4.8 Gal Cargo Bed Fuel Cell

[Dallara]

~



Damn it, Eric...

Every time I get around a post of yours it starts to cost me money!!!

Love the looks of your aux. tank. Can't wait to get more details. I'm no IBR rider, but I love to go riding places where fuel stops are few and far between, and the more I look at your rig the better I like it. Particularly that it can be easily mounted and dismounted so it's in no way a permanent fixture, *AND* that stuff can be strapped down on top of it.

Please keep the thread updated on your progress. I was thinking about having Jaxon build me an 8-gallon tank, but this rig of yours is a better overall solution for me, I think.

Thanks!

Dallara



~

 

[OX-34]

Eric or Ox, do either of you have pictures of the bottom of the tank where you installed the bulk-head fitting?

Ox, you said you mounted on the right side. I have my shut off on the left side so I can open and close it with my non-thottle hand. Did you run the hose from the bulkhead on the right to the left side for the shut off?

Alan,

Here is a link to my first fuel cell installation - the JAZ tank - with a few of the plumbing pics.

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=3463.0

 

[Alan]

Ox, Awesome. I book marked the page and will try to get to this in a few weeks. I found a female bulkhead from for aircraft. I think I'll add a quick disconnect at the bulk head so I can remove the hose if I want (doubt that I will). When I get done I'll take some pics. I'm using a 4.5 Gallon Tour Tank bolted to a plate that I made so it snaps into a Givi rack. I can take the tank off if one turn of the locking knob and removal of two hose clamps holding the fuel filter and shut off to the pannier rack. This gives me 10.5 Gal so I'm way under 11.5.

Are you friends with Annette? I live about 6 hours from Pittsburgh and offered for her to tell the rest of you Aussies that you are welcome to use my home, garage, tools, and trailer. You can ship stuff to me to hold for you as well.

 

[EricV]

I'll take some pics tomorrow and post them of the bulkhead fitting. Any hose supply place should have a variety of bulkhead fittings. The one I used is pretty strait forward and had a 90º elbow to a 5/16" hose barb. Very low profile and easy to mount. I measured how much was going to stick into the tank, then chucked it up in the lathe and turned the excess off so it would be as low profile as possible. Granted this is not an option for everyone, but a hacksaw is a less elegant method of achieving the same results.

Drybreak fittings are worth the extra expense. When ever you want to separate things, you can do so w/o loss of fuel or hassles with hose clamps. Marine dry break fittings are widely available. The two main types are Chrysler Force, (my preference), or Nissan. Virtually every marine supply store will have these. Ditto for most Napa stores.

 

[OX-34]

I'll take some pics tomorrow and post them of the bulkhead fitting. Any hose supply place should have a variety of bulkhead fittings. The one I used is pretty strait forward and had a 90º elbow to a 5/16" hose barb. Very low profile and easy to mount. I measured how much was going to stick into the tank, then chucked it up in the lathe and turned the excess off so it would be as low profile as possible. Granted this is not an option for everyone, but a hacksaw is a less elegant method of achieving the same results.

Drybreak fittings are worth the extra expense. When ever you want to separate things, you can do so w/o loss of fuel or hassles with hose clamps. Marine dry break fittings are widely available. The two main types are Chrysler Force, (my preference), or Nissan. Virtually every marine supply store will have these. Ditto for most Napa stores.

When I put a cell on my Blackbird the guy at the bulkhead shop machined it down for me. The Tenere seems to have enough of a "drop" to the front, so I didn't worry about a few extra mm. The FJR, though..... thats a tight tolerance from the base of the "IPete" Tanji-style tank to the very high and flat main tank base.

I think you've got the idea to always machine it down anyway. More pointing into the tank may not hinder, but definitely does not help.

Ox, Awesome. I book marked the page and will try to get to this in a few weeks. I found a female bulkhead from for aircraft. I think I'll add a quick disconnect at the bulk head so I can remove the hose if I want (doubt that I will). When I get done I'll take some pics. I'm using a 4.5 Gallon Tour Tank bolted to a plate that I made so it snaps into a Givi rack. I can take the tank off if one turn of the locking knob and removal of two hose clamps holding the fuel filter and shut off to the pannier rack. This gives me 10.5 Gal so I'm way under 11.5.

Are you friends with Annette? I live about 6 hours from Pittsburgh and offered for her to tell the rest of you Aussies that you are welcome to use my home, garage, tools, and trailer. You can ship stuff to me to hold for you as well.

Annette = Lady Cuddles. She and Shane live just over 100 miles away. We'll be spending time over the next 8 months preparing.

Thanks for the offer of your place. I'd like to ride the Tenere, but I have an FJR sitting in Pennsylvania waiting for me, ready to go.

 

[mingo]

I was thinking of mounting something similar which I used on a previous bike.


Plumbing was by vacuum.. I used the vent hose from the stock tank to suck in fuel from the auxiliary tank which was also vented thru its filler cap.


Do you think this arrangement will work on the S10?

 

[Alan]

At added some pictures of my 4.5 Gal Tour Tank toward the bottom of my web page: http://www.bopisolutions.com/Tenere/tenere.htm Not near as flashy as what Eric and Ox did but it works for me. I like to slide on the seat, so I wanted the pillon to remain. If necessary, I can use a waterproof back across the pillon resting on the side cases and it serves as a back rest. This eliminates the ability to slide, but I can rotate my back on the bag and strech out.

The big thing for me is I only have to remove two hose clamps, unhook the quick disconnect, and turn the key lock to remove the Tour Tank and install my Givi top case.

 

[EricV]

Here are some pictures of a Pillion seat type cell that Ernie is also making for the Super Tenere. These are 5 Gal, if I understand correctly, but can be larger or smaller per customer requests. And no doubt adapted to other bikes as well.

Worth noting is that if you want a pillion area cargo plate, or a full length cargo plate that covers the pillion area and extends out over the rear rack, that's essentially the base of these two fuel cell types and is something Ernie can easily provide as a one piece unit, customized to your needs.

 

[EricV]

Long delayed pic of my bulkhead fitting location on the bottom of the tank, that I said I would post... Hope it helps others.

 

[OX-34]

Eric,
Just parking the pics of mine in here for reference.






Mine runs down the right side instead.

 

[EricV]

Not a problem. The more the merrier. ::008::

 

[Dogdaze]

I love the aux or oversized tanks.................... have absolutely no use for them (never going to go anywhere that remote with a bike), but hey, I'm a petrol-head, can't help it.

 

[EricV]

Aux or oversize tanks meet different needs for different people. Sometimes it's a matter of stopping when you want to, instead of when you need to. Where I used to live, in Oregon, there were no self service pumps by state law. This meant that for a large part of the state if it was past closing time, no gas. The Eastern part of the state is high desert and sparsely populated outside towns and cities, so not uncommon to be few gas stations and zero open 24 hours. Riding at night meant being prepared, or having enough fuel to ride until morning or to get to your destination. I know a couple of people that use them simply to buy cheaper fuel, choosing where they want to get fuel by price, more than demand.

 

[patrickg450]

do you ever removed you tank Eric? Pictures please.

 

[EricV]

do you ever removed you tank Eric? Pictures please.

If you mean the aux tank, generally it stays on all the time. It's four bolts and a dry break connection for the fuel line, along with a zip tie for the overflow line, so it comes off quite easily if I want to. If I was planning some single track riding I'd probably remove it if I didn't need the range. Empty, it's not that much more weight, but I do have a pelican case and gal jug of water on top of the fuel cell.

In regards to the main tank, it still can be raised up or removed by releasing the dry break fittings for the fuel line. Nothing else needs to be done differently from an un-modified tank.

 

[patrickg450]

not sure I would go higher than the tank (IMO), does it feel heavy with all that weight? I totally want more range but have yet to see a good one that I have to have.

 

[EricV]

not sure I would go higher than the tank (IMO), does it feel heavy with all that weight? I totally want more range but have yet to see a good one that I have to have.

I don't notice it, but it does add more weight up high. Keep in mind, gravity feed means the aux tank needs to be higher than the bottom of the main tank. I had no desire to use a pump. This is my third gravity feed fuel cell, two being flatbed designs, one a racing cell just purchased and put on a tail rack made to hold it. There is an aux tank being worked on that fits between the sub frame rails and may be more to your taste. It's design isn't really finalized yet, so may or may not use a pump. (there is a thread on this forum)

 

[OX-34]

not sure I would go higher than the tank (IMO), does it feel heavy with all that weight? ............

Less than any pillion. Plus the 'weight' doesn't wriggle around back there trying to get comfortable on long days, and stays in the correct leaning alignment on every corner.

Even empty there is the weight of the tank itself plus a Pelican if installed. But that is only a couple of kilograms of alloy and plastic.

I've had gravity feed auxiliary tanks fitted to... let me think...... 2 Teneres, 3 FJRs, a Blackbird and even a Honda CT110. The weight has never been an issue.

 

[pnelson]

This morning I rode over to Ernie Azevedo's (Ernie@eazcycle.com, pictured in photo) shop to talk with him about building a fuel cell for my Tenere like he made for EricV - the author of this thread. Ernie had one there almost finished for another Tenere owner for me to check out. The rear seat and plastic rack above the rear fender are removed and the tank rides pretty low but still higher than the main tank's lowest point so it's all gravity fed. With EricV's help with a list of suggested fuel fittings, I have most of what I need for the fuel line to the tank.

I'm planning on painting mine white to match my bike. I'll get some more photos along the way as I get things put together. With the addition of a Russell Day Long seat which should be here in a week or two, my Tenere will be more configured for touring as opposed to off-road work. I'm looking forward to 150-200+ miles of extra range.

Note that in the photo below, I still have my pillion seat on so the tank looks like it's sitting high up on the bike. It actually rides very low. I especially like the large flat deck with lots of options for carrying gear or mounting my top case.

;-) Paul

 

[OX-34]

Nice.

Don't forget to wave at the lines of vehicles in the gas station as you sail on by, reaching back to turn the tap and looking forward to a few more hours without putting your feet on the ground. ::012::