Yamaha fills patent for turbodiesel motorcycle

Yamaha has filed patents for a new series of motorcycle-size turbodiesel engines in both inline-four and twin-cylinder configurations. Previously, established brands have not even so much as expressed an interest in diesel engines.

Yamaha would have to contend with packaging issues in placing a diesel engine in a motorcycle chassis as well as the physical size of an engine that’s made to withstand the high pressures and torque inherent in a compression ignition engine. Yamaha’s patents seek to set an arrangement of components particularly the intercooler, which is placed atop the engine under a “dummy tank” with the actual fuel tank moved below the bike’s saddle.
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rxh8me9000 - 7/16/2009 4:53:12 PM

+1 Boost

Should have a lot of torque which = 12 o'clock in 3rd using only throttle

Carboy - 7/16/2009 5:03:23 PM

0 Boost

AUTOspies

bfghemicuda - 7/17/2009 12:13:57 AM

+2 Boost

I wonder what the towing capacity will be. lol

tango - 7/17/2009 2:50:18 AM

+1 Boost

Actually, the diesel motorcycle has been around for many years now. But closer to the US homeleand, the US Marine Corps was shown a diesel motorcycle some time ago and they ordered some 500 or so of them. This bike was an off road trail design, so I suppose Yamaha is the first to employ a diesel engine in a sport-bike configuration. As the article implies though, they are really patenting the arrangement, more than anything else.