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aux fuel tank

10K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  BudgetBiker 
#1 ·
Has anyone fit an auxiliary fuel tank/cell to the Valkyrie? I know many sport touring people do it for their rides, but have not seen any done for the Valk.
 
#4 ·
Poncho, you're saying your bike gets 50mpg? Mine is more like 30.

FF, yeppers. I picked it up april 19 and rode to Indy anna. I-70 70mph some small variations. first tank 250 miles 5 gal. I rode to Nashville 250 miles, 5 gal. I rode to Tupelo Ms. 250 miles, 5gal. I rode to Natchez Ms. 250 miles, 5 gal. I rode to Jasper, Tx. 250 miles, 5 gal. I rode to Bryan Tx. 250 miles, 5 gal. I rode to Austin, Tx. 250 miles, 5 gal. I did some riding around here 250 miles, 5 gal. seems pretty consistent to me. 50mpg. The bike is new nakid and most of my riding is 50-70mph. I ride easy steady and am not a hot dog just because I have all this power on tap.


I do have, had had many bikes. I find its my riding style that gets the most out of my machines and loooooong tire life. Others write they go thru fuel and tires at a fast clip. I suspect that is how they ride their bikes. not me.


Perhaps when this new batwing is installed next week it might inflict more drag and require more hp/fuel to push it. At speeds maybe. at 50mph I doubt it. My big Chief gets 50mpg. it has all the dash computer Avg and Instantaneous... plus I always top off my tanks exactly the same and calc the pump numbers against mileage.. all I can say is I get good service on my machines. Maintenance, Care and no abuse. poncho
 
#7 ·
I have been called many things. never a rare duck b4. is that like when its not cooked well?


I am not sure that 50mpg needs be the exception. I did read elsewhere another rider was getting same/similar mileage. But I do believe that my riding style has a LOT to do with it. IF I ride any motor bike hard and/or in bad weather aka wind, mileage will suffer. my chieftain only got 33mpg going north 2 weeks ago into that big artic wind blowing out of Canukistan.


the chief has a power windshield, when down it is slippery'er. Up it is a sail. Bags for all their curvy shape still resembles the back of a semi truck and is a huge DRAG. it takes hp/fuel to PULL all that dead air behind you. if you are going fast.. er. poncho
 
#9 ·
often I use self deprecating humor to lighten a conversation.. ducks can be,, well ducky! if you have never seen this video, its one of my favorites "the Original Duckumentary".. everything you never wanted to know about ducks.. and more! poncho
 
#12 ·
My final bar started flashing over the weekend around 170 miles; I think it's all about how you ride. I spent most of my time at 85mph+. 180 is the farthest I've gone before the bar started flashing. Those RPMs get high pretty quick.
 
#13 ·
I purchased my '14 brand new last July & have just over 1000 miles on it, have the little honda batwing windshield and honda leg wind deflectors and mostly ride between 57-64mph (whether the speed limit is 50 or 55) I seem t get between 35-38 mpg so far, fyi I don't ride like a Sally lol I'm 5'10" 210lbs
 
#14 ·
Its not how fast do you go, as long as you still get there. It is the journey and not just the destination. I use to ride fast and tear it up. Now, more so, I prefer to mozey along and enjoy the scenery and sites and the scents of middle America where the real people live. the last 20 years and 20 bikes have racked up over 300k smiles..
 
#17 · (Edited)




I never got around to fitting an aux to my Valkyrie. I did a couple of Iron Butt rides on it including a 50CC and rode through the outback with a 20L jerry can on the back.



I had it mounted on a rigid alloy plate that was in turn mounted to the rear subframe bolts where the pillion grab handles are bolted.



That was how I would have mounted a JAZ 19L drag tank like the one seen here on a few other bikes I've owned:





















All were gravity fed.



Accessing the Valkyrie main tank can be via drilling a hole into the tank itself or drilling through the fuel pump plate. ALternatively if you mount the auxiliary cell high enough then you can use the main tank's vent like (like the TMax scooter and the white BMW F800GT above).


this is not answer to your question, but why? 6 gallons seems plenty huge miles (300) and why exposed carry potential dangerous flammable self incinery fluid ? crikey! you'd think you was crossing the outback!
 
#18 · (Edited)
I prefer your original solution of just carrying a spare fuel tank on the back and then stopping and refilling by hand when / if necessary. This is a sometimes solution for a sometimes problem. Taking the gas can off the bike when you get back to civilization.


3 years ago, I carried a 1 gallon can in a saddle bag on my Scout when touring Idaho and Montana. We were scheduled to ride to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, but rain kept us in the states. the Scout has a 3.5 gal tank. Only 1 week old, I didn't know how far it would go. Turns out that in the mountains Premium gas has NO ethanol (10% corn oil) and that 1000cc motor got 65mpg. I could ride 200 miles b4 the low fuel lite came on. I never had to use my spare tank the whole trip. poncho


btw, I really like your gun cases on the side of your f6c. those hard plastic cases are water tite and lockable. you can put a lot of contraban in them.
 
#19 ·
I ride long distances regularly and the convenience of reaching back to flip the tap is gold, especially on 1200+ mile days. I've had 2 Teneres and maybe a total of 1 month without an aux bolted where the back seat should be. The set-up with the alloy flatbed tank is very convenient. My current FJR has a custom cell that is quick easy to remove and I use the JAZ tank mounted to a Givi rack when I'm doing a long ride with a pillion.


I love those hard plastic bags. On the Valkyrie coast to coast ride I removed the Honda leather-like bags and installed the pelican style ones for a bit more carrying capacity, plus the absolute waterproof feature.


I've used them on heaps of other bikes:














 
#21 ·
Ox, Pelican boxes are kickass! Our local Sams Club sells them at xmas for quite reasonable. Last year they had pallets of them left over and they discounted them tremendously. I bought a pallet 20, of 24"x24"x8" for $20 usd, each and gave most away as gifts. then later they had 24"x36"x12" cases with extendable handle and wheels like airport bags, $40 usd, each. I bought half dozen and gave 4 away saving 2 for just this same idea purpose as you have done. At the time I was thinking dual sport bike. that all came to an end when I saw this Valk deal.. so , if your stateside and are near a Sams Club after xmas, look for stupid low prices on some of the best boxes made. poncho
 
#24 ·
Since Stephen resurrected this thread from 2 1/2 years ago, here's more info on this topic from more recent threads on this site. Per the manual, tank is 6.1 gallons to the bottom of the filler neck, and when that last bar begins to flash, that means you have 5 liters = 1.32 gallons, so still another 50 or so miles depending on how fast you're going, albeit very nerve-wracking miles…. Over many tanks, I'm averaging 41 .4 mpg but have had as high as 50 and as low as 35 mpg. Moire about the fuel gauge - Of the 8 bars, the first and last will get you about 60 miles each, more for the fullest bar if you do a lot of burping and fill above the bottom of the filler neck, but a lot less at 80 mph…. The other bars will only get you about 10 – 20 miles for each bar, again depending on speed, and that can be shocking after seemingly being stuck on full for 3 times longer. So after clipping thru those last few bars pretty quick, you get to the last one that is 1.5 gallons remaining, worth about 60 miles.
 
#25 ·
And with an aux tank fitted..... when you get to that last bar you can reach around and flip the tap and keep on riding for a few more hours yet.

Sure, stop for a leak, stop for a break, stop for a bite to eat if you like, but you don't have to stop for a gas station.

Aux tanks aren't about bladder size* or any other thing that makes you stop. You can still do that anyway, of course. They are simply a way to give the rider freedom of choice for 400 miles or so.

* I shure as shucks wouldn't buy a bike with a 100 mile fuel range just because I had a 100 mile bladder. That double whammy dose of range anxiety would have me squirming on the seat.
 
#26 ·
Fair points. With me, it's not my bladder, but a need to stretch my legs and walk a few steps around the bike ("safety check") before I hop back on and head on down the road. That very brief "git-off" really works for me as far as allowing me to go another leg down the road in relative comfort. Pun intended. I have also been in Alaska (though not on my bike; was in an RV with sucky mpg) where you really had to pay attention to your next possible gas stop and the range you thought you had left. I hate spending road time worrying about crap like that when I should be enjoying the scenery and the experience. Sometimes, especially in situations like that, an extra liter or so stuck in a bag can make all the difference in peace of mind.
 
#27 ·
Its possible elevation has a hand in it. My 2012 Hyundai Veloster gets 34mpg if i ride on the highway here in san Antonio TX with no traffic like during the pandemic. When i went to Big Bend and drove that long road a few years back i got 55mpg according to the indicator and my math agreed with it +- a mpg.

I just got my Valk last week. Cleaning it up and getting ready for my first long haul. Ill set my trip and head the Fredericksburg sometime soon and see what I get in terms of MPG. I had my 2002 Honda Shadow Spirit VT750DC i just sold at 50MPG for a while. Factory is 48MPG and I had add ons. So its possible to improve it but also, air density makes a huge difference.
 
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