How would one make a diesel rocket?

[Skililo]

I was thinking earlier today @BigNorm - about what the future holds for us if we're looking for a daily commute in a motorcycle?

Can we really describe the Rocket III as a 'daily commute' - though I am guilty, ride mine to work and back every day.
However would I want to do that with a 2017 Rocket III - is it reliable enough to survive, sitting in the car park at work 365/12 out in the open for 9 hours every day?
Before I get jumped in the isles, let me add here that both my 1050 Tiger and my Rocket III have had to have their starter switches replaced and I suspect the weather for ruining them.
Yes - a decent bike cover would help that, but we're talking a daily commute here...should we be thinking electric?

My mind wandered down that road earlier today and the decision...once they make them cheap enough, i.e. less than $15,000 then my next commute may well be an electric motorcycle. I do like the idea too of a hydrogen fuel cell! What in the world would it cost though to maintain the thing as we'd really be talking modular designs here. It'd be an electric drill on two wheels and I'd imagine expected to be utterly disposable.

I'll keep the Rocket for the weekends and having a beer with @BigNorm

 

[barbagris]

What compression would need to be run to get it started? I looked it up online and it said that diesels run anywhere between 15:1-23:1 compression.

Direct injection 16:1. A modern 2.3Tdi could be expected to churn out 185 BHP with some ease but with n ****LOAD more torque. And with fuel consumption figures probably closer to 50-60mpg. Also MOST Diesels will cruise all day at close to their rpm limit without any issue. MOST petrol engines will not. Diesel is also a lower fire risk - would run on vegetable oil if needed.

 

[mr hunt]

Don't be derailed by all the blinkered ludites @BigNorm ....I'm glad that Benz fella didn't listen to all the naysayers when he decided to rip the equine engine out of his cart and replace it with something just a little different...

....and, @Wrecka...what could you have possibly typed in 3 letters that got censored???

 

[BigNorm]

YEP thats all we need a big stinky smelly slower motorcycle

You absolute worst when it comes to giving your undiluted opinions. How about some ideas to make it work. I know you have some.

 

[BigNorm]

The very title.is an oxymoron. Which beg the question whats your point?

Have you ever driven a turbo diesel?

 

[BigNorm]

Direct injection 16:1. A modern 2.3Tdi could be expected to churn out 185 BHP with some ease but with n ****LOAD more torque. And with fuel consumption figures probably closer to 50-60mpg. Also MOST Diesels will cruise all day at close to their rpm limit without any issue. MOST petrol engines will not. Diesel is also a lower fire risk - would run on vegetable oil if needed.

I believe 16:1 is obtainable in the rocket. The motor is already built to handle the torque. Cams are one thing I don't remember diesel hot rodders talking about. Would the stock cam work? How much pressure can the stock head gasket handle? Can carpenters head bolts handle 16:1 plus boost or would another option need to be found or is that as good as it gets? It would be cool to machine the head and cylinders out of a single piece of billet so that it would be one piece and no head gasket would be needed. (I forget what classic auto manufacturer did this). I appreciate everyone brainstorming with me.

 

[barbagris]

How much pressure can the stock head gasket handle? Can carpenters head bolts handle 16:1 plus boost or would another option need to be found or is that as good as it gets?

Scot would know - he has hi-comp pistons and a supercharger on the Falcon. Carpenter do 16:1 pistons for the stage2 IIRC. I would think stock injectors should be OK - though maybe not with veggie oil - depending on ambient temps.

 

[barbagris]

Of course we could just talk to Duke Engines - http://www.dukeengines.com/technology/faq/#fuel

 

[BigNorm]

What would work for an injector pump? and how would you time it? Just FYI I do not intend on destroying my brand new bike to do this but if I get enough research done I think buying a second used bike for this would be totally feasable. Getting some plugs for the spark plug holes shouldn't be an issue I'd imagine. Can you imagine how many wires could be eliminated using a mechanical injector pump? I'm really liking this idea. I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[Dalan]

The aluminum block of the rocket would fail under the pressures that a diesel operates under. Need a replacement engine.

Diesels are heavy. The 3.0 v6 in my Ram weighs 50# more than a 5.7 liter hemi. Also have a Dodge with a 5.9 Cummins. The torque and hp 240 hp /460 for the v6 and 305/560 for the Cummins would tear off the final drive of the Rocket, never mind the transmission.

I had a 2.2 liter diesel in my Mazda pickup that cranked a massive 59 hp, naturally aspirated. You could bump that 20% with turbocharging. It might fit.

Seems like a diesel would be either best suited to off road bikes where torque, fuel economy and reliability were important. Kawasaki builds one. Or, large luxury touring bikes, where a buyer wanted to fork over an extra $8 grand so they could get 55+ mpg.