Homemade Diesel V6 Motorcycle

Mon, 02 Mar 2009

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For as long as motorcycles have been around, so too has there been an interest in modifying them. While many people opt for pin striping or aftermarket exhaust pipes, Michael Sturtz decided to drop a diesel V6 engine into his motorcycle. Sturtz and his team from an industrial-arts group called the Crucible based out of Oakland, CA. started with an older model motorcycle and began the painstaking process of shoehorning a BMW V6 engine into the chassis.

After spending over a month rebuilding the frame, redirecting hoses and cables and designing a biodiesel-friendly fuel system, they ran into a large obstacle; the computer went into theft mode. Due to their tinkering, the security system flagged the car as stolen and shut down. After some tinkering and a few calls to BMW, they issue was rectified.

Power is transmitted to the rear tire via a chain gear system fitted onto the motor and the gearbox. The crank on the motor side has twice the number of teeth on the gearbox side, giving a top engine speed of 8,200rpm. Their speed record using the current setup is 130mph but they are hoping to break into the 160mph range within the next few months. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of all is the fact that the bike is somehow street legal.

By Dustin Woods