I want to build a diesel-powered Ural!

[Oer Al]

Hi'all,

The subject really says it all, I want to build a diesel-powered Ural with sidecar. This is not exactly a new idea as there are several companies which are willing to do this conversion if you give them enough money. As I don't have enough money I'll have to do it myself, with the added advantage that I can make the thing exactly to my own needs. I am not alone in planning such a project as can be seen on www.dieselbike.net

The stock engine in this bike produces about 27 kW which gives it a top speed of around 100 km/h on windless days. In other words, it is not a top performer but that is not the point of this machine. It produces plenty of torque at low speed so it is possible to shift up to the fourth (and highest) gear around 35-40 km/h. All in all it is just the sort of ride I like for our sometimes medieval Swedish country roads. If only it did not run on petrol, and if only it did not use so much fuel...

In comes the idea to put a diesel engine in this thing. Something with enough power to keep the top speed around 100 km/h, enough low-range torque to enable somewhat lazy shifting and above all the ability to run on as little fuel as possible, preferrably our home-grown rape seed oil or something similar.

A diesel of around 1000 cc should be able to fullfill the power need and the fuel needs. Now if only I could find an air-cooled 2-cylinder diesel boxer... Subaru makes a 4-cylinder diesel boxer but it is watercooled and way to big, both size- as well as power-wise. A Lombardini or Hatz might fit the bill but I have not found one which fits both my budget as well as the power/size needs.

So... if anyone around here has a good idea or even a source of engines... let me know. If Volkswagen can make a 270+ mpg 1 liter diesel then I can make a 100 mpg sidecar rig...

I wonder, has anyone ever tried to convert an aircooled BMW-type petrol engine to diesel? Just about anything would need to be strengthened but the end result might be worth the effort...

[Oer Al]

Another option would be to turn it into a serial hybrid. That would greatly diminish the diesel engine power requirements but increase the complexity and required amount of space. Diesel-powered generators are quite affordable nowadays seeing I can get a new 5 kW generator with a '10 kW diesel engine' (in quotes as I somewhat doubt those small single cylinder diesels really are good for 10 kW) for around 7000 Swedish crowns (~$1000). Used they can be cheaper - or more expensive strangely enough. A problem is that such a generator weighs 100 kg while the stock engine only weighs around 50 kg...

[Ryland]

I'm not sure if many people on this forum are going to be much help to you seeing as how we are in the USA and you are not, an engine that we can get here might cost you twice as much there due to it only being sold here, same with engines that are sold there, like the VW lupo 1.2L diesel engine, most of us are going to have no clue what else you can get in Sweden.

[Oer Al]

Well, not everybody is from the USA... Jan Vos for instance comes from Belgium... I´ve seen Allert's bike around here as well, he's from the Netherlands - where I'm originally from. Also I'm not just looking for a place to buy an engine. There are probably others out there and possibly out here who have thought about doing this and maybe even did the conversion.

As to engines I can get Lupo engines without any problems but they are somewhat oversized for this project. The bike runs OK on 27 kW so it is overkill to put in a 45 kW engine and might even literally kill the drivetrain. If there is something smaller which can do the job - anywhere from a 1 cyl industrial diesel to a 3 cyl Daihatsu 997cc - and with which someone has experience I'd like to know. This forum seems to be one of the places to go for this type of information exchange.

So? Anyone thinking about doing this or maybe even doing it right now or possibly even riding a diesel-powered rig?

[Rokeby]

I am far from being a major player here.
Nonetheless, and with all due respect, I find the idea that in this day of
global access to information via the Internet there is some meaningful
reason to believe that folks on any two continents can't lend each other
a hand to be just not right.

Let me be up front: I don't know very much about diesel technology.
That said, the idea of a diesel sidecar rig is intriguing to me...
and a diesel hybrid three wheeler even more so.
In less than five minutes on the 'net I found this:

Green Car Congress: New Diesel Mild-Hybrid Powertrain

Green Car Congress: Update on the AVL ECO TARGET Diesel Mild-Hybrid

It looks like the diesel is somewhat oversized/powered for the OP's needs.

Still, I suspect that some members with a real fondness for diesels have
some special knowledge of small diesels or diesel-generators that would fit
the OP's needs. He can then contact the source, where ever they might be,
and with some luck -- and maybe a little bribery -- import a power
plant that is perfectly suited to his needs.

Oer Al, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor.

[Oer Al]

Now this is an engine I'd like to get my hands on. V2 860 cc, 25 hp, 45 Nm diesel. There are 22 hp versions as well. These engines seem to be made by a few companies in China, eg. Longfar ('LongPower'). As to whether they are clones of some or other more well-known engine or a fresh Chinese design I don't know but I do know that one of these in an Ural would look fine. It reminds me a bit of a Moto Guzzi engine. Knowing that the Guzzi engine started life as an industrial engine for cement mixers and such this comes as no surprise as that is one of the intended applications for these Chinese diesels as well.

These engines sell for between $700 and $850 FOB Shanghai or some other Chinese port. Minimum order quantity seems to be 5 though, maybe they will agree to selling an evaluation engine...

[nemesis]

I've been thinking of doing the same thing, I've been trying to find 700cc 18ish hp diesel, but no luck yet.
DieselBike.net The Original Diesel Motorcycle website. is not a bad site.

[Oer Al]

Yeah, I'm on that forum under the same user name. As to that 18hpish diesel you'll find plenty of them on those get-it-from-china-now sites. They cost around $800 ($750-$850) FOB some Chinese port. Some of them seem to offer single engine shipping, others start at 5 so a co-op buy might be in order if you can get more prospective dieselers. As to the quality of the respective 'brands' I don't have information yet but hopefully a new thread to be started on the dieselbike forum will enlighten us all.