VFR Tank upgrade complete
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 371
From: No longer in 'The Suck'!!!
VFR Tank upgrade complete
This upgrade rocks!!! It is so nice to not have to worry about running out of gas so often now. Some of you probably read my Snafu thread, but now I've got everything sorted out, and felt I should post again with some pictures. First off, Superbling, you da man! Thanks for all the help and insight, it's been indespensable.
Check out the entire picture series here.
Now granted, I've still got to get the thing painted and fix the rear fender so I can reinstall my Beetlebags, but she's running again, and the increased range is truly a thing of beauty. Did have a bit of a problem with the wire on the fuel sending unit coil (inside the tank, that connects the variable resistance coil to the exterior wiring) coming loose for no apparent reason, but a little solder later, and I'm back in business. Not sure exactly where I've got the thing calibrated to come on at this point, but I'd guess at around the 1-gallon mark. I think I may end up fabbing up a second rear mount to match the one on the right side, and need to get some foam padding between the tank and airbox, but she runs, which is the important thing.
Check out the entire picture series here.
Now granted, I've still got to get the thing painted and fix the rear fender so I can reinstall my Beetlebags, but she's running again, and the increased range is truly a thing of beauty. Did have a bit of a problem with the wire on the fuel sending unit coil (inside the tank, that connects the variable resistance coil to the exterior wiring) coming loose for no apparent reason, but a little solder later, and I'm back in business. Not sure exactly where I've got the thing calibrated to come on at this point, but I'd guess at around the 1-gallon mark. I think I may end up fabbing up a second rear mount to match the one on the right side, and need to get some foam padding between the tank and airbox, but she runs, which is the important thing.
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MotoGP
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,553
From: South Texas
Re: VFR Tank upgrade complete
AWESOME DUDE! 8)
Do you know what capacity you ended up with? When I got low on my first tank, I strapped a small gas jug to the passenger seat and ran it out of gas. Peering in the tank, it looked like I had a cup or two remaining that didn't drain.
Yeah, my reserve light comes on with about one gallon left. I "calibrated" it by bending so it would sit lower in the tank.
Do you know what capacity you ended up with? When I got low on my first tank, I strapped a small gas jug to the passenger seat and ran it out of gas. Peering in the tank, it looked like I had a cup or two remaining that didn't drain.
Yeah, my reserve light comes on with about one gallon left. I "calibrated" it by bending so it would sit lower in the tank.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 371
From: No longer in 'The Suck'!!!
Superbling,
I was going to run up and down the road near the house as I neared empty, with the cell phone ready to call the wife to bring me some gas. I think I might have a 1 gallon gas jug so I might try the run it out method.
inderocker,
Yep, tankslapper. Check the 'J' page on my site, the full story is about halfway down under July 28, 2004 (I don't post much there, so there's not much since then). I figure somewhere between 45-60mph, given I had just grabbed 2nd gear, and had stock sprockets. Hindsight what it is, I'd chalk it up to badly set up front suspension (preload way too low), too much rear spacer, probably deathgripped the bars on the way by the truck, and just getting to the 'overconfident' stage with the bike (right at 3k miles). C'est la vie. I'm finally done with knee surgeries (PCL replacement last Oct), and physical therapy continues to suck, but more pain now = less pain later, and I'm riding, so I don't care!
Oh, and I also added the Scotts damper before I even had the replacement fairing in hand...
I was going to run up and down the road near the house as I neared empty, with the cell phone ready to call the wife to bring me some gas. I think I might have a 1 gallon gas jug so I might try the run it out method.
inderocker,
Yep, tankslapper. Check the 'J' page on my site, the full story is about halfway down under July 28, 2004 (I don't post much there, so there's not much since then). I figure somewhere between 45-60mph, given I had just grabbed 2nd gear, and had stock sprockets. Hindsight what it is, I'd chalk it up to badly set up front suspension (preload way too low), too much rear spacer, probably deathgripped the bars on the way by the truck, and just getting to the 'overconfident' stage with the bike (right at 3k miles). C'est la vie. I'm finally done with knee surgeries (PCL replacement last Oct), and physical therapy continues to suck, but more pain now = less pain later, and I'm riding, so I don't care!
Oh, and I also added the Scotts damper before I even had the replacement fairing in hand...
Moderator
MotoGP
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,553
From: South Texas
Yeah, you'd be surprise just how many trips around the block you can make with just a little bit of gas! BTDT LOL. Also, calling the wife after running out of gas is the EXACT reason I started looking for a larger tank. She'd give me unmitigated **** for days/weeks after I called for rescue! :-)
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 371
From: No longer in 'The Suck'!!!
5.024 gallons. Tried to get the idiot light to come on, but during my ride today I got caught in traffic. Ended up with ~29.25 MPG instead of the usual 32-35, so when the trip meter read 157(edit: for you math savvy guys, 157/5.024 doesn't equal 29.25mpg, but 147/5.024 (mileage from the sigma bike speedo) does), it quit. Started stuttering on me as I was headed into a dip, one hill past 'town'. I was not a happy camper. I gave her full throttle, let it die w/ the clutch in on the up slope, popped the clutch at the top and picked back up to about 60mph, at which point it quit for good. Kicked it to neutral, and coasted... to the Chevron station that was thankfully just over the hill (I had no idea, and was lucky as hell). So regardless of total full volume, I know I've got right at 5 gallons of usable fuel. Now I just need to recalibrate the RLOD to come on at 1 gallon remaining, instead of not at all. I'm happy with the thing coming on at ~120 miles and knowing I've got about a gallon of fuel left. Helluva lot better than praying it makes it to 100 before it comes on.
As an aside, I think I actually prefer the width of the VFR tank vs the stock one. I've got about 400 miles of seat time with the new tank at this point, and having gotten used to it, I do think I prefer it to the old one. Guess I should look into getting a tank bra for it and getting the thing painted... And selling my old tank on ebay...
edited multiple times bekuz I tipe gud tooday...
As an aside, I think I actually prefer the width of the VFR tank vs the stock one. I've got about 400 miles of seat time with the new tank at this point, and having gotten used to it, I do think I prefer it to the old one. Guess I should look into getting a tank bra for it and getting the thing painted... And selling my old tank on ebay...
edited multiple times bekuz I tipe gud tooday...
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 474
From: Merritt,MI.
Re: VFR Tank upgrade complete
all and all was it worth it I have a near perfect yellow tank I see marmaladeboy is looking to trade for a silver vfr tank it would have to get done next winter i have waited to long already
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3
Re: VFR Tank upgrade complete
Hi there. Firstorm rider from Norwcih, England here.
I've bought a VFR tank from ebay for £25, the right colour too (yellow) and I'm going to start the conversion soon. One question re the rear mounting lip on the VFR tank - how did you remove it and did it make the tank leak at all? I think, on one of the other posts, someone said they had used a dremel but this caused a slight weep?
Thanks
I've bought a VFR tank from ebay for £25, the right colour too (yellow) and I'm going to start the conversion soon. One question re the rear mounting lip on the VFR tank - how did you remove it and did it make the tank leak at all? I think, on one of the other posts, someone said they had used a dremel but this caused a slight weep?
Thanks
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 371
From: No longer in 'The Suck'!!!
I used a 4" cutoff wheel, as the dremel kept snapping cutting wheels off. As you're making the cut, you can see the pressed weld that runs around the edge of the tank along the mounting lip, and as long as you don't grind into that weld you should be ok. You can just make it out where the crease is along the tank edge in this pic:
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