This Man Built A Diesel Bullet 34 Years Back, Legally!
If you have been into motorcycling, the idea of a diesel-powered Royal Enfield would hardly get you shocked. The bikemaker once sold the Taurus- often called the diesel Bullet, in India. But this story isn't about that motorcycle. A video shared on the YouTube channel 'Sam Of Intellect' shows how a man converted his petrol Royal Enfield into a diesel bike. More importantly, this conversion seems to be absolutely legal.
The video starts by showing the owner explaining the age of the motorcycle and its history. It is in fact, a 1972 Royal Enfield. Back in its day, it had a petrol engine. This owner purchased it from the pre-owned market, 34 years ago. This Royal Enfield was 20 atleast 20 years old when he brought it home.
This owner currently lives in Kerala's Karunagappalli. Back then, he used to work in Chennai and did the petrol-to-diesel conversion there. The diesel engine used on this bike has been sourced from Crompton Greaves- the owner says that this is the same diesel engine that was used in water pumps back then.
The vehicle uses a starter that has been sourced from a Maruti car. The crank comes from an old Fiat. Various changes were made to the engine to accommodate these. The gearbox here is a four-speed unit. Despite its age, the owner is happy with this motorcycle and claims that it still gives him 80-100 kpl mileage.
He goes on to explain that the peak fuel efficiency is 100 kpl. But if the motorcycle is put in the 'max mileage' setting, it would feel slightly underpowered, especially when being ridden on inclines and uphill. So, it has been set in a way that the fuel efficiency is 90 kpl, striking a sweet spot between mileage and performance. This is in fact, slightly more than what the original diesel Bullet used to deliver, back in its day.
And now the legal side of things. This owner says that it was legal to do such conversions back in the day. He claims to have endorsed the conversion on the motorcycle's RC and other documents. He further says that the bike was recently subjected to a fitness test as well. The video also shows him getting the engine started. We get to listen to the exhaust note as well.
Conversions such as these were common in the past, especially in South India. Putting a water pump's engine into a motorcycle definitely calls for compromises in terms of performance. They lacked torque while riding uphill. But in states like Tamil Nadu, where the roads were mostly flat plains, people used these due to their excellent fuel efficiency figures.
Even today, it won't be difficult to find one of these conversions, operating freely on the roads.
The Original Royal Enfield Taurus Diesel: A Quick Look At It
The Royal Enfield Taurus is the world's first mass-produced diesel motorcycle. It was launched to address the growing trend of retrofitting diesel engines into the Bullet 350's frame, during the 90s.
The Taurus came with a small 324cc single-cylinder diesel engine that made 6.5bhp and 15Nm. This engine was made by Greaves Lombardini in Italy, and was the smallest to be fitted on a Royal Enfield back then. Plus, they were less powerful than the petrol units.
This diesel engine was disliked by many for its uncontrolled noise and vibration levels. It could unsettle your shoulder bone after an hour of cruising! The top speed of the diesel bullet was 65 km/h.
This Man Also Owns A Self-Made Electric Cycle
Circling back to the video, we also get to see an electric cycle which this guy himself has made. It uses an old Hercules 27.5 cycle as the donot vehicle. The frame has been modified, and the Lithium-ion battery sits on the rear carrier. He claims a range of 40 kilometers per charge. He claims the modification costs to be around Rs 28,000. He adds that choosing a chain drive for the motor would bring it down to Rs 18,000.