HDT Diesel Motorcycles--testing the waters.

[MNicho]

After contacting HDT repeatedly last year inquiring as to when they would enter the civilian market, I received this:

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the availability of HDT diesel motorcycles for consumers. As you are probably aware, HDT has made announcements in the past about releasing a diesel powered motorcycle to the consumer public. Despite previous efforts to produce this motorcycle, plans were never actuated due to resource limitations and keeping with our core focus of developing vehicle products for the US Military. However since July of 2009 HDT has been under new management and has newly available resources which puts us in a position to properly consider this offering. Attached you will find detailed information and images about our consumer motorcycle products. We are currently gathering market data to determine the true level of interest in these products as defined by the attached pricing and specifications.

http://hdtusa.com/html-emails/hdt-at1-le.html

http://hdtusa.com/html-emails/hdt-b2-le.html

http://hdtusa.com/html-emails/hdt-m2-le.html

Prepare yourself for sticker shock--18K for the diesel version and over 6K for the gas model.

Still, I say, you can't beat a diesel for endurance or maintenance--I'm getting one.

 

[robert]

If you've got the cash go for it; I can buy a couple of used Suzukis, a crate of spare parts and a lot of fuel for the cost of one of those.

 

[haven]

I'm curious about how HDT handles vibration. Their engine is a 670cc
single cylinder diesel. Some sort of balance shaft could address the issue,
but that adds weight. Does KTM use balance shafts in their 650cc single?

 

[walking eagle]

Only runs on up to B20. That is too bad.

I am leaning toward the far more expensive euro bike sombody just posted in the old HDT thread that can run on stright veggie oil. It actually looks better than the HDT's bike too.

Depending on whick one is lighter, would be my other factor, as that euro bike is 500#.

It'll run on B100, just like any other diesel, just B20 is all they authorize - likely part of it is politics - part of it is just experience.

 

[goodtimes]

I'm curious about how HDT handles vibration. Their engine is a 670cc
single cylinder diesel. Some sort of balance shaft could address the issue,
but that adds weight. Does KTM use balance shafts in their 650cc single?

I don't know about KTM, but BMW does . . .

 

[805gregg]

If you've got the cash go for it; I can buy a couple of used Suzukis, a crate of spare parts and a lot of fuel for the cost of one of those.

If you buy a Suzuki, you won't need the spare parts.

 

[robert]

If you buy a Suzuki, you won't need the spare parts.

You haven't seen me ride off-road. <insert crash smiley here> eepwall: I haven't had the DRZ very long but the Strom I bought new and haven't had any issues with. I absolutely love the fuel injection system- now if they'd just add a sixth gear and fuel injection to the DRZ it'd be about the perfect adventure bike for most folks.

 

[jl8088]

18K for a diesel motorcycle? Wow. No thank you.

 

[bj70_guy]

Here I thought someone was going to put a Toyota 1HD-T diesel in a motorcycle :sombrero: