Top Ten Best Diesel Bikes of All Time

Diesel is a commonly used fuel in the auto industry. Why has diesel power never taken off for bikes yet many automakers still make diesel cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs? Why haven’t companies like BMW destroyed the diesel motorbike market? Diesel engines are reliable, deliver a ton of torque, are incredibly economical, and are easy to maintain. Given all the advantages, is the fact that diesel engines can be pretty heavy and polluting why there have been so few diesel-powered motorcycles throughout history? Here’s our final list of the Top Ten Best Diesel Bikes of All Time to honor producers who dared to be unique.

Top Ten Best Diesel Bikes of All Time – Top Rated

Sommer 462

Although the German Sommer 462 appears to be a vintage British motorcycle from the 1960s, it is a brand-new model. Since the early 2000s, Sommer has been building these motorcycles. Although they look pretty similar to the Royal Enfield, the resemblance is no illusion—the Royal Enfield diesel model of the late 1990s had the design. What did the movement do? When Royal Enfield withdrew from the diesel market due to poor sales, Sommer took over, found a 462cc single-cylinder diesel engine, fitted it to a Royal Enfield chassis, and used other RE parts.

Although the engine has only 11 horsepower and a top speed of only 65 mph, it can travel 300 miles on a relatively small tank.

Hero Motor Corp RNT

Major motorcycle manufacturers seem to operate under the unspoken rule that any new bike concept should be as hideous as possible. You’ll want to attract as much interest as possible, and while the bike’s intimidating appearance may attract attention, it probably won’t help you sell it. According to Hero Motorcorp, one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world, the RNT is much more than a diesel-powered scooter.

As a two-wheel drive scooter with a 150cc single-cylinder diesel engine that delivers 13.5 horsepower and 26 pound-feet of torque and an additional 1.3 horsepower electric motor at the front hub, it is a hybrid diesel vehicle.

Track T800CDI

The Trek T800CDI proves that innovation doesn’t need unattractive or awkward design. It looks like an adventure bike, resembling a cross between a Yamaha and a BMW, but despite its high-tech features, it is instrumental in everyday life. It is powered by an 800cc, three-cylinder, turbocharged SmartCar engine that produces 45 horsepower and 78 pound-feet of torque.

It takes only four seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph, which is quick for a diesel engine and gets an excellent 140 mpg of petrol. Brembo brakes, a steel trellis frame, and longer suspension are all desirable features, but none contributed to the car’s commercial success.

Royal Enfield Taurus

The most famous diesel motorbike of all time and almost certainly the only one made by a major manufacturer. For the bike, RE built its 325cc diesel engine; Firing gear and chassis were also used. Despite its reputation for having excellent torque characteristics, the diesel engine can produce only 6.5 horsepower and 11 pound-feet of torque. That’s not enough to push the 432-pound total weight.

Despite these shortcomings, it managed to record up to 200 miles per gallon, although driving 200 miles would take all day. The top speed of the RE was 40 mph. It vibrated a lot, but it was intense, straight and reliable.

Hayes M1030 Military Motorcycle

The classic Kawasaki KLR — is there anything it can’t do? Not, as it is well-liked and thriving despite its production not changing significantly over the years. One of its stranger achievements, though, was that it inspired one of the most durable and productive diesel machines of all time—an army bike.

When discussing military applications, it makes sense to power a motorcycle using diesel. All the usual advantages—economy and reliability—are present, and the Hayes M1030 also has the flexibility to run on a range of fuels, including truck diesel, biodiesel, petrol, and even jet fuel.

Neander Turbo Diesel

What would you do if wealth was no object and you wanted a different garage? Nander Turbo Diesel can work in this situation. Nander Motors, famous for manufacturing diesel boat engines, manufactured this bike. It had a 1,340-cc turbocharged parallel-twin engine that produced 112 hp and 144 lb-ft of torque. Even when it was remarkable, the 650 pounds he carried cost him dearly. As a result, it can only record 50 miles per gallon.

It was built as a muscle cruiser and sold for the ridiculously affordable $133,000!

Star Twin ThunderStar 1200 TDI

It has to happen eventually. Choose for performance! It used a Volkswagen 1200cc, three-cylinder turbodiesel engine that produced 180 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, comparable in power and torque to current electric motorbikes. It was also loaded with high-end technology, with Brembo brakes, carbon wheels, and top-of-the-line suspension.

Some of the claimed numbers were relatively high; It was expected to reach a top speed of about 140 mph while averaging 95 mpg. However, the manufacturers did not build this bike with the economy in mind. Instead, they focused on building a powerful and fast bike. Unfortunately, since it was never put into production, this ideal was ultimately rendered unrealistic.

Sidney Diesel

The 1950 Sydney Diesel was the first diesel-powered motorcycle. The single-cylinder diesel engine that produced 14 horsepower and a top speed of 35 miles per hour was an Arthur Sidney creation. The Sydney diesel was extremely slow, with no data on its gas consumption, but it was undoubtedly outstanding for the day. In comparison, the BMW R68 would reach 100 mph on 35 horsepower. Although petrol prices were not a concern in the early 1950s, the Sydney Diesel may have been a bike ahead of its time.

Boccardo Aero

Louis Boccardo built the Boccardo Aero in 1987 using petrol and diesel engines from the Citroen AXE. Only five were ever produced, all with final shaft drive and two with petrol engines producing 97 horsepower and three with diesel engines producing 59 horsepower. While the Aero’s appearance is undeniably ’80s, the styling was not the Aero’s strong suit, as it is with many small-production motorcycles. The sidecar installation was a logical progression, given the diesel engine’s ample torque output. It was never mass-produced, nor did it go through a limited run phase like many previous diesel bikes.

Sooraj Sunbeamer

The Suraj Sunbeamer, another motorcycle fueled by diesel and made in India, was produced from 1990 to 2010. A 325cc single-cylinder diesel engine was backed by a 20-liter tank, giving the bike a range of around 400 miles, despite its unattractive nature. Form. Despite its vintage, if not pedestrian, looks, it certainly had its fair share of fans based on its length and twenty years of production.

Top Ten Best Diesel Bikes of All Time – Top List