40-45 litre tank for Adventure 640
 

hi. I spoke with "sales" at Acerbis Italy last week about making a longer range tank for the Adventure 640. I have a 40 litre tank on my Honda XR650L and would switch to KTM with a 45 litre tank if one were available. I reckon that a larger tank would make the KTM the ultimate long-range bike and that many people using XR650L, Tenere or Africa Twin would switch over.
Acerbis sales told me that their minimum production run would be 100. I guess the UK market might need 10-20 so the UK importer really isn't so interested, yet. I think that across Europe, 100 customers could be found.
for Acerbis to do something about it in 2004, they'd need numbers in September 2003. what do others think?
I'd go for a design along the following lines:
- must fit with existing mountings, seat and handlebars, but allow for handlebars to be raised 3cm using standard bar raisers. (if I had an Adventure, I'd raise the bars at least this much for extended riding stood up)
- translucent, orange design so I can see fuel level through side. it'd be nice to have graduations along, say, the front so you can read the remaining fuel. I'd also like a fuel resistant, plastic green fish swimming in the fuel ;-)
- reserve taps set so that I go onto reserve with 10 litres remaining
- bottom corner of tank moulded to protect the fuel tap in case of a fall

I'd certainly be interested. Any idea on cost?

Another option: why not ask Acerbis to make some more of the rally side tanks (the type where a low level exhaust pipe is not needed as used on early KTM Rally bikes?). I believe they made them originally so maybe it would be easier and cheaper.

Also any interest on the German speaking KTM forums?

cost: I'd guess £500, but that's cheap if no other mods are needed! maybe KTM would offer it as a factory option (though I don't know if they'd sanction the fish)
the tail or rallye tanks would, I guess, get in the way of luggage and/or rear footrests plus you need extra fuel lines, taps ... with all the pros and cons of separate tanks. on balance, I'd prefer a larger tank with large reserve, but I'd happily entertain the idea of separating the main into two as per the AdventureR 950 and some BMWs.
I need to get someone to put it on a German site as I don't speak enough German.
Rich

you can write in english on the German adventure-site
http://www.reiseenduro.de/cgi-bin/fo...ig.pl?#2368ktm

But where do you need so much fuel ?

KTM-Sommer says the 28 liter-tank on the adventure is big enough for anywhere in North-Afrika/sahara

Freek (NL)

just for going to the shops and back ;-)
I carried up to 62 litres at Christmas in the Sahara. my 2 riding buddies had 42 and 43 litres and we were still unable to go preferred routes.
when we crossed from Djanet to Tam, we met five africa twins with 50-70 litres each and 3 KTMs with 40 litres each. 28 litres is 500-600km max so I'd still go for 40+ so I can get the centre of gravity right and not have to mount jerries.
Rich

But friend remember about weight! The better option are rear tanks. I can't imagine how to drive the bike with mega mass on front wheel....
28l are good enough, but in some situation you can't win with it.

my ideal weight distribution for a long trip is 45 litres up front and panniers + more fuel at the back! my XR650L handles OK with 42 litres up front. wheelies are hard work tho ;-)
it seems to me, that I'm the only loonie that wants such a large tank!!

If colour can be the same old Adenturer's Grey I want one of those tanks.

Hope that the tank will not touch my handmade alluminium engine guard desert style... ;-)

Bye

Pietro (aka Badwolf)

I would be in for sure. I am sick of finding side trails and wondering if i can make it or not.

post this request to www.ktmtalk.com there is a lot of interest in bigass tanks there, not 100 but some.

I want one!!!!
Im planning a 6month tripp in Australia, and in the outback its not a gas station on every corner.. the 28l tank is to smal..

Just out of interest, what fuel economy does the 640 return?

I'd be interested to know what the range of the bike would be like, rather than how many litres of fuel it can carry.

My ideal adventure bike would have a range of about 300mi/500km from the main tank, with maybe a set of rear tanks that I'd fill for an extended leg. I figure 300 miles is about 2 days riding, in places where there won't be any fuel within 300 miles. For 2 days I would also need to carry 20 litres of water, plus food, etc. Pretty soon the weight of just fuel and water would make the whole bike unrideable (again, in places where there isn't fuel for 300 miles). To do some rough calculations, a litre of fuel weighs 0.75kg, and water weighs 1kg per litre. So 40 litres of fuel and 20 litres of water weighs 50kg. You can get into some really interesting sums, if you want.

Iain

Anything happend?
 

Anything happen to this idea and Acerbis's response?

I would certainly be interested.

A

Hi Rich

I'd be interested in one, you can never have a too big tank, I'm planning a trip to Morocco, W.Sahara and Mauratania early '07

Kev

Most places in Australia can be done with a 400km fuel range. Some places requre a 1,000km fuel range, but they are rather adventureous ...

For 1,000 km I use a 33l main fuel tank with two 10l plastic jerry cans slung over the main fuel tank .. in ex army canvas bags slung low to keep the centre of mass down low. See now reason why this would not be a workable solution on any bike - cheap, reliabe.