SV Auxiliary Fuel Tank

[SVSmiles]

The following is a request for information/insight a local SV rider I know is seeking from others who might be in the know of such a topic.

Note: He's a former IB (Iron Butt) rider and I gather he is wanting to perform the following mod in an effort to eventually prep his SV for a future IB trek on it.

I told him to just sign up and start asking questions, but for whatever reason, for now anyway he still would rather I post these questions for him. I told him I would and then just forward him the link to the thread so he could view any responses. BTW, his name is Rob... If he wants to go into it further with you all here perhaps you can also tell him how easy it is to just sign up and get an active exchange of thoughts going on the project... ;)

------------------------------
Ask on the forums if anyone there knows how to hook up an auxiliary fuel tank to a gen 1 SV.

Ideally, I simply want an auxiliary tank mounted where the passenger/pillion seat is located. I'd like to have a petcock from this tank with a fuel line running to the existing stock fuel system. The idea is to be able to just flip the petcock into an 'ON' position when the stock gas light starts blinking/steady, then I would have what's in the auxiliary tank to get by on until the next fill up.

Q1: Since the auxiliary tank position would be level or possibly even slightly higher in height than the front (OEM) fuel tank would gravity be enough to get the fuel to a junction/tie in point, or would I need a fuel pump?

Q2: Where should I tie in the auxiliary fuel line to the stock fuel system?

Q3: Should I use a 'Y', 'T' or some kind of other connector?

Q4: Would this require a fuel pressure regulator?

Q5: Any other suggestions or ideas how to accomplish this?

[Mohawk]

This would be a very cool mod to pull off and would be interested in doing it myself. I have thought about it many times, but am weary of gas so never took any action. please post results if any come about.

[Burst]

Well first thing is first. Is it a carburated bike or fuel injected? If it is fuel injected then he WILL need a fuel pump in the tank. And that gets tricky as you will need to make it so when he switches to the reserve tank the fuel pump switches also. (fuel pressur eregulator should be somewhere down the system and this would not be needed sinc ethe bike already has it)

If it is carburated, then just hook up a tank with a petcock into a T just below the stock tanks petcock. should work fine, but make sure the new tank is properly vented. If it seals and does not vent, it will create a vacuum and act lik eit is running out of gas when there may be plenty in there.

Good luck on it and post up pics if he does it. I'd like to see the result.

[Doubleup16]

Like Burst said it should be pretty easy. All you need is a T connector and a petcock and you should be set. Since you have a 1st gen it's carburated and no need for a fuel pump or regulator since the original tank is gravity fed. Good luck and post up some pictures when you get it done.

[SVSmiles]

Indeed, it's a gen 1 carb SV. Maybe with Burst's input he'll feel good enough about pursuing it since it sounds as though a carbed system hook up would have less config issues than an FI-SV system would.

I don't get to see this other SV rider all that often now that he's moved a fair ways away, but we do seem to mange a visit once or twice a year. Just helped him with a home computer upgrade and I know he has a small digital camera so maybe he'll take some pics while doing the mod, then join the BBS here and post them... Worst case, if he's not up for doing that still, for whatever reason, then provide he actually goes through with the project, upon my next visit with him I'll take some pics with my camera and post them for you. Not that that would be the same as actual install pics and no telling how far off it would be before that would happen, but I'll definitely keep it in mind as something to be done should the project evolve beyond just research.

I think he was/IS hoping at least one of the SV/S riders (particularly with a 1st gen (carbed SV)) who has noted in the past of having put 100K+ miles on their SV/S would've also been an IB type rider who has already pursued this kind of mod and then gain some first hand insight as to the method of pursuit. I understand where he's coming from in that regard, as we all feel a little more at ease about doing a mod when someone else has done it, or something similar to, prior to our doing it to our own rides...

Well, could be such an SV/S rider/wrencher is out there, but has yet to see this thread to respond...

[zunkus]

This is interesting. I was thinking to buy a NOS tank and clip that on the left back side of the bike and use that as a secondary tank. I've got my exhaust can on the right high up. It should look BAD eh?

[Aeteocles]

why don't you just have it setup so that the reserve tank refills the stock tank? Kinda like a mid-ride refueling.

[Burst]

Originally posted by Aeteocles
why don't you just have it setup so that the reserve tank refills the stock tank? Kinda like a mid-ride refueling.

That would be more work than just tapping into the gravity fed fuel system as the only place to fill the stock tank is the gas cap. You don't want to mess with that too much as it needs to vent properly AND keep the gas in the system in the event of a crash.

[crashrat]

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1872&highlight=fuel+auxilary

advrider thread on aux fuel tanks.
they just use nalagene/gatorade or sigg bottles;)

I have a rear tank getting mounted on a KTM SX125..

http://www.p1autotech.com/shop/shopimages/5.jpg

[Burst]

Miles, what would the problem be with making the actual stock tank bigger? I imagine by changing the shape a bit, you could easily find another gallon's worth of room there. hmmm....

Anyone have a crashed tank they want to donate for me to experiment with? :D

[kerosene]

you can easily make the stock tank bigger volume. Poor all gas out - no need to be too carefull. Leave it in sun for an hour - start welding it (as if you were going to add a section or something.

WhOOOOM!! you have larger capacity tank. It might be bit spherical though....


So seriously before attempting any mods on stock tank make sure you know what you are doing. "empty", "ventilated" and even "flushed" tanks kill people when welded.

H

[Burst]

Originally posted by kerosene
you can easily make the stock tank bigger volume. Poor all gas out - no need to be too carefull. Leave it in sun for an hour - start welding it (as if you were going to add a section or something.

WhOOOOM!! you have larger capacity tank. It might be bit spherical though....


So seriously before attempting any mods on stock tank make sure you know what you are doing. "empty", "ventilated" and even "flushed" tanks kill people when welded.

H

no issues with a PROPERLY ventilated tank.....

[SVSmiles]

Originally posted by crashrat
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1872&highlight=fuel+auxilary

advrider thread on aux fuel tanks.
they just use nalagene/gatorade or sigg bottles;)

I have a rear tank getting mounted on a KTMSX125..

http://www.p1autotech.com/shop/shopimages/5.jpg
Hey, now that looks like a nice rigging. I think we'd all like a little more fuel capacity if we'd find ourselves doing an interstate trek so we could stop when we want to rather than when we need to so if something like that could be done up nice for an SV/S I'd even be interested in pursuing such a project... Hmmm, future food for thought for sure...

Originally posted by Burst
Miles, what would the problem be with making the actual stock tank bigger? I imagine by changing the shape a bit, you could easily find another gallon's worth of room there. hmmm....

Anyone have a crashed tank they want to donate for me to experiment with? :D
I've not heard word back from this other SV rider regarding what they think of the responses you've all noted thus far. I'll ask him what his take is about the enlarged fuel tank idea...

I'm going out on a limb in speaking for him on this as I really don't know what he'll say, BUT from the general conversation we had when he was first telling me of the idea the desire for this extra fuel capacity is that during these IB rides they ride as far as they can with as little non-road time as possible. That means, the fewer re-fueling & piss stops the better. SO, I'm not so sure he'd settle for one extra gallon via an enlarged front tank IF he could make an even larger capacity (guessing he's talking about a 3 maybe even 4 gallon tie-in) tank work from the rear. Now IF he's even MORE serious about this whole prospect of adding fuel capacity maaaybe he'd want to pursue both mods. I don't know... I'll ask if he's read up on the thread since I sent him the link to it just after the first posting and get some idea of what he thinks of the responses thus far. Really can't figure why he'd not just sign up and bounce around ideas with you all, but hey, just trying to help him out on this one.

[SVSmiles]

Okay, I received an email back from this other SV rider (Rob) regarding the input/responses thus far... I’m going to post his response below and since I’ll be taking up an increased work load for a bit here starting today I’ll have to leave the continued exchange up to him to join the BBS/forums and keep the thread active.

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Rob: Making the stock tank larger is NOT the way to go for
the desired application. You would not be able to increase
it large enough to fit 5-7 gallons MORE inside it ... at least
not without radically changing the tank/bikes appearance.
The way to go is to mount an aux. tank on the rear
seat. Using quick disconnects on the fuel line, would
permit the rider to simply disconnect the line from
the tie-in point (or even tank point), and lift the
whole assembly off the bike, replacing it with the
rear seat for two-up riding. For my application, the
aux. tank would be between 5-7 gallons.

------------------------------------

5-7 gallons! :eek: Guess I underestimated the amount of added fuel capacity he’s looking to add via this project...

------------------------------------
Continued:

I already have another rear seat (that's damaged on
the vinyl) to use for the base mounting plate. Depending
on the tank I buy, will determine the mounting method.
I've researched the tie-in to the existing system and it
seems pretty easy. 'Burst' was the most accurate of
all the responders to date. The SV has both a fuel
'cut-off' (mounted under the tank), and a fuel pump
(mounted further down the line). The fuel pump
appears to then dispense the fuel to each carb. using
separate lines. The filter seems to be housed in-tank
and attached to the cut-off (which is vacuum
operated). The tie in point would be between the
cut-off valve and the fuel pump, most likely, and run
a petcock on the aux. tank. Ideally, the petcock
would be concealed somewhere, yet readily accessible
to operate DURING riding. The aux. tank would have a
locking and vented filler cap, too. Most likely, this
criteria will be satisfied by buying a plastic race
car fuel cell, which also is filled with foam to
prevent sloshing. An additional filter would be
spliced in-line between the aux. tank's outlet and the
tie-in. If tie-in can be accomplished BEFORE the
cut-off valve, then the petcock would only be needed
to turn off the system for removal from the bike, not
for fueling operations. Now, all I'm doing is
searching for a fuel cell which has the capacity range
I'm looking for, workable dimensions, in decent
condition, and for a good price. Rest assured, I WILL
be attempting this modification. I may even join the
discussion group, too.

------------------------------------

I hope getting this thread started helps this SV rider and any others thinking of trying something along these lines. Really look forward to seeing how this progresses...

[curley]

Check out the Vstrom web site - do a search - some of the Strommers have added aux fuel tanks to ride the Iron Butt
http://vstrom.info/

Check out the IBA web site for some tips or suggestions
http://www.ironbutt.com/about/default.cfm

I believe some of the entries in last years IBA rally were 650 Vstroms

Check out a Gold Wing site - some of those sites may have additional tips ( the first bike in at the Red Hot Riders Baby Butt 1000 ( 1000 miles in 24hrs) last year was a Gold Wing with an Aux tank) - there was one SV650S - he has ridden the Baby Butt for two years now - straps a 2 gallon gas can to his passenger seat -

here's a site for an aux for a Vstrom DL650:
http://perljam.net/motorcycle/dl650/auxfueltank/

here's a manufacturer of aux tanks:
http://www.sampson-sporttouring.com/fuel-cells.html

NOTE: if you plan on riding the Iron Butt the rally it is every other year - (there was one in 2005 - the next one is in 2007)
The aux tank must be approved by their tech inspector before riding the rally.
To qualify for entry to the IBA rally you must apply for consideration/recognition by finishing a butt burner ( 1000 miles in 24 hrs)or butt burner gold ( 1500 miles in 36 hrs). This must be completed before you enter the Iron Butt Rally.

If he's in the SD area - there are two IBA recognized qualifying runs this year:
a) Ride for the Heart:
http://www.ridefortheheart.com/
b) Red Hot Rider's Baby Butt
http://www.redhotriders.com/

Good Luck

[TA2ROB]

Yeah, I'm the guy SVSMILES started this thread for. Anyway, I'm still looking for the cell ... 4-7 gallons would be nice. Hopefully with mounting tabs/straps to mount it to my extra rear seat pan. Using a quick fuel line disconnect, I should be able to just unhook the fuel line from the bike, remove the tank/seat pan assembly, and put the passenger seat back on for 2-up riding. At least that's the concept. Anyone out there try one of these installs? Or put an aux. fuel cell on the SV (1st generation)? I've researched the links posted in this thread, and while informative, they mostly refer to mega-buck setups of custom-made aluminum tanks. Since I'm broke, I'm looking for a safe, cheaper alternative. Any help would be appreciated.

[Darth Lefty]

Get a Jerry can and a rack...

[newbie]

That's easy...mount the needed size tank (can get a good fuel cell or even poly tank). Run a line with a petcock and tie in with the main fuel tank line. Once the low fuel light comes on switch the petcock over to the auxiallary tank.

Only potential issue is not knowing exactly how many more miles you can get before refilling. But that would be easy to calculate based on mileage.

Does it need to be more complicated?

[zipzit]

Have you ever done lots of miles on an SV? Not the most comfortable thing in the world. I don't mind a stretch every 150 miles or so (which is the range of my tank before the low fuel light comes on). Is this really worth the effort, health and safety risks?

Most that I've done is 600 miles in one day... I drove it fast on my SV. 300 miles one way to a job site... worked 6 to 8 hours then returned. Not a fun day. Funny thing was, I thought I was going to be able to claim $0.40 / mile for the trip from my employer. I thought I'd make a few bucks. Turns out the joke was on me. When I went to turn in the travel claim, right there in the small print were the words "Maximum claim is 100 miles per day" . (They want you to rent a car and they pay the car rental bill... reduces liability for them...) The 100 mile reimbursement just covered my gasoline bill.

Anyway... my butt hurt. A stop every 100 to 150 miles was a welcome break.

I'd think you'd be better off putting efforts to add lighting, entertainment, 2 way radio & GPS to your bike for an Iron Butt event.

Good luck, stay safe!
--zip

[J.Moto]

Originally posted by zipzit
Turns out the joke was on me. When I went to turn in the travel claim, right there in the small print were the words "Maximum claim is 100 miles per day" . (They want you to rent a car and they pay the car rental bill... reduces liability for them...) The 100 mile reimbursement just covered my gasoline bill.


--zip

That would make me :mad:!

[Burst]

Originally posted by zipzit
Have you ever done lots of miles on an SV? Not the most comfortable thing in the world. I don't mind a stretch every 150 miles or so (which is the range of my tank before the low fuel light comes on). Is this really worth the effort, health and safety risks?


It REALLY depends on the kind of mileage you are used to doing.... When I was riding 150 miles a day, EVERY day, a weekend ride around socal that was 400+ miles was not uncommon. I did find on several occasions it would have been nice to have more gas so I did not have to stop as often for fuel.

If you are conditioned to the longer rides, it isn't such a big deal.

[fujiko]

Does anyone have a fuel cell and/or have any knowledge on where I can get one for mine? Ideally, I'd like to get at least 200 miles between gas stops.

[racinteach]

As in extra fuel?
Acerbis makes some extra fuek tanks that can be mounted on a rack or in place of your rear seat...as for a larger one to take the palce of your stock one..I have not seen it yet...
check with these companies to see whatthey may have
Acerbis,
Jaz,
Fuel Safe,
can try IMS or Clarke( they make extra capicty off road bike tanks)..

[illustr8dman]

There used to be a company that manufactured Sv Race Tanks out of fiberglass that had an extra 1/4 or 1/2 gallon. These tanks were made for the 1st. gen. bikes. not sure what you have. Their website is no longer active and I didn't get any quick results with Google. Good Luck!

[acer66]

http://forum.svrider.com/index.php?topic=66719.0

[sbbandita]

Thanks for the thread info - it's alot of great info.

[slowpoke]

Originally posted by fujiko
Does anyone have a fuel cell and/or have any knowledge on where I can get one for mine? Ideally, I'd like to get at least 200 miles between gas stops.

Keep it at 55 in top gear?;)

[Monte]

Some of these look interesting, as well.
http://www.tourtank.com/

[killstealer]

Wow, this has really peaked my interest. I can just imagine the terribly long trips...

This may have to be my next mod. Will have to search for more personal accounts...



:cool:

[tmonroe]

I like the Jerry can Idea.

[lets out his inner Engineer]

Mount a rack on the bike, with a can on either side, then all you'd need to do would be pump the fuel from the Jerry cans up to the main tank.

Lets see, a custom gas cap with a quick-disconnect connector and a one-way valve... and a float switch. The float switch is used to turn the fuel pumps on when the level in the tank goes below say 2/3 full. Then you'd just need a low-volume submersible pump for each can.

It seems to me like this stuff could probably be put together off the shelf at an auto-parts store.

[/okay inner Engineer back in you go]

[Twitch]

Also:
Be sure to take a ride with the equivalent of 7 gallons worth of weight on the tail end of your bike before you make any mods.
That's a decent amount of weight to put on the exteme upper back end of the bike. The frame geometry will change drastically and that nimble little SV will likely become a completely different animal.

[fujiko]

Good point - thanks.

[TA2ROB]

Originally posted by Darth Lefty
Get a Jerry can and a rack...

I'm running three 45 liter Givi hardcases (two sidecases and one top case), so if you picture the bike setup that way, I'm almost out of room for more 'racks'. The rear seating area seems to be the only space left.

Originally posted by zipzit
Have you ever done lots of miles on an SV? Not the most comfortable thing in the world. I don't mind a stretch every 150 miles or so (which is the range of my tank before the low fuel light comes on). Is this really worth the effort, health and safety risks?

Most that I've done is 600 miles in one day... I drove it fast on my SV. 300 miles one way to a job site... worked 6 to 8 hours then returned. Not a fun day. Funny thing was, I thought I was going to be able to claim $0.40 / mile for the trip from my employer. I thought I'd make a few bucks. Turns out the joke was on me. When I went to turn in the travel claim, right there in the small print were the words "Maximum claim is 100 miles per day" . (They want you to rent a car and they pay the car rental bill... reduces liability for them...) The 100 mile reimbursement just covered my gasoline bill.

Anyway... my butt hurt. A stop every 100 to 150 miles was a welcome break.

I'd think you'd be better off putting efforts to add lighting, entertainment, 2 way radio & GPS to your bike for an Iron Butt event.

Good luck, stay safe!
--zip

You are correct when you say the SV is NOT the most comfortable bike in the world! Having logged almost 80,000 miles on it since the Spring of 2002, I think I can attest to that. The most consecutive mileage I've done on the SV (but more on other bikes) has been approximately 1,625 miles in about 23.5 hours. No sleep break, no food stops. Just gas and go (never leaving the bike's seat) and bathroom breaks when needed. I've ridden in many states with the SV and am now preparing for a coast-to-coast ride in less than 50 hours.

As for increasing the seating comfort, I've recovered the stock seat twice with vinyl and increased the padding by adding a 1/2 inch gel insert. I also use a wooden bead seat cover on top of the seat to help ease the pain and swamp ass feeling. Many people wear 'special' clothes, made from material that has extra perspiration-wicking capabilities, to also make themselves more comfortable for extended rides with little off-bike time.

I've already added 110 watts of extra lighting to the bike and ride with my MP3 playing non-skipping tunes into my earphones. The cell phone is my communication link (when it has service) and I carry an atlas for route directions/information.

[TA2ROB]

Originally posted by Twitch
Also:
Be sure to take a ride with the equivalent of 7 gallons worth of weight on the tail end of your bike before you make any mods.
That's a decent amount of weight to put on the exteme upper back end of the bike. The frame geometry will change drastically and that nimble little SV will likely become a completely different animal.

True, the added weight will make a difference, as will the fuel 'sloshing' around. But if the back is designed to hold a passenger, then the weight of my three hardcases/mounting rack fully loaded and the fuel & cell/mounts should be similar. If you can ride long distances two-up WITH the cases fully loaded, it should not be such a difference replacing the passenger with a cell filled with 5 gallons of fuel.

I just acquired a RCI 5 gallon plastic racing fuel cell with foam inside it. The foam should control the fuel from 'sloshing' around inside it; I've been told the foam is also flame-retardant and a requirement of many racing sanctioning bodies (another plus in case of a fall/puncture). Mounting/fabricating will begin as soon as the cell arrives. I've also done the Kawasaki 636 shock swap, so at least I'm better off than the stock one. I may try a Hayabusa shock if the 636 isn't up to all this weight, as I've been told the 'Busa shock will fit (much the same as the 636 shock), and it has a higher weight rating (but is stiffer on the bike's ride).

[TA2ROB]

Okay, here it goes. The aux. tank modification is finally done. All that it needs is some more paint. I'll post some crappy cell phone pix soon. Here's the breakdown for those that care: I bought an RCI 5 gallon poly cell - black, square ~13"X13" or so. It's got a sump which I faced rearward, with 2 inputs/outputs and 2 top-mounted vents. The cell is vented through the filler cap. I capped off both the fittings on the top and one on the sump. I installed a fitting on the other sump output which goes to 1/2” rubber fuel line. That line goes to an inline fuel filter, which then goes to a fuel shutoff valve. The output of the valve reduces the fuel line to ¼”. I then ran ¼” rubber fuel line from the shutoff valve’s output to another smaller shutoff valve which has ¼” input & output. I then ran more ¼” rubber fuel line from the output of the 2nd fuel shutoff valve to a brass T fitting spliced under the stock tank between the output of the stock tank and the stock fuel block (which splits the fuel into two lines – 1 to each carb.). All hose connections have either spring or screw clamps. I then fill up both tanks, but since I don’t have a centerstand, & fill when the bike is on the kickstand, I can only get ~4 gallons into the aux. cell & ~4 gallons into the stock tank. So, I now have doubled the fuel capacity of the bike, therefore doubling the bike’s range between fill-ups. The cell is mounted to a stock rear seat pan – I bought an extra stock rear seat for the bike, stripped off the cover and pad, and painted it black. I used garage door opener mounting ‘L’ (90 degree) shaped aluminum (which is already predrilled with many mounting holes), cut it, and made a ‘chassis’ for the cell to ride in. The metal goes up and across the cell’s sides and edges boxing the cell in. I used pipe insulating foam between the metal frame and the plastic cell – just in case they start rubbing against each other. I then mounted the cell, enclosed in the metal frame (the frame is bolted together with carriage bolts/nuts, flat washers, lock washers, and Locktite), to the seat pan using heavy duty hinges located closest to the rider. I had to space the cell at the hinges at a high enough angle to allow the fuel to travel to the sump. I used a single ratchet tie down strap as well, just for added safety in case the seat pan was to crack. The strap travels over and under the cell, on top of the seat pan, and around my Givi saddlebag mounts – thus, the cell/pan is strapped down to the bag rack, which is bolted to the rear frame of the bike. No fuel pump – just gravity. I leave the main fuel shutoff valve closed and the smaller one open. When the stock tank’s fuel light starts flashing, I turn on the main fuel shutoff valve, and within a few minutes, the light stops blinking. By doing this, I am using the aux. cell to fill the stock tank and run the bike. You don’t turn on the aux. tank before the stock one is almost empty because eventually fuel will have no place to go (the stock tank being back-filled), and fuel will leak out of the stock tank’s overflow hose (located next to the rear brake pedal) & even the stock tank’s fill cap. When I get to around 375 miles or so, having zeroed the trip odometer at the fill up of both tanks, the fuel light comes on again and I know I need to fill up again. If I want to ride 2-up, I simply shut off both fuel shutoff valves, disconnect the ¼” fuel line from the main/larger fuel shutoff valve’s output, and remove the entire rear seat pan/aux. cell with the bike’s key – just as you would remove a normal rear seat. I then put on the stock rear seat for my passenger. The bike handles fine (when moving) with the added weight/higher center of gravity – not nearly as bad as riding 2-up with an inexperienced passenger. At stops, you can feel the lateral sway a bit, as the fuel in the aux. tank sloshes/rolls side to side – nothing that would make you drop the bike. This ‘rolling’ effect can be minimized by installing the approved foam into the aux. cell – the foam acts as a baffle and is flame retardant. I used hinges in the mounting process so I can tip the cell away from the seat pan and store items under it (flat items, like a tent, rain suit, Thermarest, etc., as the space under the cell is limited and you don’t want to change the angle of the cell too much because you’ll stop the fuel from getting to the sump). To lock the aux. cell’s fill cap, I notched holes at both ends of a flat, straight piece of ¼” thick aluminum. I then bought two small same-keyed padlocks, laid the metal over the fill cap, and locked it to the metal frame of the cell. By doing this, you can’t open the fill cap until you unlock one of the locks, unhook the flat aluminum piece, and swing it out of the way (~4” or so) to either side of the fill cap. The flat aluminum piece has 2 small rubber grommets between it and the metal frame around the cell (1 on each lock) to eliminate the metal-on-metal noise when riding. I spent ~$55.00 on the cell, ~$20.00 on both shutoff valves, ~$15.00 on both sizes of fuel line and the fuel filter, ~$10.00 on hose clamps and the brass T fitting, ~$35.00 on the other AN caps and fittings, ~$25.00 on the extra rear seat, ~$40.00 on all the aluminum and nuts, bolts, and washers. I had the paint and the hinges already from previous projects. So, it cost me ~$200.00 for the whole project. That’s very cheap when compared to setups that cost over $400.00 plus installation. I did score many of the parts on eBay – for example, the cell alone sells new from Summit Racing for $125.00 – but I took my time and searched/waited for good deals. I’m happy with the outcome of this project. I needed the extra fuel capacity because I ride ~210 miles each day (or more) and it sucked having to fill up every day. Now, I have to fill up every other day. Like I said – pix will be posted as soon as I have the time. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

[TA2ROB]

Pix of aux. fuel cell.

[TA2ROB]

Pix of large fuel shutoff valve.

[TA2ROB]

Pix of small fuel shutoff valve:

[TA2ROB]

Pix of fuel filter:

[TA2ROB]

Pix of T fitting under stock tank:

[TA2ROB]

All that's left is to paint the aluminum & mounting hardware black. I might fabricate a backrest to mount on the cell's frame as well.

I didn't take a pix of the 'locking' strip of aluminum/padlocks. If anyone wants one, just PM me. I left the bolts long in case I decide to mount/fab a backrest. If not, I'll cut them flush. I can also use a bungee net and lash more 'cargo' on top of the cell for multi-state traveling.

[Burst]

Why not weld the frame together instead of using bolts at all the corners? Just leave one side bolted so you can get the cell out of there if need be....

[TA2ROB]

Originally posted by Burst
Why not weld the frame together instead of using bolts at all the corners? Just leave one side bolted so you can get the cell out of there if need be....

I only own a cheap hobby MIG welder - the kind without shielding gas. I'm not sure if it would make quality welds on that type of metal. I did use it to weld one of my Givi saddlebag racks (where it cracked due to some off-pavement excursions) and that weld is still holding up. I might try welding the corners after testing how it welds on some of the same (scrap) metal I have left over.

[Burst]

It looks to me like that stuff is galvanized? make sure you have plenty of ventilation and preferably a fan blowing or drawing the fumes away from you when you do weld it.

[Mike1024]

that looks like a motherf***in bomb, G!!! EWWwwW

[Dante]

That kicks MUCH ass man. I am quite impressed.

Was just thinking, if you wanted to do this on a FI SV (2nd gen), you might be able to get away with the gravity-fed auto-refill method that you've done here. All you're really doing is waiting for the main fuel tank to get low, then using gravity to refill the main tank from the spare, since it's higher than the main tank. If you were actually trying to run off both at the same time without a switch, then you'd need a sending unit (pump) in the extra cell, otherwise the main pump would just keep the aux tank topped off all the time, depending on how you plumbed it.

Again, my compliments on your ingenuity, and endurance. :cool: