while doing some research, for the dieselmotorcycle book I am currently working on, I reviewed much of the material I collected in the last 15 years.
I took a closer look on the lost dieselbikes of the early days.
First was the Dopper Diesel from 1904, where components of an old bicycle met a 2hp Brons diesel. This is of course only of historic interest.
After this first try we had to do a time warp of 50 years.
In the 1950s three dieselmotorcycles where build. All in england!
Best documented is the Diesel Norton of Arthur Freeman Sanders. He took a 500cc Norton ES 2 and converted the engine for diesel use. Bottom end is stock, top end is converted for a injection system. Parts was taken from a Ferguson tractor, that has very similar bore and stroke, Mr Sanders found.
It was said the Diesel-Norton had a power output of 18hp. This is still exciting, because a 500cc diesel of our days, the 15LD 500 from Lombardini/Ruggerini has only 12hp.
The bike was featured with articles in english and german magazines.
Nobody knows what happend to the bike. Look for its number plate TAF 282 and arrest the driver.
Then we have the Sidney Diesel of Mr. Arthur Alexander Sidney. Stuart had a letter from his son who rode the bike and told us some details. Mr. Sidney developed a new small diesel engine and fitted it in a Norton motorcycle for demonstration purposes. The engine had a big external flywheel which was a bit tricky - others would say dangerous. The Engine had 500cc and gave 14hp. Case was made out of aluminium. To compensate the loss in strengh of the case steel rods were used that lead from the main bearings to the cylinder head. Four demonstration engines were made and nobody knows what happened zu them of the motorcycle. This one had the number plate CHH 312. If you came suprisingly across please arrest the driver.
Third in row was Mr. Gordon Glover. He had chosen an Ariel as basis. It looks like a 350 NH build around 1950. He reduced the bore that the engine had only 300cc in the end. The rest of his work is similar to the work of Mr. Sanders. He left the bottom end mainly untouched and converted the upper end for usage of diesel fuel.
This bike was featured only in one article in the british „MotorCycling“ magazine in 1959.
You guessed it. Nobody knows what happened to the bike. Its number plate says KOD 711. You know what to do, if you get in touch with it.
Questions, questions ...
Why did all this happened in england? We had heard nothing similar from anywhere else in the world.
What about this guys, building diesel motorcylces in the 50s? Arthur Freeman Sanders was an engineer and worked for renowned manufacturers like Fowler or Lister. you can find his name in literature mainly about old tractors. Arthur Alexander Sidney was - Arthur Alexander Sidney. I could not find anything about him. Same with Gordon Glover. He was remarkable young when doing his conversion. Only 24 years old. Stu tried to locate the bike, but could only bring in experience that the bike was registered to the same person a very long time.
Now there is something for dessert
The Perugina 175 Diesel. Not much is known about this bike. I received an email from the owner and he said the bike is still running, has done 20000km and does 100km/h flat out. And we have these pictures showing a beautifully adapted pump.
Motorcycles from Perugina are very rare, even als original petrol ones. But I could find some images to compare the bike. This is a Perugina 175, and is has some very clear modifications to the engine. But that leaves in the dark how a 175cc diesel could produce around 10hp that are needed to reach 100km/h
It shows just what made the engine on this bike just a little bit different from all other diesel vehicles on the road at the time. It had a variable ante-chamber capable of being adjusted to varying not only compression but also the angle of injection. Cool huh? 
