Royal Enfield diesel bikes

[Douglazz]

I recently fell down a rabbit hole reading about the diesel motorcycle Royal Enfield sold in parts of India years ago. They're not winning any drag races, these things are slow, shaky, and sound like a tractor with a hangover but man, are they fascinating. Built like tanks and capable of sipping fuel like it's fine whiskey, they're a unique blend of old-school charm and utility.

What really caught my imagination was the idea of running one on homemade biodiesel. There's something incredibly satisfying (and a little rebellious) about riding a bike that smells faintly of french fries and tells oil companies to take a hike. Anyone here ever ridden or owned one? Would love to hear your stories

 

[royally forked]

I recently fell down a rabbit hole reading about the diesel motorcycle Royal Enfield sold in parts of India years ago. They're not winning any drag races, these things are slow, shaky, and sound like a tractor with a hangover but man, are they fascinating. Built like tanks and capable of sipping fuel like it's fine whiskey, they're a unique blend of old-school charm and utility.

What really caught my imagination was the idea of running one on homemade biodiesel. There's something incredibly satisfying (and a little rebellious) about riding a bike that smells faintly of french fries and tells oil companies to take a hike. Anyone here ever ridden or owned one? Would love to hear your stories

Love that!!! When a diesel bike sounds like a tractor with a hangover? That's kinda badass! Honestly, I haven't ridden one myself, but running it on homemade biodiesel sounds "eco-rebel" which is an oxymoron in itself. LOL. French fry fumes and all... sign me up!

 

[Thumpy]

The Royal Enfield Diesel Taurus, a 325cc, 4 Stroke Aircooled Diesel engine, delivered maximum power of 6.50 HP @ 3600 RPM and maximum torque of 15.00 Nm @ 2500 RPM. Its engine is mated with a 4 speed gear transmission. The bike is capable to give back an economy up to 72 kmpl. or 169 MPG. The motorcycle is intended for tradesmen and others, it has a sturdy rear rack setup. Fairly common in India proper but I haven't ever seen one in the U.S. Always wanted one though, figured it would have high torque at low speed so hunting, dirt trailing would probably be fun on one!

 

[Douglazz]

Love that!!! When a diesel bike sounds like a tractor with a hangover? That's kinda badass! Honestly, I haven't ridden one myself, but running it on homemade biodiesel sounds "eco-rebel" which is an oxymoron in itself. LOL. French fry fumes and all... sign me up!

Haha right? There's just something cool about mixing Mad Max vibes with eco-consciousness, I'd love to ride one someday, even if it rattles my teeth and smells like a deep fryer

 

[Douglazz]

The Royal Enfield Diesel Taurus, a 325cc, 4 Stroke Aircooled Diesel engine, delivered maximum power of 6.50 HP @ 3600 RPM and maximum torque of 15.00 Nm @ 2500 RPM. Its engine is mated with a 4 speed gear transmission. The bike is capable to give back an economy up to 72 kmpl. or 169 MPG. The motorcycle is intended for tradesmen and others, it has a sturdy rear rack setup. Fairly common in India proper but I haven't ever seen one in the U.S. Always wanted one though, figured it would have high torque at low speed so hunting, dirt trailing would probably be fun on one!

That's awesome, thanks for the details! 169 MPG is wild. I can totally see it being a fun, slow crawl through trails, I wish they were more common here in the States

 

[IronHorseman]

Now I see why people love them. A bike that's a mix of a survival machine and a good ol' grease powered beast of burden is so endearing, I must say. I'd jump at the opportunity to take one for a ride

 

[Thumpy]

The only ones I've ever seen were in Vietnam years ago; you wouldn't believe the load they can put on one of these! I've always wanted to import a used one from India, but I have no idea what it would cost when factoring in (ahem) tariffs, customs, and shipping. Then there's U.S. emission laws, which could be a problem. But still, imagine a Honda Trail on steroids...