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Aux Fuel Tank for Extended Riding

7K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  Gert 
#1 · (Edited)
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2014 DL650A is my ride, and after the normal farkles I had the bike just about perfect for
adventures. I have had it all over the lower 48 and up into Canada, and generally have loved it.

My one complaint is that when I am touring with my buddy on the interstate, especially out west. We cruise at a speed that makes my range significantly less than his.

Running at low speeds the 650 is very fuel efficient, and I out-distance his bike. However, at the speeds of western interstates, mpg drops off precipitously.

I considered just adding rotopaks, which I did, but in the end that still forces me to stop when he is going strong.

I've seen lots of solutions, but none that really solved my issue the way I wanted.

So I plumbed in an aux tank.

I was able to do it without modifying the main tank in any way. I push fuel through the vent tube when running down the road, and when I switch it off everything vents as normal through the charcoal canister. I accomplished this with the solenoid valve next to the fuel pump.

I am sure that some people will have fire risk concerns, but it is all sealed and made from very durable materials that are all fuel rated. Under normal riding, I don't use it, so it is essentially just a 3-gallon blister in the evap system, but on long straight-up rides on 85 mph roads it gives me at total of 8 usable gallons of fuel, and that lets me outdistance my buddy.

I ran the electric through a relay and switch via the Eastern Beaver block, and it really works well. The transfer rate is about 6 gallons per hour, so I turn it on in 10 min intervals to keep the bulk of the fuel in the main tank.

The only downside is that I get questions every time we stop somewhere.

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#2 ·
I like the ingenuity of it and you were able to solve your problem with range now. Yeah, fire would be a concern in an accident but your already aware of that. Questions? I would imagine every time you stop you get questions. I'd put a flux capacitor or maybe a radioactive symbol sticker on it somewhere just to keep people guessing. I'd have fun making up some b.s. story on what it is to people.
 
#3 ·
Nice work!

When I was building my slave tank last year, I toyed with the idea of a fuel pump to transfer the fuel and it became overly complicated. Instead, I went the much simpler route and connected the slave tank to the main tank vent, so fuel is pulled in vs pumped or by gravity. No pumps or electrics to worry with and super simple to make quick connect. I can have my slave tank on/off the bike in seconds.

 
#4 ·
That is certainly a simpler solution than mine and was similar to my first go.

I tried the gravity feed/siphon solution but found that it left about a gallon in the aux tank. It is possible that the GS tank seals better and as a result can pull more fuel than my Glee.

I also found that I had leakage when sitting still at the main tank filler once the feed started. Everything has trade-offs, and I added complications in exchange for more positive control.
 
#6 ·
Some on the east coast may wonder why people do this. If you have ever made a cross-country trip across the western U.S. you know exactly why people do it. And the questions about how much gas is left when the fuel level indicator says empty don't seem so trivial.

Thank heaven for people willing to give stranded motorists a lift to Baker City Oregon.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Some on the east coast may wonder why people do this. If you have ever made a cross-country trip across the western U.S. you know exactly why people do it. And the questions about how much gas is left when the fuel level indicator says empty don't seem so trivial.

Thank heaven for people willing to give stranded motorists a lift to Baker City Oregon.
The other thing you always hear is I’d have to stop to pee before I ran out of fuel. So just stop at a gas station and do both. While this is a good plan personally I’d rather have plenty of fuel and stop where and when I want. I’ve seen enough gas stations to know what they are all about.

I can carry a bunch of fuel on my GSA coupled with the 3+ gallon slave then. Most of the time I can top up in the morning grab some snacks and not have to worry about anything but riding the rest of the day.
 
#11 ·
My GS with panniers and loaded with my fat ass are like pushing a sheet of plywood through a hurricane. Normal everyday 2-lane riding even spirited garners 42/44 MPG. Hop on the interstate and keep up with traffic expect a 20%+ drop.

It's no secret motorcycles are about as aerodynamic as cinderblocks. Ad in panniers, big windscreens and its only amplifies the coefficient of drag.
 
#18 ·
Nice work, just don't linger around any federal buildings !
 
#20 ·
A lot of us in the Long Distance/Iron Butt/Rally riding community use an aux tank. I have a 5.35 gallon gravity fed tank on my Tenere. On my Strom I cut up the stock gas tank and expanded it to hold 7.3 gallons total. Rotopax are also popular.
 
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