| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
With fuel prices going no where but up AND Buell being a very innovated company, I'd think a 100+ mpg turbo diesel would be a very smart bike to make. To me at least, that would be just the ticket. Water-cooled diesel. It's going to be kind of strange, that soon, plug-in cars are going to be available that offer twice the mpg of current bikes. Buell had better be factoring that mpg eventuality into his long term planning. Many people buy bikes, not only for the fun factor but also for the economy which isn't so true anymore. My Prius does better than my ULY. Pretty soon, people are going to say enough of the forever escalating high hp and tq, how about escalating the fuel economy. This thing is coming, http://zeropollutionmotors.us/?page_id=36 If they can figure out how to propel a car from LA to NY on 10 gallons of gas, why not a bike. When my son, wife, and I ride our 3 bikes out to homecoming this July it is going to cost mucho in fuel. We could drive the Prius the 500 miles to East Troy and use 10 gallons ( or less )of gas. To get there on our bikes we will use better than 33 gallons figuring 45 mpg average. That is a significant difference. And then, naturally, there is the same use on the return trip. When fuel hits upward of $4/gallon we are all going to just shiit. I certainly don't want motorcycles to be just a rich man's toy because of fuel prices and crappy mpg. 45 to 55 mpg is crappy compared to the coming 100+ in cars. | ||
| Jflaig |
EG, I agree that something has to be done about MPG, but can you honestly say that you get the permagrin from the Prius? Yes, there is a need to look at the future, but bikes will become the favorite when truck and SUVs, and real cars cannot deliver the mileage necessary to help defeat our great demand on fossil fuels. Bikes get us closer to reducing the demand, but too many people like their gas guzzlers. I love my Uly too, but the Jeep has to come out when the ice/snow hits the ground. I have been certified crazy the by people at work when I ride in temps down in the low 30s. I understand that this is ranting, so feel free. So take my comments with a grain of road salt. | ||
| Dr_greg |
Doesn't take a Prius to get 50mpg. My 2002 VW Golf TDI diesel does it all the time. And will pull a dirtbike trailer off-pavement to the good riding/camping areas. Go to Europe and look at the cool diesel cars sold there. Or scooters. I rode a scooter for a week in Rome and it was balls-out good fun. And I got to squeeze through all the cars. How sensible. Come back to the US and it's every dude for himself in his Goliath SUV. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
Switching to diesel isn't going to help in the long term. The US refineries can't make enough of it already. If everyone switches to diesel, then the price of it will skyrocket and gas will come back down. Hey, maybe that's not so bad!!! | ||
| Froggy |
Oooh diesel Buell, convert it to vegetable oil, and then i can get a big mac and fill my bike at the same place.  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Love the Prius. No complaints except that it should have been a plug-in to begin with. And we are riding the bikes to East Troy just like last year. Homecoming is worth the trip if you are wondering. | ||
| Ratbuell |
The thing about diesels is, you don't actually NEED the refinery business to run them. As noted above...just get some veggie oil. Screw the dinosaurs, and the folks peddling their remains | ||
| Davolous |
I have a 100 mpg piece of junk bike in my garage collecting dust all year around. I'll pay extra to enjoy my Uly. when I'm not forced to drive my car. Now a Veggie oil bike would be pretty cool. The sooner we avoid the fossil fuels all together the better. But it still has to do everything my Uly. does or more, before my Ulysses is going to collect any dust. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Hey, the diesel Buell may be closer than you think. Check out this story from the Kneeslider this week: http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2008/03/04/gray- eagles-build-a-turbo-diesel-harley-davidson/ A V-twin turbo diesel might be pretty awesome... | ||
| Bertotti |
Great idea, I've been wanting a diesel USMC KLR but they won't sell to civilians yet. Go Uly diesel! | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Do any large displacement bikes get better gas mileage than the XB's? I kinda thought gas mileage was something Buell was already great at! (The best at?) | ||
| Aussiexbox |
Well boys and girls Diesel would be nice but down under diesel is running 10 cents a litre dearer than PULP(Premium)so where diesel was an alternative it aint no more...............bummer | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Bertotti, Have you seen the April 08 edition of Cycle World? Nice article on the 100mpg Diesel KLR650 the USMC is using. Apparently there is a civilian version in the works called the MD670F Bulldog and it's based on the 2008 KLR650. http://www.hdtusa.com/press.htm | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
More http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=716897 | ||
| Prowler |
Won't get me in a Prius until it's required by law. Bought a new 2005 Chrysler Crossfire coupe last fall for $17K, it gets 25 mpg on the highway and is an absolute blast to drive....always (try to say that about a Prius!). Will still be cheaper on fuel in the long run (100,000 miles) than buying a freakin' Prius/toaster. If I want good gas mileage to work, I'll take the Ulysses. Likewise, a pure joy to ride. So, fun=2, Prius=0.  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Love the look of the Crossfire. Prius is a very nice car and our first Toyota. No problems at all in 50,000 miles. There have been a few recalls, but then, Uly has had a few also. | ||
| Prowler |
EG, nothing wrong with a Prius if you view autos as basic transportation (saw your bio!). I have been obsessed with anything that has an engine in it since I was a little kid, so I tend to have an almost "sick" interest in anything that burns gas (boats, airplanes, motorbikes, cars, skateboards, gokarts, snowmobiles, etc.) Obviously not a good thing if you're looking for good gas mileage tho....... | ||
| Bertotti |
EG I don't read any bike rags. I will check it out. I was told the civilian version was going to be very very expensive but there is n proof of that. I also know they claim there will be a civilian version but they have been saying that for more then a few years and when asked they always say the can't because they can't keep up with the military orders. I will be eyeing it closely the closer they get to a release. My fellow jarheads love them. | ||
| Slaughter |
We have actually met with Fred Hayes at work to discuss alternate designs on small diesel engines. He has a very talented crew in diesel design. That KLR-based bike uses an engine that is a completely new design, not just a "diesel-ed" KLR. Their last visit, they rode two of their street/civilian versions to the visit. Kinda neat but just not quite ready for prime time - USMC is keeping them too busy to focus on CARB requirements (CA Air Resources Board) Their manufacturing operation is barely an hour from here. The civvie versions are EXTREMELY well put together. http://www.hdtusa.com/ (Message edited by slaughter on March 07, 2008) | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Bertotti, Semper Fi. 81mm Mortars 75-76', 2nd Force Recon at swamp Lagoon 76-79' | ||
| Bertotti |
EG I got trained as a basic rifleman then went to electronics school. Was with VMFP-3 did the electronics out of the RF/4b's and F/A 18 and any cockpit stuff from all the marines fixed and rotary winged birds. Good Times. 84-88' mag11 hams 11 IMA wc 620. aircraft electricians mate. El Toro Ca | ||
| Bertotti |
EG I'll be in Omaha the week of the 24th PM me if your around for a drink. | ||
| Chadhargis |
I've got a Jeep Liberty turbo diesel and LOVE it. 30mpg on the highway and about 20mpg in town. Even pulling my trailer with my bike and track day gear I get about 24mpg. My wife's Honda van gets 14mpg towing the same load. Diesel technology is awesome! Really makes you wonder why anyone would want a gas engine. Diesel is a byproduct of making gasoline, so supply isn't an issue. The more gas they make, the more diesel there is. I'd venture to guess there is more gas used than diesel, so there should be an excess of it, but for some reason it's more expensive than gas. Seems like gouging to me. But heck, you pay about 10% more for diesel but get 30% better mileage at least. Still a good trade off. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Diesel prices are up because of our military. Word is they use close to a million gallons *a day* over in the sandbox. Makes sense when you consider every damn vehicle they run uses the stuff. And really, I have no problem with that if it helps keep our people safe over there (riding in a vehicle beats walking around in the open, I suppose). Good to hear you have good luck with the Liberty - I'd heard some horror stories about those, but we have been looking at the Grand Cherokee diesel to replace the wife's Magnum R/T. That bluetec engine is schweeet. I just wish Ma Mopar would bring some of the Euro diesels stateside - Wrangler, 300, Magnum...I'd be all over a diesel Wrangler! Although there are rumors of a light-duty Ram 1500 with a small V-engine Cummins for '09.... I'm with you though - diesel rocks. Better economy, longer lifespan, and if it comes down to it, the ability to run on fry grease. | ||
| Strmvt |
actually they are using diesel yes but when I was in Desert Storm we were switching to jp8 for all vehicles aviation and all | ||
| Darthane |
Chad - remember that virtually everything with an internal combustion engine that ISN'T a car runs on diesel, and uses a lot more of it. Big-rig trucks (3-5MPG), municipal buses, trains, most military vehicles, boats (bigger than pleasure craft), etc, etc. Yes, diesel's a 'by-product' and per barrel of oil refined there's more of it than gasoline, but I sincerely doubt that the world uses more gasoline than diesel. As for 100MPG plug-in cars...well...the first ones are not due to consumers until 2010, and at this point that's just a promise from the CEOs. I know most consumers don't really care about this, despite the lip service they may pay to being 'green', but depending on where you live that plug-in may actually be WORSE for the environment than your 25MPG mid-sized sedan. There's so much hype and blame on the auto-industry for the rise in greenhouse gases in the world, it sickens me. God knows how much time and money has been wasted by our government, and others, debating and imposing regulations on the automotive industry and largely ignoring the aging and VASTLY more polluting power-supply infrastructure, most of which is still coal. Thank God some of the more forward-thinking companies are investing on their own dime what the government won't make them do while they bitch and moan about making cars get another 5MPG to stop the forthcoming polar icecap melt. -=rolls eyes=- ...oh...yeah...a diesel bike would be cool. =D I've got a 4-door pickup in the garage and just bought a 3 as my daily driver (which actually gets pretty crappy gas mileage for a compact), so my XB9R still gets twice the gas-mileage of my most efficient 4-wheeled transportation. I originally got into motorcycling because of the efficiency they offered in the majority of driving...but that isn't what's keeping me here, and even if my next car gets 150MPG and the motorcycle still gets 50, the bikes aren't going anywhere. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Strmvt - really though, JP8 is just more-refined diesel, as opposed to gasoline. I have a space heater in the garage that runs on diesel, kero, or jp (because everyone has a can of jp laying around, lol) due to the similarities in the fluids. I just run it on kero, that smells bad enough when it is warming up...I don't need diesel fumes out there while I'm trying to wrench on a bike, lol. Just like Darthane, though, I ride for the economy. The grin-a-minute factor is only a happy byproduct (or do I ride for the grins, and the economy and being able to put food on the table because of it is the byproduct?). Either way, like you...my bikes are sticking around. My wife, on the other hand, isn't as sick...er, enthusiastic as I am when it comes to riding...we're just trying to find something that fits her (admittedly overly-cushy) criteria while keeping as much money out of the oil barons' pockets as possible. | ||
| Strmvt |
true Ratbuell hehe they when I was in the big hub bub was to get all military vehicles to run on jp8 for all the armed services and that was in '93 whats happened since then I don't know | ||
| Ratbuell |
My father in law and I just bought a surplus M35A2 multifuel to help clear some acreage...wonder if it'll make over the 140hp rating on JP? LOL. That's a thought, though...wonder if a multifuel technology could be mated to a motorcycle? I'll have to take a good hard look at how this thing is put together to see if that'd work... | ||
| Chadhargis |
The Liberty has "quirks" that are fixable if you know about them. The biggest of which is the torque converter. The little 2.8l diesel pumps out 295ft/lbs of torque at 1800rpm in stock form (340ft/lbs when "tuned" as mine is). The torque converter is designed to work with a V8 gas engine with a higher stall speed. The little diesel just tears the thing to shreds. My Liberty is on it's 2nd converter thanks to warranty. When the warranty is gone, I'll toss in a Suncoast converter which was designed for the diesel and I won't have any more issues. The other issue is the filter head. It's a "suction" system, meaning there is no lift pump. The trick there is to install a lift pump. It pressurizes the filter head and keeps it from sucking in air. Other than that, the typical diesel EGR issues that plague all diesels pop up, but I've fixed that too. My EGR has been disabled so I don't end up with an intake full of soot. I also re-routed the crankcase vent into a oil/air separator so I don't get oil coking up my turbo. Easy little fixes. Just have to know how to deal with them. There is not another vehicle sold in the US that does what my Liberty does. I can tow over 5000lbs, I have 4 wheel drive, I have SUV comfort and space, and decent fuel economy. I really do wish that we'd get some of the Euro cars and trucks. I really wanted a VW Jetta TDI, but those suckers are just too damned expensive. I bought my Liberty for a great price. It had 9600 miles on it when I bought it. For the same money, I'd have ended up with a TDI that had upward of 100,000 miles on it. |
