I'm all for the concept - in fact I think it's long overdue . Sadly, I fear it will struggle to take off. Japanese manufacturers are not pushing diesel engine technological developments in European model cars; it's more a case of them simply keeping abreast of the developments made in Germany and France. What the Japanese are pushing is hybrid technology and Toyota, for example, now offers a hybrid version of al its major models. This will be a hindrance to the ‘trickle down’ of automotive technology to motorcycles in this particular locality.
Secondly, there is always a lot of resistance to any trickle down of automotive technology to motorcycling, so there is that battle to be won, too.
It’s a shame really, as the Polo 1.3 Turbo Diesel has 144ft lbs of torque compared to the 80ft lbs of torque of the 1.3 petrol model. The sound of the gruff 3 cylinder turbo diesel is amazing too, much like a mid-nineties 535i BMW. The rev limiter really seems to stop play early – well, that is until you realize that you are driving a 1.3 not a 3.5. A really fun car to drive. I for one would like to see a diesel 2 litre cruiser to be the next advancement over the Vulcan 2000. It would tear craters I to the tarmac every time you twisted the throttle.
