Track T-800 CDI 2010 — Specifications

In 2010, releasing an 800 cm³ diesel motorcycle equipped with a shaft-drive automatic transmission was either visionary genius or gentle madness. Track Motorcycles, with its T-800 CDI, resolutely leaned towards the second option, targeting a niche so narrow it became dizzying: economical grand touring enduro. The idea of a turbocharged 1.25 bar diesel twin cylinder in a Chrome Moly frame sounded like a bold, almost provocative technical gamble, at a time when the segment was already captive to lightweight gasoline single cylinders and explosive twin cylinders.

The heart of the beast, this diesel engine, immediately asserts its character. With 53.6 horsepower delivered at only 3750 rpm, there’s no need to seek stratospheric revs. The magic lies elsewhere, in a massive torque of 100 Nm available from 1850 rpm, which should provide a locomotive and constant thrust. The 18:1 compression ratio is here the signature of compression ignition. Combined with an intercooler, this engine promises legendary fuel economy – 2.5 liters per 100 kilometers, or a theoretical range of nearly 900 kilometers with its 22.5-liter tank – but also a sound and vibrations unlike those of the traditional enduro world.

The chassis seems to have been chosen to contain this singular engine. A wheelbase of 1610 mm and a dry weight of 225 kg announce a stable machine, but not particularly inclined to acrobatics on tight trails. The seat height of 780 mm remains accessible, while the WP suspension, with a 48 mm inverted fork at the front, indicates a desire to offer a serious off-road potential. Disc brakes, with ABS option, and the automatic shaft-drive transmission complete the portrait of a machine designed to swallow kilometers of track or trail without requiring complex manipulations.

Facing the KTM 690 Enduro or BMW F800GS of the time, the Track T-800 CDI cultivates a radical difference. It exchanges agility and featherweight for touring range and a tractor engine. The automatic transmission and shaft drive make it an absolute curiosity in the off-road world, where the chain and clutch lever reign. This configuration makes it an ideal candidate for slow and heavy exploration raids, where the supposed reliability of the diesel and the absence of primary transmission maintenance could find their meaning.

The T-800 CDI remains in history as a technological oddity, an answer to a question few motorcyclists asked themselves. It was aimed at the methodical adventurer, more focused on logistics than acrobatics, ready to sacrifice the thrill of high revs for the satisfaction of crossing a continent without ever looking for a gas station. It’s hard to imagine this diesel frolicking in single-tracks, but on the deserted tracks of Siberia or the Sahara, its characteristic rumble and its tachometer struggling to move must have had a very particular form of poetry.