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Has anyone done or know of a propane conversion to one of ours or a different species of bike? Besides an ugly tank was wondering how or if this would work and has been done.
Propane?
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3,847 Posts
Heres a propane powered Goldwing
http://www.whatareyouworkinon.com/content/my-latest-project-propane-powered-motorcycle-0
I recxall seeing an Eastern European CX with an LPG tank strapped to it but
it was ages go and I never got the details of the conversion.
Be intersted if someone has done this mod on a CX
BTW
The fellers bible quote didnt scan and was bugging me
It should be
"Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness "
not
Take heed therefore that the light which is in the be not darkness.
Not that I'm any authority on the Bible of course
http://www.whatareyouworkinon.com/content/my-latest-project-propane-powered-motorcycle-0
I recxall seeing an Eastern European CX with an LPG tank strapped to it but
it was ages go and I never got the details of the conversion.
Be intersted if someone has done this mod on a CX
BTW
The fellers bible quote didnt scan and was bugging me
It should be
"Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness "
not
Take heed therefore that the light which is in the be not darkness.
Not that I'm any authority on the Bible of course
Joined
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3,847 Posts
92 in second gear too !!
Check out youtube for LPG conversions
We know LPG is feasable as its been around for ages
the conversion is easy enough and its just the tank
that may be a snag on bikes.
If your interested in alternative fuels
do a search for HHO, 'Hydrogen' or water powered engines or Browns gas
on youtube there are loads of vids there
the production of HHO ( Hydrogen and Oxygen)from charged plates in electrolyte has long been known, the big question is, can it be produced efficiently enough to power a moving vehicle or as in our case, a motorcycle?
Some claim to be able to run a motor solely on it, some use it along with gasoline
some have 'special' 'secret' devices which they claim pumps out oodles of the stuff at low current, ie efficiently.
If you have used electrolysis to remove rust, you've made HHO in small quantities
Fuel from water is the holy grail and it fascinates me. I'd love to ride on fuel
from the tap but wont be parting with any cash until I'm fully convinced
Check out youtube for LPG conversions
We know LPG is feasable as its been around for ages
the conversion is easy enough and its just the tank
that may be a snag on bikes.
If your interested in alternative fuels
do a search for HHO, 'Hydrogen' or water powered engines or Browns gas
on youtube there are loads of vids there
the production of HHO ( Hydrogen and Oxygen)from charged plates in electrolyte has long been known, the big question is, can it be produced efficiently enough to power a moving vehicle or as in our case, a motorcycle?
Some claim to be able to run a motor solely on it, some use it along with gasoline
some have 'special' 'secret' devices which they claim pumps out oodles of the stuff at low current, ie efficiently.
If you have used electrolysis to remove rust, you've made HHO in small quantities
Fuel from water is the holy grail and it fascinates me. I'd love to ride on fuel
from the tap but wont be parting with any cash until I'm fully convinced
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468 Posts
propane powered Ice augers for ice fishing are now being sold. I wouldn't be surprised to see bikes coming out this way too. Since propane is a byproduct of making gasoline the oil people that seem to control all that is good in this world would surely approve.
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Fuel from water is the holy grail and it fascinates me. I'd love to ride on fuel
from the tap but wont be parting with any cash until I'm fully convinced
The problem here is physics, it takes more energy to break the H2O bond then you'll get out of it in return as a fuel.
LPG is nice but the carb system is very tricky.
CNG/LNG is ideal but is even more difficult to deal with. We actually have some CNG stations now and a lot of vehicles in town that run off of it, it's selling for a bit over $1 a gallon. As with LPG, it really requires a much higher compression engine to get the full benefit from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent
from the tap but wont be parting with any cash until I'm fully convinced
The problem here is physics, it takes more energy to break the H2O bond then you'll get out of it in return as a fuel.
LPG is nice but the carb system is very tricky.
CNG/LNG is ideal but is even more difficult to deal with. We actually have some CNG stations now and a lot of vehicles in town that run off of it, it's selling for a bit over $1 a gallon. As with LPG, it really requires a much higher compression engine to get the full benefit from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent
Joined
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2,487 Posts
Fuel from water is the holy grail and it fascinates me. I'd love to ride on fuel
from the tap but wont be parting with any cash until I'm fully convinced
The problem here is physics, it takes more energy to break the H2O bond then you'll get out of it in return as a fuel.
LPG is nice but the carb system is very tricky.
CNG/LNG is ideal but is even more difficult to deal with. We actually have some CNG stations now and a lot of vehicles in town that run off of it, it's selling for a bit over $1 a gallon. As with LPG, it really requires a much higher compression engine to get the full benefit from.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent
from the tap but wont be parting with any cash until I'm fully convinced
The problem here is physics, it takes more energy to break the H2O bond then you'll get out of it in return as a fuel.
LPG is nice but the carb system is very tricky.
CNG/LNG is ideal but is even more difficult to deal with. We actually have some CNG stations now and a lot of vehicles in town that run off of it, it's selling for a bit over $1 a gallon. As with LPG, it really requires a much higher compression engine to get the full benefit from.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent
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When I lived in Texas some of the school districts converted Diesel buses to run on propane. The higher compression of the diesel engine gives satisfactory performance from the propane.
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144 Posts
When I lived in Texas some of the school districts converted Diesel buses to run on propane. The higher compression of the diesel engine gives satisfactory performance from the propane.
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529 Posts
When I first laid eyes on my CX650E it looked like it had been ridden hard and put away wet. No seat just the pan, no plastic body panels, dented rusty tank with no cap...
I stood staring at it with a frown on my face while the owner fiddled with a car battery and 1 LB. propane cylinder.
He hooked the battery up with one jumper cable, grounding the other terminal to the frame and hooked the propane tank to a valve and rubber hose, the end of which he poked into the air intake for the air cleaner.
On went the(propane) gas valve, cranking took about 10 seconds and it purred to life.
I was reaching for my wallet before I knew what I was doing.
It WILL run for sure,just not sure how well.
Stan
I stood staring at it with a frown on my face while the owner fiddled with a car battery and 1 LB. propane cylinder.
He hooked the battery up with one jumper cable, grounding the other terminal to the frame and hooked the propane tank to a valve and rubber hose, the end of which he poked into the air intake for the air cleaner.
On went the(propane) gas valve, cranking took about 10 seconds and it purred to life.
I was reaching for my wallet before I knew what I was doing.
It WILL run for sure,just not sure how well.
Stan
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PM sent Trickster
Stan
Stan
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I owned a Ford Van E-150 that was a propane conversion. Van was the 300 cid straight 6. Also had the 4 speed manual transmission. Used it for a few years as a work van.
Bought propane from a bulk seller (where I could also buy my acetylene and oxy tanks as well). Propane was about 45-50 cents per gallon cheaper than gas (this was back in '92-'93) so it was just about $1.10 per gallon). It had two 11 gallon cast iron tanks that were bolted between the frame rails, where the old gas tank used to be. The steel supply line ran to a special manifold/pressure regulator under the hood, which then fed the gas/air mix to the top of the carburetor. No matter how cold the weather, that truck always started.
Sold it to a young guy who needed a extended van for carrying carpet for installation (and yes, it could carry a 12' roll of carpet and still close the rear doors.)
As for a motorcycle conversion, my concern would be the storage tank and how well it was built to hold the pressure of LPG.
Bought propane from a bulk seller (where I could also buy my acetylene and oxy tanks as well). Propane was about 45-50 cents per gallon cheaper than gas (this was back in '92-'93) so it was just about $1.10 per gallon). It had two 11 gallon cast iron tanks that were bolted between the frame rails, where the old gas tank used to be. The steel supply line ran to a special manifold/pressure regulator under the hood, which then fed the gas/air mix to the top of the carburetor. No matter how cold the weather, that truck always started.
Sold it to a young guy who needed a extended van for carrying carpet for installation (and yes, it could carry a 12' roll of carpet and still close the rear doors.)
As for a motorcycle conversion, my concern would be the storage tank and how well it was built to hold the pressure of LPG.
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I'm not sure if it's true, but I've been told that many motorbikes in Thailand run on LPG.
Here in OZ, LPG for cars and trucks is becoming very popular, and you know what happens then.....
When I first started using it, the LPG cost 8c a litre, now I'm paying 64c a litre.
I've overcome the problem of running out of LPG in my truck by carrying a BBQ gas bottle with me. All you have to do is turn it upside down and fix it higher than the carby, run a hose in the top of the carby, then turn the gas on.
Here in OZ, LPG for cars and trucks is becoming very popular, and you know what happens then.....
When I first started using it, the LPG cost 8c a litre, now I'm paying 64c a litre.
I've overcome the problem of running out of LPG in my truck by carrying a BBQ gas bottle with me. All you have to do is turn it upside down and fix it higher than the carby, run a hose in the top of the carby, then turn the gas on.
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I live in Thailand and have for the past two years. I've not seen a single LPG bike here, not that someone hasn't done it. There are no certainly no commercially available bikes. At about 1/4 the price of 91octane real gas here, it would make sense, though. $1.20 a liter vs 30 cents for LPG.
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I think it might be Iceland or maybe Norway, but one country has made a 'hydrogen highway' and installed hydrogen fueling stations all along a stretch of coastline. There are experimental hydrogen stations that can use solar power to split water into hydrogen fuel, that would be an ideal solution if it can be made to work. Hate to say it but our gasoline powered vehicle days are numbered.
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Not as numbered as you might think. Cars are using less than half the gas than they used to and now that we're starting to downsize SUVs as they start going out of style that'll leave a lot more in reserve for us. I often wondered if we could mill our heads down a bit and rejet to run off E85 but I'd hate to think about going that route. I went 10 miles out of my way today just to buy the best 100% gas on the market (my car prefers 91 octane premium) but I sure burn a lot less of it than if I would have filled up with E10 from a local station - enough that I'm actually using less petroleum product overall when the numbers are entered into the equation.
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The main benefit being less emissions. In Australia, LPG is readily available, you would be hard pressed to find a service station that doesn't sell it. Have toyed with the idea myself, as I have two cars that run on LPG, but the tank is always the problem. Have thought about 3 small cylinders in a triangle shape, two beside the back bone, and one siting on top, then cutting the bottom of the Deluxe tank off and fitting it over the top.
Some guys I know who have been running 12:1 compression ratio on LPG, are now having detonation problems, thanks to the greedy oil companies who have diluted the mix of LPG
They have had to install thicker head gaskets, in some cases. ..."greed is good" Gordon Gekko
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Some guys I know who have been running 12:1 compression ratio on LPG, are now having detonation problems, thanks to the greedy oil companies who have diluted the mix of LPG
They have had to install thicker head gaskets, in some cases. ..."greed is good" Gordon Gekko
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826 Posts
A friend of mine had a Chevy can that had a propane conversion. In the winter time he had to start it on gasoline and when it warmed up he switched to propane. He would also switch back to gasoline just before he shut the car off. I also know that the propane gas camping stoves do not work well at higher altitudes. I cannot imagine a propane powered ice auger that would be used in sub freezing temperatures. Maybe they have some secret to make it work. Billrod
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