possible, and GoldWing convert would be among the most difficult. For a number of reasons.
First, if you tried to runthe Wing gearbox, the ratios wold be all wrong. Top speed of mayne 45-50?
Also consider that the Wing uses a common oil supply for both engine and trans; trans is not a separate unit. Consequently, if you unbolted the engine, the oil would all fall out.
I suppose it would be possible to remove the engine and trans, and run a driven pulley on the front of the driveshaft. But you'd have to stabilize the end of it somehow. And even if you did that, the offset necessary to run the drive pulley woulod be quite a bit off center.. making the engine off balanced to one side.

alan.rand · Post by **alan.rand** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:57 am

Hi thanks for your input guys,I did check with my workshop manual for the wing and new I could'nt use the wing gearbox.I think I may have to take a drive from the crank to a torque converter and then one back to the shaft,hopefully gearing it up in the process.I am hoping I dont have to lengthen the frame to do this.
I think it will have to be a three cilinder diesel to keep the length down but even then with the torque converter it could be pretty long.
Al

Anorak_ian · Post by **Anorak_ian** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 8:11 pm

Being a shaft drive I think a BMW gear box with an overdrive would be the way to go.

I have looked in to cutting a gearbox away from a Japanese engine, yes it can be done, just tig weld up the open end. The Kawasaki z750 (shaft) gearbox had the usual main and lay shafts, and also a secondary shaft for the starter that had a bearing race and cover on the side of the gearbox. This could easily converted to run as the input shaft of your choice, but the problem is with ratios as top gear is 1 to 1, the gears are just too close together.

Ian

jonnyr48 · Post by **jonnyr48** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:36 am

hi alan, i'm currently building a g1100/daihatsu turbo 1.0l bike,using the 5-spd car box, it's a bit of a squish (to use a technical term) but i hope moving the back wheel back about 3 inches it could work.shaft drive can then fix straight on,and i reckon changing the final drive cogs at the flange can give the necessary 1:1 gearing - unless any bright spark wants to piss on this particular firework? cheers, jon

Anorak_ian · Post by **Anorak_ian** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:07 am

Alan, what were you thinking of using, a stationary or car engine?
A car engine will rev a lot higher so it will happily run at 1 to 1 gearing, it's only 3600rpm stationary engines of size that really need an overdrive.

Jon, sounds good, how are you going to get around the gate problem of the car gearbox? Don't they have two selector shafts that have to be operated together?

Ian

jonnyr48 · Post by **jonnyr48** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:56 am

hi ian, i'm figuring out a design for a knee and foot-operated gearchange! should be a laugh. this will operate the gear selector shaft currently on the gearbox.

Post by **Byrdman** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:05 am

What about a GL1000 with a split engine/tranny. Maybe a set of gears between the engine and the transmission to "Speed" up the input shaft?

I would think hat by removing the flat four engine, you could get some decent room for a different engine, even if you had to space it forward fr the mentioned gearset.

Post by **Byrdman** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:11 pm

Wel, the GL1000 conversion project has finally found a donor bike.

For $200 including a bunch of extra goodies, I think I got a decent deal.

Post by **Stuart** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:56 pm

Yep, Bryd, I think you've bagged yourself a bargain there

Looks quite radically different from the Goldwings we see commonly in the UK. Ours are usually loaded up with all the extras like footplates, fairings and panniers and nearly always come in the deep maroon red colour.
By comparison yours looks quite naked. Looks almost BMW'ish

I guess someones stripped it of the extras at some stage.
Nice big space in there to stuff a diesel

oilburner · Post by **oilburner** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:06 pm

I have a restored 1978 GL1000 collecting dust which is essentially the same chassis as Byrd's pre 1978 bike, with the new for '78 Comstar wheels and slightly different bodywork:

As I mentioned elsewhere in an earlier post, installing a multicylinder inline engine, even a very small one e.g. Daihatsu D950 - requires serious modifications. The frame downtube loops have to be lowered and widened and the frame stretched at least 5 inches if a separate gearbox and dry clutch is used. Furthermore, the fuel tank will have to be relocated - there won't be room for it in its current location immediately behind the Goldwing engine. Years ago one of the motorcycle mags contained a picture of a GL1000 with a 4 cylinder Ford Fiesta engine. The setup used a BMW gearbox which IMHO is probably the most viable alternative currently available. Heck, Honda's Goldwing prototype (below) used a series 5 BMW, gearbox, seat and muffler:

Just want to give you an idea of what's ahead. Good luck!

Avery

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