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Bigger Fuel Tank


Guest GerhardVFRRider

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  • Member Contributer

Holy Capetown! That is impressive work!

Switchblade, 4-6 litres = roughly 1- 1.5 US gallons.

Thanks! Here in South Africa a bigger tank is not really necessary as all our fuel garages are within 200 km of each other. Just annoying to stop so often.

In NZ it is rare to have go even that far between fuel stops, but I am with you, who wants all their stops to be at fuel stations and not other places.

Here is my approach, get a small, light plastic siphon and travel with guys with the bikes that have uber large tanks ... Then you can easily risk doing 290 kms and laugh at the servo that you were nearly out of gas ... BMW adventure bikes with the big 33 litre tanks are best ... Buy them one free tank load at the start of the trip and they might stay with you for 4000 kms .... Awesome insurance ...

Or gas tankers. 33 litres is 8.8 gallons

BMW adventure bikes with the big 33 litre tanks are best

The Beamers tanks have 33 litres ...

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Well I have done it. Cost me R3000 (US$300) for metal work and R2250 (US$225) for paintwork.

I have not filled it up but they assured me that it will take between 4 and 6 more litres.

Well I'll be very interested to hear how much fuel actually goes in there. Just from your pics, it's tough to imagine that hump holding five liters give or take. It just doesn't look that big. I'm envisioning a two liter Pepsi bottle vs your new tank top. Let us know once you've filled it.

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For me, another 1/2gal wouldn't be bad. Any more than that, it's extra capacity I won't ever use. Couple of times I went more than 150 miles before stopping I did only to test out the fuel tank's range. Probably rode past at least 4 gas stations in the last 30mins each time. Had to over-rule my protesting right wrist while I was at it.

This is a very sporty sport tourer... not a grand touring mile eater. It sure as heck not a GS meant to conquer Kilimanjaro.

8 gal tank on the VFR1200 would be like beautiful huge breasts on a prima ballerina. Lovely to have... but gets in the way for what she does best.

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Guest GerhardVFRRider

Thanks for all the nice replies, when I got it back from the shop they told me that they put R50 fuel in (not much at R13.75 a litre). I assumed that it had about two litres left when I filled her up and it took 20.82 Litres. So the capacity is around 22 Litres. It should be able to take more but I think there is an air bubble just before the cap (seat side). If you look carefully at the pictures you might notice that.

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5.8 gals would definitely give it the range I wish it had. But as others said, it's not particularly attractive, and puts that extra 6 or 7 lbs up awfully high. Pity they couldn't expand the sides of the tank under the plastic side panels. The weight would be lower and you wouldn't see the cosmetic change.

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  • 5 months later...

Has anyone tried fitting the VFR1200X Crosstourer tank?

I know it won't be a straight swap and will require other bits, but it is 21L so must be worth a bit of investigation.

Anyone had a look at this?

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DSC_0137.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG Galaxy SIII using Tapatalk 2

that's the most hideous looking thing i've ever seen.......

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Why wouldn't you just get a couple of Rotopax fuel packs and the mount for a Givi type rack? Or do what folks did in the old days - use one gallon bleach bottles (because they are usually the thickest).

Edited by dalesvfr
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  • 2 weeks later...

DOT won't be happy with the bleach bottles....very illegal....i'm a CDL driver....i''ve dealt with them...big trouble for that sort of thing

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I wouldn't do it - people who've toured Alaska on KLRs and BMW GS's and such do it. Probably not a lot of DOT checking for it up

no DOT check crossing the border ???? it's not as much about getting checked as it is dying in a fireball

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I didn't say crossing a border. I know people who rode trails or toured Alaska and have used a bleach jug. I didn't say I condone it recommend it or plan on doing it, but when you have a two hundred mile stretch between gas stations the next day and you only have a 170 mile tank range, you do what you do.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/05/21/tips-for-carrying-spare-gas-on-the-trails/

My point was there are alternatives to that monstrosity on page two. A Rotopax would be my choice.

Edited by dalesvfr
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I couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of interest in my CrossTourer tank suggestion which is somewhat surprising since it may well offer exactly what everyone on this thread is asking for.

Anyway, I looked into it a bit further and it looks quite promising. The air box is the same on both bikes, so the underside of both tanks would match. Also, the front tank mounts would appear to be the same. So where does that get us...

No current info on rear tank mount, but I suspect it will fit. Then there's the air intakes. These are the same, but there'd be no plastic side panel to cover them and blend into the fairing, so something would need to be done there. Finally, the CrossTourer tank is a fair bit taller and that may cause a problem with the handlebars, but that needs testing to finally determine if it is a problem. Then there's overall appearance. Whether it would look ok would be up to the individual, but you can't have everything.

So, it seems to me it would be worth pursuing. Anyone got both types of VFR and could check?

One more point about using the CrossTourer tank is fitting the seat as they are slightly different at the front. That would also need to be tested, but it is possible that the front of the F seat could just be scrunched to fit, it is kinda flexible after all.

We need someone to try this out.

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  • 1 month later...

I couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of interest in my CrossTourer tank suggestion which is somewhat surprising since it may well offer exactly what everyone on this thread is asking for.

Anyway, I looked into it a bit further and it looks quite promising. The air box is the same on both bikes, so the underside of both tanks would match. Also, the front tank mounts would appear to be the same. So where does that get us...

No current info on rear tank mount, but I suspect it will fit. Then there's the air intakes. These are the same, but there'd be no plastic side panel to cover them and blend into the fairing, so something would need to be done there. Finally, the CrossTourer tank is a fair bit taller and that may cause a problem with the handlebars, but that needs testing to finally determine if it is a problem. Then there's overall appearance. Whether it would look ok would be up to the individual, but you can't have everything.

So, it seems to me it would be worth pursuing. Anyone got both types of VFR and could check?

One more point about using the CrossTourer tank is fitting the seat as they are slightly different at the front. That would also need to be tested, but it is possible that the front of the F seat could just be scrunched to fit, it is kinda flexible after all.

We need someone to try this out.

You can be the first, but who really wants to butcher a good 1200.

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I didn't say crossing a border. I know people who rode trails or toured Alaska and have used a bleach jug. I didn't say I condone it recommend it or plan on doing it, but when you have a two hundred mile stretch between gas stations the next day and you only have a 170 mile tank range, you do what you do.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/05/21/tips-for-carrying-spare-gas-on-the-trails/

My point was there are alternatives to that monstrosity on page two. A Rotopax would be my choice.

Rotopax is a slick solution.

With my KLR in Alaska I packed two MSR bottles plus stove fuel if things were really bad. Most folks up there who do a long run with temporary gas just use an approved plastic fuel container ( One gallon or so) that you can buy at almost any gas station . They just strap on top when not in use. You fill it up just before an 'anticipated" long run without gas and then empty the contents after 60 miles or so to minimize the container risk. I had one 250 mile run without gas in Alaska but did not use the emergency gas.

I always carry at least a MSR bottle on tour. I have been over 200 miles several times without a gas station to include Nevada and West Texas.

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