Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Technical, Bike forums > Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear?
extra fuel tanks extra fuel tanks
Register FAQ Calendar Today's Posts
Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? Anything to do with the bikes equipment, saddlebags, etc. Questions on repairs and maintenance of the bike itself belong in the Brand Specific Tech Forums.
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 4 Oct 2007
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: chch,nz
Posts: 89
extra fuel tanks
can you get 10 or 20 litre plastic fuel containers in the uk?it would be for a small bike on the rear carrier ,soft saddle bags fuel would go into main tank as soon as possible for use on a nouadhibou-atar type leg.or is a steel one better do they leak on thier side.ron
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 4 Oct 2007
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ashford Kent UK
Posts: 163
Yes you can Halfords car accessories shop sell them or tescos sell 5lt plastic fuel cans for about £2.50 . I used 2 5lt platic cans in 2 small rucksacks tied to the bike with the weight resting on the rear foot rests & rapped them in bubble wrap as a shock absorber . Theses worked fine off road in the Sahara & were very cheap. I was on a 1100gs.
Kev
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 4 Oct 2007
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 4,343
Quote:
Originally Posted by ukKev View Post
Yes you can Halfords car accessories shop sell them or tescos sell 5lt plastic fuel cans for about £2.50 . I used 2 5lt platic cans in 2 small rucksacks tied to the bike with the weight resting on the rear foot rests & rapped them in bubble wrap as a shock absorber . Theses worked fine off road in the Sahara & were very cheap. I was on a 1100gs.
Kev

Agreed on the capacity question: I believe the legal limit for buying and storing fuel in plastic containers in the UK is 1 gallon (that's the Imperial "big" gallon, and not that piddling small one used in the US!! ) = 4.545 litres, lets call that 5 litres then.
Therefore, you may struggle to get a single plastic can in the UK bigger than 5 litres. In steel then no problem.
None of the ones I have used leak, but I don't bounce them around off-roading.
__________________
Dave
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 4 Oct 2007
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ashford Kent UK
Posts: 163
No Halfords sell 10 & 20lt plastic fuel cans
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 4 Oct 2007
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: chch,nz
Posts: 89
fuel ctnrs
thanks ukkev sounds good they would'nt have fuel in them untill morocco,see ya,ron.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 4 Oct 2007
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ashford Kent UK
Posts: 163
We also brought 10 & 20lt plastic 2nd hand oil cans in Nouadhibou to cary extra fuel .
Kev
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 5 Oct 2007
ozhanu's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Izmir, Turkiye
Posts: 794
i got 20 lt plastic can from ebay (and then sold it). it was actually for diesel (just the color matter, in UK diesel should be stored in BLACK can and petrol in GREEN.. RED is for oil [not sure about red thou].) So. I got the black one for 5 quid. I think color doesn't matter in Africa

I prefer 2x5 lt. plastic can strapped in pillow food pag. Would be enough and you can throw one of them away and keep the other one for emergency.
__________________
ozhan u.
website under construction
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 5 Oct 2007
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Saintfield N Ireland
Posts: 148
I think it is suppose to be Green is for petrol, black is for white diesal (ie normal diesal) and red is for red diesal all the farmers get cheap.

Anyway in the couple of years time me and my brother plan to do some sort of trip to africa and we either get a larger fuel tank (expensive) or just get a load of plastic petrol containers (cheap) and strap then to the bike. I think i know what i will be doing. Cheap.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 5 Oct 2007
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Moscow
Posts: 1,117
I recall that all plastic fuel cans were red.

Green ones came along and were marketed as being especially suitable for Unleaded Petrol. I am always cynical about marketing and stunts like that do not weaken my view

Following the above discussion I looked up our dear friends and strong supporters of adventure , at the Health and Safety Executive PETEL Number: 95/9:: PORTABLE PETROL CONTAINERS

Interesting reading. Snippets include -
- plastic containers must have "have maximum capacity of five litres"
- fuel can be stored and carried in "securely stopped glass, earthenware or metal containers of a maximum capacity of 570 mls.The total quantity kept in this way must not exceed 15 litres."
- no colour requirement but must "have appropriate markings or labels"

Looks like Halfords is risking our lives in selling 10 and 20 litre plastic fuel cans !
Should we tell?
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 5 Oct 2007
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 4,343
Quote:
Originally Posted by ukKev View Post
No Halfords sell 10 & 20lt plastic fuel cans
Thanks for the correction and update; it's that long since I have been in a Halfords!

As for the colour thing in the UK; those in other countries must be quietly laughing!! But, I have a slight feeling that the colour thing is a H&S recommendation/instruction or whatever from the European guys who rule our lives.

Green makes sense for unleaded , but I can remember when it was all "red for danger".
Where does the humble and very useful dark green "Jerrycan" stand in all this? - around 5 galls = about 25 litres and made of very solid steel with a non-leak cap; invented by the German army, used extensively in WW2 and found to be so useful that the British "Tommy" relieved them of such containers, whenever and wherever.
Yes, not a lot of use on a bike, but the 4x4 people seem to like them.
__________________
Dave
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10 Oct 2007
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: GENT Belgium
Posts: 503
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
25 litres and made of very solid steel with a non-leak cap; invented by the German army, used extensively in WW2 and found to be so useful that the British "Tommy" relieved them of such containers, whenever and wherever.
Hence their nick name ..... jerry cans ...

I have a dozen or so liberated from Iyper during WW2 - stamped 1944, 45, 46 rusty as hell but can't throw them away...

Anyone have ideas on what they can be modified into ... plant pots maybe !!!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10 Oct 2007
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ashford Kent UK
Posts: 163
How about turning them into panniers ? As for plastic fuel cans i they might be black ones at Halfords that would get round the law & you dont need to use them in Europe so it shouldnt be a problem . I know its not that long ago that plastic tanks were against the law on bikes & cars in the UK nowdays many cars & a few bikes have them so laws do change.
Cheers Kev
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 10 Oct 2007
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,598
It occurred to me that you might want to store them when loaded away from the engine. Not nice being trapped under a bike a hearing petrol being boiled on a hot engine.
Uually I carry a 5 liter can in one of my panniers when riding locally. As space is at a premium I dont when on long trips but try to arrange my routes to suit fuel availability. wrong way round I know.
Reply With Quote
Reply

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
XTZ 750 Extra Large Fuel Tanks NIGEL Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? 4 11 Sep 2013 19:34
Rear fuel tanks iswoolley Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? 8 8 Apr 2003 03:52
Extra Fuel Tanks... Baldrick North Africa 18 6 Aug 2002 04:19
Rear fuel tanks for Africa Twin iswoolley Honda Tech 0 17 Jul 2002 19:48
Tesch Aliminium Panniers and Fuel Tanks gmarch Equipment Reviews 6 16 Feb 2002 21:56

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

25 years of HU Events
Be sure to join us for this huge milestone!

ALL Dates subject to change.

2025 Confirmed Events:

Virginia: April 24-27 2025
Queensland is back! May 2-4 2025
Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 2025
CanWest: July 10-13 2025
Switzerland: Date TBC
Ecuador: Date TBC
Romania: Date TBC
Austria: Sept. 11-14
California: September 18-21
France: September 19-21 2025
Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2 2025

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

Your ad could be here, on EVERY page of the HUBB, or the whole website, or as many as you like!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 16:10.

Contact Us - Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Website - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top