Post Listing Update: This custom Suzuki did not meet reserve despite 38 bids up to $10,200 on eBay in North Salt Lake, Utah.
Sparks Motors is the shop behind the Discovery Channel show Diesel Brothers. When the builder/seller of this bike (Sam Turner of Head Turner Customs) was hired there, he decided to create a diesel-powered motorcycle on his personal time. Highlights include a 20 horsepower, 1,100cc agricultural water pump diesel engine with a custom tube frame chassis and art-deco inspired design. In addition, it’s got a gigantic custom 500W magneto with over 1,500 feet of wire that was hand-wound! At 55 mph it returns 110 mpg, and it has a top speed of 85.
The donor frame is from a Suzuki GS450, but there’s H-D spoked wheels and 5-speed transmission, a custom tube frame, Garrett GT-25 turbo from a Land Rover Defender, two Suzuki Swift intercoolers, and an EFM autoclutch. For something like this it seems best to just leave the description to the seller. If you’re really interested, he’s also got a slideshow of the build process and it details a lot of the individual components/where they were sourced from:
“The large engine left no room for the installation of a standard alternator, so I hand wound more than 1500 ft. of copper wire over 18 neodymium magnets attached to the flywheel to power a bridge rectifier and charge controller for the battery system.
The starting system was by far the most challenging aspect of the build. The diesel engine was originally built to be bolted to the ground and started with a hand crank inertia system and compression relief valve. Starting the engine using this method would be very difficult and impractical, so I built a gear reduction electric starter using a one way clutch bearing and 90 degree ring and pinion from a BMW motorcycle. Now the starting procedure is as simple as pulling on the FIRE handle to spin up the flywheel, and then pushing the handle back in, which closes the the compression release valve, starting the engine. With over 110 mpg average and eye catching style, this project definitely lives up to the Head Turner Customs name.”
The end of this video also gives you a small idea of what it sounds like, but there’s too much wind noise to know for sure:
Find this custom turbodiesel motorcycle for sale in North Salt Lake, Utah with bidding up to $1,025 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Rob B!