Back from the dead...
In the Tucson article he says:
Quote:
...and have yet to get her onto the road. I still have to get her reregistered back at the MVD.
I know for a fact that the Green Machine will get somewhere between 110 and 170 miles per gallon as it stands. But there are ways to improve that.
A windscreen adds to the aerodynamic quality, so I added a small windshield. A full fairing would do even more, but that's for later on.
Removing weight from the bike will improve its mileage. I've already gone from a dual seat to a solo seat, and for daily driving, I'll take off the panniers as well.
The single biggest addition that will increase mileage: the addition of a computer capable of tracking real-time mileage. Called a Veypor motorcycle computer, it has three-axis accelerometers that can give you reams of data.
I've also made some changes to the engine to improve performance. Bruce at Doc's Engine on South Craycroft Road "pocket-ported" the head to improve air and fuel flow, and added specialized coatings to the engine. Mark at M & J Dyno and Machine on South Dodge Boulevard had a whale of a time trying to balance a one-cylinder diesel crankshaft, but succeeded, which will also improve the engine handling. We shaved some weight off the flywheel in the process.
I'm planning on playing with a couple of other improvements, including vapor injection--the addition of small amounts of water to the fuel/air mix, which improves performance and efficiency by somewhere between 5 and 20 percent. There is also supplementary oil cooling--using the electrical power of the generator to power a scavenge pump which sends the engine oil out to a cooler. This may improve efficiency, but probably not by much. This will be my last improvement, if I choose to make it.
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I wonder how he knows for a fact *mpgs, windshield and fairing and weight effects, etc.* when at that point he hadn't ridden it on the road?
Do Veypor computers work on diesels?
Is he aware that no air/fuel mix flows through diesel's intake ports?
What is engine handling?
Diesel water injection in the intake with the air/fuel mix?
Cooler oil improves efficiency?
I'd like to know how it all came out anyway. Weight, accel times, top speed, fuel econo, and last but not least, what kind of engine was it?