So how does one build a biodiesel bike? Slowly and carefully!

Research was critical to all aspects of the process, from choosing the bike frame to choosing the engine, to ordering, and construction. I began - as usual these days - by searching the Web.

Diesel Bike Forums

There are several good forums and websites devoted to the varieites of home-made and commercially available diesel motorcycles. Yes, there are commercially available diesels - the 350cc Taurus Enfield diesel in India, and the Dutch built Thunderstar Twin

Just one problem. You can't legally import a diesel motorcycle into the USA. Any diesel motorcycle. They don't pass emissions regulations.

However, there is nothing to stop you from building one. So I did.

WHY ROYAL ENFIELD

Quite simply, the Royal Enfield motorcycle, as it was manufactured from 1955-2001, has several advantages for a diesel conversion. Firstly, the engine is separate from the transmission (new Enfields now have a UCE or Unit Construction Engine, with engine and gearbox in a single unit, alas). This means it's pretty easy to remove a gasoline engine and shove in a diesel one... well, more or less.

The other advantags is the big open frame of the Royal Enfield. Compare it with most modern bikes and you will see that frames are now tightly wrapped around the engine, for cost and aerodynamic reasons - and swapping an engine just generally isn't possible.

Which makes the Royal Enfield (or RE) the frame of choice for diesel conversions.

I found mine in Las Vegas, and rode it home.