Motorcycle project: how feasible on the technical front?

[Lopperoon]

Presently, I ride a mild mannered Honda Transalp and a Ural sidecar.

However, I am tired of compromising in this way or that with my bikes and lack the funds to buy a new one. I want a sturdy, reliable bike that can go off road, albeit without needing to win titles...

It should be potent enough to cruise on motorways. I want torque and I want fuel economy and I don't want Urals 1500 mile service intervals.

So I thought about building my own and considered the following:
Putting a small size car diesel in a bike frame (eg an old soviet bike frame as they have bags of space for the engine and I can get a free K750 frame if I want), tuning it to suite a lighter vehicle and hopefully improving consumption further still.

Candidates so far are the likes of the Daihatsu Charade 1l triple.

Unfortunately, my imagination far outstrips my mechanical aptitude.

So, how feasible is this?
Is that lump, or others like it, small enough to fit in a bike chassis?
Would the engine be torquey enough to cope with a single speed gearbox?
Could a low ratio gear be put in for difficult terrain?
Or could I mate it up with a Ural gearbox (4 , 1 reverse)?

An idea of frame size can be seen here with a Ural that has similar dimensions, albeit with a standard Ural engine in situ:

http://hammarhead.com/motorcycles/solo-x/

 

[BrianPetersen]

No, no, yes, and I have no idea.

Something tells me that this whole exercise will cost more than buying a proper bike that already does what you want it to do, and end up being a bodged contraption that doesn't work well (even if you eventually get it to work at all), and if you ever get it to a point where it actually runs, the vehicle licensing department will have a fit, and if you get past *that*, you'll never be able to insure it. Sorry ...

 

[Lopperoon]

Hmmm...

I'm not feeling a lot of love for my plan!!

But they're all good points. I'm not too worried about licencing and insurance: where I live there is scope for that.

However if it is technically a non-starter, then I'm a little concerned...

So may have to look at a MC motor: shame that bikes are not very economical these days...

 

[swall]

Lopperloon--just build a quick detachable sidecar for the Transalp and get rid of the Ural.

 

[Lopperoon]

Don't get me wrong: I love the Ural! It is a great bike and I still very much enjoy riding solos.

It's not that I want rid of either of my bikes, more a case of building the bike I wish some else would!

Or perhaps just thinking about it.....!

 

[MikeHalloran]

Maybe you can find one of these:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/4272/

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[pennswoodsed]

Hi,
Not familiar with the Daihatsu unit ,but I have seen several small diesel tractor power plants that would fit quite readily in a large motorcycle frame. Kubota being one. Aftermarket HD trans and the oe castoffs abound at reasonable prices.
If you do some research there are some specials out there, see below .
If you have the drive ,do it . What you learn ,success or setback can not be learned in any better way.
Regards,Ed

 

[thruthefence]

There was a guy awhile back, that was installing an Allison 250 turboshaft helicopter engine in a motorcycle; I wonder how that's going???