Why a diesel bike?
There is no one single answer to the question, but a few reasons. Not least of all fuel economy with today’s rising fuel prices. Far from being a toy the bike is my main form of transport and has to cope with daily use in traffic at home as well as a round the world adventure. I hate having to fill the bike up twice a week, but with a 400+ mile tank range on the diesel that’s a thing of the past. I also like that its completely different and its an immensely satisfying feeling to ride a bike that you built.
Can you run it on red?
I imagine so, though I don’t. The bike is easy enough on the pocket without taking chances.
How did you know everything would fit?
I didn’t. I started with the idea, then chose the engine. From there the gearbox was chosen since it is the only pre-unit construction bike left that would take the diesel torque. I had originally intended to build a frame to fit everything but then a Tiger with wrecked engine came along at the right money so I took a chance. Some work, some luck and some money – it was meant to be.
Are you an engineer?
No I am a computer programmer. When I started the project I could not weld.
What fuel economy does it get then?
On the adventure with all the gear and varied roads the average consumption is 100mpg (2.7 l/100km). See the actual figures from the trip on the blog post here.
How do I get one of these Diesel Tigers?
Drop me an email. I am building a limited production run.
Isn’t Iran dangerous?
Far from it. We felt safe walking around at night and the friendliness of the people was really humbling. Where else in the world would someone give you free fuel, lead you around a busy city or hand bananas to you from a moving car window?
What was your favourite country?
Apart from home? Iran or perhaps Nepal.
How much did the trip cost?
For us it worked out about £1000 GBP a month on the road, including food, fuel and accommodation. Some countries were less than this, while Europe was a lot more. With a bit more planning to have campsites etc on the satnav it could probably have been a bit cheaper. Add to this the cost of visas, vaccinations and shipping.
Why not take one bike?
Where’s the fun in that? 🙂
What preparation do you need for the trip?
See paperwork section
Did you do any big trips before?
Furthest Neil had been before was Germany. Before we left on the trip Helen rode to Cavan…