1st Gen Auxiliary gas can.

[Pasta Burner]

I thought through a search I’d find more hits but apparently not. Any good suggestions for carrying auxiliary fuel? Where I live, I can start some pretty extreme remote stretches no more than 30 min from my door. I’m wanting to start some iron butt weekends but for sure don’t want to be walking. Puc I know you were called out in the chat room albeit you weren’t present. I do also have a Markland hitch that I took off when doing other maintenance and didn’t reinstall as I suspected it wasn’t mounted correctly to begin with. That may be a decent place to mount a jerry can?

[cowpuc]

I thought through a search I’d find more hits but apparently not. Any good suggestions for carrying auxiliary fuel? Where I live, I can start some pretty extreme remote stretches no more than 30 min from my door. I’m wanting to start some iron butt weekends but for sure don’t want to be walking. Puc I know you were called out in the chat room albeit you weren’t present. I do also have a Markland hitch that I took off when doing other maintenance and didn’t reinstall as I suspected it wasn’t mounted correctly to begin with. That may be a decent place to mount a jerry can?

 

Hold my friend,, I am gonna summons my dear brother out on the west coast, kinda like screamin "hey culligan mannnnn",,, heyy " VentureFar far rider mannnnnnn" :crackup:

 

My brother out there has professionally tested and reviewed more bike stuff than you can shake a stick at Pasta and he may very well have actually included aux fuel apparatuses in one of his Ultimate reviews.. What da heck,, what da hay,,, even if the varmint aint done that,, I do happen to know that he and I had discussed carrying xtra fuel on numerous occasions and he handled this need totally different than my "one off" Puc methods so lets see what kind of input he may come up with here.. While wait though,, I will state;

For many many tens of hundreds of thousands of miles,, mainly cause Tip and I didnt see eye to eye about pushing these Ventures down the road instead of riding them,, I used (and actually found this to work very nicely) quart oil containers filled with gas and tie wrapped under the rear rack that I have used forever as a tent carrier on the back of tweeks.. I found that by leaving a little space in the container when filling them and then squeezing the sides of the quart to allow for expansion really helped with pressure build up when riding in the heat.. After filling, squeezing and capping the quarts,, I placed them in some old socks (a technique I devised on a two month tour one time after Tip decided she would push no more due to my laughing while we pushed Tweeks uphill into a Shell Station on the other side of the river from Chamberlain SD) and tie wrapped them to the underside of the rack.. 4 quarts = 1 gallon = adding 40 miles which may not seem like much but if you spend some time in the desert with only 1 gallon of water to share all of a sudden 40 additional miles can be a life safer..

Need some pics? I can probably find a few..

On another HUGE note,, personnally,, I have only found 1 spot in the lower 48 where - all things being equal - a person who really wants to not run out of gas and montitors his bikes fuel level really has concern,, that would be out on the xtra terrestrial highway.. IMHO,, a person would be a fool (no reference to @Flyinfool intended cause he really is no fool) to head across that puppy without a couple gallons of xtra gas..

Another thing to consider in all this,, IMHO, is the opportunity to help others.. I have actually used my little quart oil containers filled with gas to help others more than in fulfilling my own needs.. It is nice to be able to hand them over to another rider or even cage driver in need just give them to them and then just grab a couple empty containers out of a trash can at a truck stop and start all over again.. I am not sure but I think a genuine aftermarket aux fuel container may be cost prohibitive for doing such a thing.. Maybe,, maybe not.. Lets see if Neil responds here cause he will also probably know just how much one of those things cost.. He is like that,, my brother Venturefar, got a good memory...

[VentureFar]

I stupidly pasted a photo and that really messed things up. I am reposting without the photo. Hopefully a Moderator deleted my mistake

 

Hey Pasta' it is me, Puc's younger brother by a different mother.

This is the ultimate gas container for a bike but you will have to wait until they get it re certified. CARB changed the specs and their gas can meets the specs but has to be tested. Covid 19 halted all CARB testing. As soon as it is certified, this is your gas can.

https://www.reda.co/reda-gas-can check the dimensions to make sure they it will fit in your side bag(s)

Waiting to get mine, I use 2 MSR bottles. That gives just under 1/2 gallon. If I mis calculated my gas stop by 20 miles I deserve to walk!

On my trips to Sturgis I have done legs at 50mph to to get the planned distance but those legs were sooooooooo boring, I decided to not do that anymore.

 

Very important you don't overfill any of these bottles. If you get gas on their sides, especially the plastic container, it will retain the gas smell. Not following my own advice, I carry a pouch of baby wipes to get most of the smell off when the gas bubbles out of the filler when putting the gas in. Patience is a virtue here. Go slow and stop often, and don't come any near the "fill line" - its too late and you start cussing like Puc every time he gets to a state that requires a helmet....

 

If I am trying to totally skip a gas stop I strap a 2.5 gallon gas can on my trunk rack.

Remember that if you are documenting an IronButt you have to document where you put in the extra gas, how long it took and why you chose to skip a gas station.

 

I just noticed that IronButt assoc now allows for online documentation instead of USPS. If I wasn't so old, I would do another, just for fun. Crud, now you got me thinking........

VentureFar...

[Jayceesfolly]

I have one of these and it fits in the side bag of my 89 VR. Never a gas smell and it sits in the bag in the sun all day long. I only carry it on trips and do not use it for around town travel. I have never had to use it for myself, but I have used it for other riders. It's pricey, but very heavy plastic and worth the cost.

 

Jim

[VentureFar]

I have one of these and it fits in the side bag of my 89 VR. Never a gas smell and it sits in the bag in the sun all day long. I only carry it on trips and do not use it for around town travel. I have never had to use it for myself, but I have used it for other riders. It's pricey, but very heavy plastic and worth the cost.

 

Jim

 

Yup that’s the Reda but not available until Re certified by CARB.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Prairiehammer]

Steve Bracken ( @twigg ) is a veteran long distance rider who partook on many a rally with his 1986 Venture. He used this auxiliary tank. It was certified by the Iron Butt Association.

 

[Patch]

Eh Kevin, this was quite an issue with the Cade riders back in the day. The range off the tank was pretty low causing some to get a bit creative with less well thought out range add on's.

I will say I have considered adding a jerrycan a time or 2 on the platform for the hitch. Why after all these years I haven't is also experience related and is a direct link to some of the spills I've had or have witnessed since my touring days as far back as 79. And looking at this rig above, my thoughts remain the same, just not safe enough

 

Now and on the other hand, I have carried extra fuel in 2 one LT. oil bottles placed one per rear saddle bag! Here's why I don't worry about contamination: when I pack my saddles, I first place a trash bag then my travel gear goes in that which contours to and around the hard stuff stored at the bottom. Don't ask why but my clean gear goes in the left and tools, need a wash in the right - extra visors, gloves, towels, shaving kit, snacks, and water in the trunk, extra helmet on the cooking rack, tent strapped to the left saddle!

Just one of my mental quirks I guess

[Patmac6075]

My issue would be safety first. Let me be clear, I have MANY times disregarded my own advise when it comes to safety (i.e., I often ride without a helmet in short sleeves and tennis shoes), but if I'm going to dole out unwanted advise I would alway suggest the safest route. With that being said, why not just use your reserve on the petcock? Your tank has a built in reserve, why not use that? Then I would plan my trip accordingly using the available fuel I have, if I overestimate my range I know I have (I think) a gallon or a gallon and a half available with a twist of the reserve lever.

If it were me, and I really wanted to carry additional fuel, I would buy the canned fuel available from most hardware stores or auto parts centers. This fuel won't spoil and it comes in sealed containers. The downside is it expensive!

IMHO, no matter how much fuel you carry on a trip...it all comes down to planning your milage...you could pull a 20 gallon tank behind your bike, but if you mismanage your range you could still be left slapping your forehead wishing you'd pulled a 20 1/2 gallon trailer.

My $0.02

Pat

[Pasta Burner]

Thanks for all the tips and ideas. I don’t want something permanent, but something semi like the hitch mount with a quick clip for pump and fuel line may be a cool mod to dabble with in the future. Xtra terrestrial highway and the surrounding ways to get there is pretty much why this topic came up. Second ESP event today 🕳🤷*♂️. I wanted to go south from Wendover and maybe hit rt6 or 50 west. The problem with planning your trip around gas stations is that you’d need to backtrack to see some sights on your list (shantytown, Fort Ruby). And it’s a craps shoot if a station is still active or open in these teeny western towns. I wasn’t planning on sanctioned iron butt rides...yet. I travel from SLC to Vandenberg and it’d be fun to take the back roads. From what I’ve read most are really starting to look around the 120 mile mark. That’s not very far. So far I’m averaging 75 to a half tank. The red slanted jug mentioned, I had seen on revzilla I think, looked good, but sketchy storing it in the hard case, but you guys say it works I’ll play along. I like the oil can idea too, disposable, or give awayable without any personal loss. Then of course MSR bottles. When You start linking these backroads together it’s easy to get further and further away from civilization and I don’t want to make a bee line for the next station. Add in adverse weather like a headwind and forget about it.

[Prairiehammer]

The red slanted jug mentioned, I had seen on revzilla I think, looked good, but sketchy storing it in the hard case, but you guys say it works I’ll play along.

 

An alternate to carrying fuel cans IN the saddlebag, might be to securely mount the fuel can on one (or both) of the passenger floorboards as Steve did with his water jug.

Of course, that will only work if riding solo.

[BlueSky]

Are there any laws prohibiting gas cans hanging on the side or exterior of a motorcycle?

[Prairiehammer]

Are there any laws prohibiting gas cans hanging on the side or exterior of a motorcycle?

 

Perhaps, but apparently not, since there are manufacturers making and selling fuel cans specifically designed for mounting to a motorcycle.

 

https://packupandride.com/5-ways-to-carry-extra-gas-on-your-motorcycle/

[VentureFar]

Are there any laws prohibiting gas cans hanging on the side or exterior of a motorcycle?

 

ha, if there was then @cowpuc would be a poor man having ridden through all 50 states.

VentureFar...

[cowpuc]

ha, if there was then cowpuc would be a poor man having ridden through all 50 states.

VentureFar...

 

and a fair portion of Canada where they don't just let any/every lop eared, living on the road - by the American biker code being a full blown filament of your illumination, full fledged all American varmint in.. Why them varmints even took my 2 inch pocket knife from me one time cause it looked dangerous to them after they found it while checking out my bike for weapons.. So yeah,, I tend to side with my dear, sweet, precious little brother here...

 

Here is something that may be of interest to the OP of this thread.. Many many years ago I used to toss in numerous Enduro and Harescrambling races during my MX season to stay in shape.. Those types of races were usually quite lengthy and, having learned the hard way by getting beat out of a 1st place open class trophy on my CR250M 73 Honda Elsinore factory MX bike on one occasion because of its smaller tank compared to the "normal" woods bikes, I set out to figure out a way to over come the small tank disadvantage.. Because MX bikes of that early era had no 12vdc system off its RR cause they simply did not have/need one. Thinking it over,, my American back yard wrench spinning ingenuity kicked in and I came up with a cross bar mounted, front fork supported, behind the number plate fuel tank that held an extra 2 gallons of fuel.. I ran two hoses thru the cap of this tank, one hose connected like a normal vent hose on the cap would be connected and the other hose I set up with a fuel pickup from a snowmobile tank laying in the bottom of the tank and attached internally to a nipple that the vent line from my CR's OEM tank connected to.. I theorized that with a full tank on the bike, as the fuel was used from the stock tank that fuel would be pulled from the external tank by vacuum thru the stock OEM vent hose.. Guess what,, IT WORKED!!

It worked well enough that 1 month later my little 250 came home with 2 trophies from that 3 hour Harescramble (I never ran less than the 3 hours cause I liked getting my monies worth - besides,, I always figured 1 or 2 hour Harescrambles were for girly boys ). A 1st for open class overall (running against the big bores) and a 1st for the 250 class and all because I simply refused to pull up to the starting gate knowing I had a fuel disadvantage.. Where there is a will,, there is way!!

Edited August 19, 2020 by cowpuc

[VentureFar]

Here is a photo from 2008 I found with two long distance riding buddies with beer keg style aux gas on Honda shadow 1100's

That was a fun and very long day. I rode from Denver to Kenton OK, saw some petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks and then headed back to denver.

The owner of the bike on the left never needed any sleep. He would head out for a 15 or 20 hour ride and then on his way home detour on a 1000 mile loop... and never stop to sleep. That ain't me.

 

 

VentureFar...

[Pasta Burner]

Here is a photo from 2008 I found with two long distance riding buddies with beer keg style aux gas on Honda shadow 1100's

That was a fun and very long day. I rode from Denver to Kenton OK, saw some petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks and then headed back to denver.

The owner of the bike on the left never needed any sleep. He would head out for a 15 or 20 hour ride and then on his way home detour on a 1000 mile loop... and never stop to sleep. That ain't me.

 

https://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=119501

 

VentureFar...

 

 

so when I said “ironbutt” I didn’t know the full context and the association. I just meant longer...further...than what I was ever used to on a sport bike. After looking at their website I see some appeal to some of the milestones but I like to stop and look around.

[VentureFar]

Ha. I guess we all over thought your query.

Little boy asks his mother where do I come from and she gives him the long version of the birds and the bees. When she is done he replies “no Mommy, Freddy is from Chicago, where do I come from?”

VentureFar...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pasta Burner]

No but seriously I appreciate all the info. And like I said, starting in Salt Lake it’s really easy to get into the middle of nowhere quick. Plus I learned some stuff I otherwise wouldn’t have known, so it’s all a win.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Pasta Burner

[CaseyJ955]

When I first got my VMX, I wanted to take it distances, but a fuel range of, I dunno, NOTHING, stops that pretty quick. So I found these on Ebay and asked the seller to custom make one for me narrower so it would not look to stupid on the Vmax by sticking out. But, I figured touring a Vmax would be like drag racing an 883. Bought the Venture to tour and put the extra tank away a few years ago.

 

I snapped a few pics just for fun, I'd pass it along, or now that I have an FZ09 that I would like to distance ride it might end up on that. Here is a pic of how it fills a Gen1 trunk. If I were keeping the Venture I would hard mount that right in the trunk there and plumb it in a way that I open the valve and it drains into the service tank. It's would be a little slow, but a helluva lot faster than walking through death valley. When I ride, I ride with the goal of finding cool VERY small towns isolated away from civilization, just generally being as far from everything/anything as I can get. Extra fuel is a real plus for this sort of touring. Even on the Venture there were a few times where I was SURE I was gonna be hoovin' it.

 

I would imagine that for interstate touring the Venture has adequate range, but interstates are not all that much fun, now are they? Those red Jerry-type cans get lots of love from folks too, I've read many praises.

[Pasta Burner]

That’s exactly it. I don’t want to plan a trip around gas stations. I wanna take the long way around but not have to worry.

[CaseyJ955]

That’s exactly it. I don’t want to plan a trip around gas stations. I wanna take the long way around but not have to worry.

 

Thank you!

 

I've pushed bikes, paid for gas from random people and been genuinely stuck in the middle of nowhere. Late teens, I hitchhiked while pushing my out of gas XL500, between Rapid City and Nemo SD, and a guy delivering bread and baked goodies to grocery stores stopped and we loaded my bike into this bakery delivery van full of stuff. I figured on leaving the bike and getting a ride to the gas station and walking back, but he insisted we just snag it and go. He dropped me off at a gas station w/the bike, I had .35c to my name, he shook out a couple bucks and a handshake, I couldn't thank him enough. He just said to pay it forward. I was so broke, it was the 80s here and no jobs, but I so wanted to ride. How far can I go on the .72c I found between the couch cushions? I'd find out.

 

I would love a 300+ range. I have an FZ which has a small 3.7 gal tank, but in most other regards should be able to be sport/distance ridden. If it passes the tour muster test I'll have to fix that with another couple gallons at least. I'm going to check but I think this one is a 1.5 or so US gallon. That would have saved my ass so many times over the years, not even kidding. Walking miles under the blazing hot sun gives a person time to reflect on things like this. I did a lot of this before cell phones and GPS, I really often had no idea where I was, where I was going or how far until gas. Sometimes I still dont pull out the phone, I just want to go. If I start to see a bit of traffic I go another way, thats my GPS. You can get these in other shapes and might be able to pack 3 gallons and still have some trunk space. This one is round because I thought it might be in character for the Vmax more than a rectangular fuel cell. I just never used it. Some of these sellers will make the size you want, with the necks/fillers where you want then and it's not that expensive considering what you get.