Aftermarket fuel tank.
 

I saw a nice molded aftermarket tank for the Ducati Monster (shaped better for track use, not larger) and thought I'd send the manufacturer a message, suggesting that a larger tank for the Super Hawk could be a good seller for them. Here is their reply:

"Hi David,

Thanks for writing. We have had a lot of requests to make tanks for various bikes deserving more fuel range and we are always willing to research new applications. The only thing we need before starting a new project is at least 50 people to step up and commit to buying it by putting their name on a pre-order list. If you want to start a thread on a forum that is usually the best way to see if there is enough interest for the R&D. That, or someone can fund the R&D via a NRE, which can have various terms for production, including exclusivity.

Thanks,
Candice"

The Ducati tank retails for $500. Who wants a 5.5 gallon tank on their Super Hawk? Post here.

Um... 5.5 US gallons is ~21 liters... The late model european VTR's have a 19 liter tank... So for whatever reasons I think that you need to go a bit bigger than that if you are going to get people to pay $500... But then there is the obvious drawback of the added weight...

A stock replacement tank is around $550 new here in Sweden... And I can get a 19 liter one for around $560... Unfortunately finding a decent used one has so far proven to be like finding gold... :rolleyes:

BTW if any of you want a 19 liter tank I'll be happy to ship you one...;)

http://www.argos.co.uk/wcsstore/argo...1UC541463M.jpg

+5 Litres = £2.99 = $4.32!

I'd like to see that gas can strapped to your back while you're riding.

The 19L tanks are non-existent in the US where the Superhawk is still very popular so from 4.3 gallons to 5.5 would represent a big improvement that would bring the per-tank range up to par with most of the other sport bikes out there and ~$500 seems fair enough (assuming it could be made for that). There have been kevlar/carbon tanks for $1500 but people who spend that type of cash on their bikes do it with Ducatis, not Superhawks imo.

if you want an expensive bigger tank there is already one:
http://www.eti-fuelcel.com/VTR.HTML

Very nice but the bikes only value at $3k-$4.5k. That tank is 30%+ the cost of the bike. The proposed option would come in at a much more reasonable cost if the volume/demand could be demonstrated. I'm surprised the reaction to this hasn't been more enthusiastic.

Waste of time-never gonna happen. Any well tuned VTR will go 2 hours of pretty spirited riding before needing fuel. If you aren't ready for cup of coffee, a cigarette, a leak and a chance to stretch your legs after 2 hours, you're probably riding a Gold Wing.

Continous-Range isn't the only reason for a bigger tank, though when I'm out in rural BFE Eastern Washington I like to know I can make it to the next distant gas station. The constant refueling PITA factor was the biggest motivator for me. Figure a 33 mile or so commute one way, 66 miles a day, I was refueling EVERY OTHER @#$# DAY when I rode to work.

Gets to a guy after awhile ;)

I'm very well aware of the shortage of 19 L tanks in the US since you for some reason never got them... But like I said why would I pay $500 plus shipping/duty/tax ie around $800-900, for a 21 L tank, when I can get a 19 L one for $560? as in $560 total...

Or around $250 total for a VFR tank, also of around that size...

I think people are like me thinking that the $500 is too much money for to little gain...

Well because for those who want a cheaper option there is the VFR or CBR1000XX tank, both of which have been swapped onto our bikes with only some effort.

This would be something in the middle and you'd have to find 50 people willing to spend $500 + paint for it.

Maybe it comes with free refills :rolleyes:

I'm thinkin $500 is way to much coin for an extra gallon of gas. Maybe get one for yourself and then post the dynoslips...

The really cheap option is to pack a few quart bottles of gas in a cordura bag strapped to the seat behind you.

I am surprised. For 8 years of Superhawk ownership and all the small tank commiserating I've witnessed I thought other Superhawk owners would jump at the chance for this. After all, an Ohlins shock goes $800+, many do full front end swaps and exhausts and aside from the suspension, most upgrades are very marginal gains. Either I was wrong or this thread/forum is not reaching as many owners as I thought it would.

Tweety, I recall reading a while back that the reason the US bikes didn't get the bigger tank was because it also brought a slightly smaller airbox and hurt peak power slightly and you know how the US market buys HP figures..

I would be interested at ~$300 or less. But at $500 I start thinking about a JD shock or other higher priority add on. lol

Yeah it is one of those things that is at the top of the list to bitch about but with so many other things to be done it falls off the list rather quickly. As I love commuting with my SH, the cost isn't worth it. Yes it is a PITA having to fill up so frequently but for the $$ I will bite my tongue

I have posted this before and I imagine I will need to post it again...

There is no technical reason what-so-ever for Honda USA to not give you guys the bigger fueltank... It doesn't need a new airbox... It most certainly does not affect HP figures or anything else... It's an abitrary and utterly ridiculously stupid desciscion...

The whole process of swapping a larger one on to your bike would consist of 4 bolts, 4 hoses (5?) and one electrical connector... And if you decide to keep your old gaugecluster you need to swap over your sensor which is another 4 bolts... Should take you 30 seconds give or take...

In fact if you swap the petcock at the same time (on the newer ones it's separate from the tank bolted to the shock mount, you could even do it with fuel in the tank at the moment you swap... No need to fuel up after the swap... It's that simple/silly...

What's your point? I drive similar miles and have no problem filling up when need (every other day!)
Yes, it would be nice to have a bigger tank, but, I do like the handling of the bike.

I'd certainly be interested in the fall / winter. (Too much cash going into the SH at the moment to swing another $500 purchase.) I'm with RK1 above, but I've damn near run out of gas on the bike... so I either need to get smarter or the bike needs to change a bit and I don't think I can fit many more thoughts into my brain ;)

This would be AL, plastic, CF or what?

CR

? It says "for me" right in my post, so "my point" is that "for me" filling up every other day is a PITA. It appears for you it isn' a problem, so that is neat too. With a larger tank, just don't fill it all the way and you have the benefits of the low volume tank's less weight right there.

Nobody is accusing anybody of having a "small tank", and even if you do there is nothing wrong with that. Some folks prefer handling over range I'm sure! ;)