Biodiesel Dirtbike for Deployment in Haiti

[krazykarl]

I'm the Projects Coordinator for GrassRoots United, which is an aid organization currently operating in Port Au Prince Haiti. Our organizations mission is to serve as a hub to other organizations, both local, and international. We provide them with the facilities, information, and logistics that they need to operate more efficiently. We're currently developing a Mobile Deployment Platform to respond to future disasters, wherever they happen. Part of this Mobile platform to be deployed will be 5 small enduro/offroad bikes, to be used to navigate the area where we deploy in order to map (via gps) roads, infrastructure, and points of interest for disaster relief efforts (i.e. hospitals, clinics, community centers, centers of displaced people, etc.). Our founder also has experience in manufacturing biodiesel, and we plan to setup biodiesel production facilities on a small scale in each deployment location. What I am trying to find out is if it's reasonable to want to run our motos on biodiesel. The bikes need to be lightweight and manueverable, able to navigate rubble, off-road, etc.
Most of the designs for conversions that I've seen have been very bulky looking, or designed using the frame of a road bike.
I personally really enjoy the pic of the Honda Supersport conversion, because in November I ended a 6 month trip from Chicago down to Nicaragua, and back up to Mexico on a 78 Honda Supersport. It was one hell of a trip, but the biggest lesson of that trip is that a 500 lb bike is NOT well suited for potholes, gravel, sand etc.

Also, I've been looking into diesel motos such as the m1030-A4 (http://www.hdtusa.com/vehicle-m1030-m2.php). But their civilian production model has been suspended indefinitely because they're too busy making bikes for the Marines and NATO.

Any suggestions on directions to look for either commercial bikes, or reliable enduro-style conversions?

We're looking to have the mobile platform ready for deployment within 9 months, since you never know when the next disaster will hit.

Thanks guys.
Check us out online, or on Facebook.

Karl Cook
Projects Coordinator
GrassRoots United
grassrootsunited.org

[coachgeo]

Smart to forget waiting on an HDT motor since it appears they have not ever produced one for the marines yet. They've been sending them Gas bikes. Appears there is only ONE diesel HDT in existence. They roll it out for show and tell.

Your best plan is Lombardini or Yanmar manufactured engines. Yanmar being the most plentyfull world wide. Lombardini not to available in USA but seems to be little more accessable in rest of world?

Some pretty successful KTM dirt bike with Yanmars have been done. Would fit your needs very well. You might consider WVO and not bioD- Using rally/Dakar style extra fuel tanks on the KTM you could fit a Small Centrifuge spinner that could clean the WVO on the run and pump it up to the main WVO tank as needed. With a small camp bottle LP* powered engine/fuel preheater you could start and stop on wvo.

* Instead of LP use Methane produced via Bioprocessor using local waste food and humanure.