Diesel motorcycle aims for land speed record
Californian team aim for 160mph on salt flats
DIESEL is often the enemy of us bikers, but for one group of crazy Californian bikers, it's their life-blood.
The Die-Moto was created by a group of bikers and engineers in Oakland, California, based around a 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine from a BMW 320D, converted to run on Biodiesel.
Their aim is to promote the use of biodiesel and other bio fuels but later this month, they're hoping to set a new land speed record at Bonneville - where TWO's John Cantlie will also be lookin to set some records of his own.
The engine can run on Diesel, B99 biodiesel or even pure vegetable oil. Power output from its 1995cc engine is 165bhp and an impressive 250lb ft of torque. The team have already run the bike at 130mph, but are looking to break the 160mph barrier. Of the previous diesel motorcycle land speed record holders, in 2004 it was held by a 584cc Kawasaki that produced 28bhp ...and did 110 miles per gallon.
