Motorcycles aren’t normally powered by diesel, but a Maryland company that makes a “green” fuel additive is about to get national attention after helping power a custom-made diesel motorcycle for the TLC TV show “American Chopper.”

Fallston resident Lou Petrucci, vice president of sales and marketing for Alkane Inc., said the company’s flagship product, Monster Diesel, is receiving plenty of endorsement from Paul Teutul and his son Paul Jr., owners of the Orange County Choppers motorcycle workshop profiled in the TLC reality show.

On Jan. 6, Orange County Choppers and its film crew arrived in Baltimore’s Canton Square to unveil a custom-made motorcycle filled with Monster Diesel.

The episode is scheduled to air Thursday at 9 p.m. on TLC.

Petrucci said he and Monster Diesel creator Mathew Zuckerman were glad to be guests of the show.

“We pitched the idea of building a diesel motorcycle,” he said. Orange County Choppers’ Teutul “thought it was a great idea and decided to do it.”

Petrucci said the TLC episode will put a national spotlight on Monster Diesel and showcase how it reduces emissions.

Although there is not a market for diesel-fueled motorcycles, “there’s a lot of followers of Orange County Choppers who also drive diesel vehicles for a living,” Petrucci said.

Monster Diesel, launched in October 2008 by the Lutherville-based Alkane Inc., is an additive that “boosts diesel fuel’s quality to premium levels,” according to a company press release.

It reduces diesel consumption by up to 15 percent, reduces engine wear and friction by up to 40 percent, turns potential pollutants into increased power and mileage per gallon and winterizes the fuel. A patent is pending for the product.

“I haven’t seen it done before,” Teutul said in the company press release about the additive, adding that he is personally endorsing Monster Diesel.

“If I stand behind something, it works,” he said.

Petrucci said he plans to soon market the product more aggressively, as it can be used in the fields of trucking, marine equipment, farming, construction, as well as in pickup trucks.

He said it is being tested locally, including at Auto Collision Clinic in Fallston.

The “American Chopper” event “got us some tremendous exposure locally,” Petrucci said. “It had about 500 or 600 people there. Everyone was just really excited. It was just a great event.”

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