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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 Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

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


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



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  #1  
Old 4 Oct 2007
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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
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  #2  
Old 4 Oct 2007
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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
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Old 4 Oct 2007
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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.
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Old 4 Oct 2007
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No Halfords sell 10 & 20lt plastic fuel cans
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  #5  
Old 4 Oct 2007
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fuel ctnrs
thanks ukkev sounds good they would'nt have fuel in them untill morocco,see ya,ron.
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  #6  
Old 4 Oct 2007
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We also brought 10 & 20lt plastic 2nd hand oil cans in Nouadhibou to cary extra fuel .
Kev
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Old 5 Oct 2007
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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.
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Old 5 Oct 2007
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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.
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Old 5 Oct 2007
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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?
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Old 5 Oct 2007
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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.
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Old 10 Oct 2007
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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 !!!
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Old 10 Oct 2007
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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
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Old 10 Oct 2007
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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.
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