Forgive if this has been covered but im having trouble getting a straight answer as to whether an ims 22 litre tank will fit an 08 dr....no i dont think a dealer will give me a straight answer, I just moved to brisvegas and I can get a new 08 dr on the road for $8k.
Looking like the weapon of choice to crate up and take to South America after a few laps of oz.
Oh by the way Ive been lurking a while.....cool site. very inspiring!!

Patrick, how come your DR looks so clean and mine looks like a heap of cr@p already!!

You've pretty much said it all really. I'll be home in a couple of weeks and will stick the original tank back on to check the fuel consumption but when I was in Austalia, I regularly got 23/24kms per litre with the original tank but with the IMS, it never gets above 20kms per litre. The only difference in the tanks is that the IMS doesn't have a vacuum line, other than that, I have no idea why it gets less milage!

It tends to go on to reserve (rather suddenly!) with around 4.5L left but am always running out even though there is still some petrol in the tank. I guess its because its using gravity rather than the vacuum delivery. When the fuel level is low (ie around 3 or 4 L) and in hot situations, I've had it cut out for a few minutes before it cools down a bit and can start it again. Just like when I arrived in Agra after dark during a power outage and had to sit there waiting for it to start again while totally surrounded by hotel touts!

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Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...

yeah its a hard one..buy in oz and ship both ways or buy in states....but then what??.If I buy in states then go south Im left with a dr in s.a with a bunch of kays on it that I cant get back into oz and I cant leave in s.a.

Overall cost gets pretty nasty to ship there and back but then Ive got a pretty cool trinket from the trip...a clapped out dr.

Maybe find someone on hubb whose in cali and willing to give up address and post on any rego stuff to me in s.a and buy in states then at the end of the line in s.a push it off a cliff and report it stolen... or say its crashed, pull it to bits and ship it home as parts, dont think I could ever get a u.s bike registered in oz without paying big duty costs tho.

Any ideas...sorry if this thread is now in the wrong place.

In S.A. ..

wreck the bike - sell it off in parts .... get local customs to OK it first ..

Ship the bike back to the states.

Find another traveller to take the bike back to the states - the reverse of your trip.

Extend your trip - ride it back yourself! This way you get to do a circuit .. do the roads you did not do on the way down.

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

I think there are a couple of DRs for sale right now in SA...

The vacuum system isn't weird at all, it's used on many bikes. There is a vacuum hose from the air intake to the fuel tap. When the engine is running there is vacuum, which opens a membrane valve in the tap. If you drop the bike and the engine cuts out the tap closes, stopping the carb from being flooded.

If your fuel consumption is worse with the IMS tank check that the vacuum line is sealed off properly (otherwise it will suck in air and the engine runs too lean) and check that the tank vent is working.

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Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

The vacuum petcock really can't have anything to do with fuel consumption (provided that the port on the carb is closed off as Beddhist mentioned). The only thing it does is open or close automatically if the engine is running. The fuel is still gravity fed running the same size lines, the jetting hasn't changed etc.

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Currently on a RTW ride:
https://www.facebook.com/AroundTheWorldWithLukasM

Re the DR650 (SP46A) tanks:

I have the 16l Clarkes on two of my DR's. The Clarke is very well made and finished. Looks good, hardly any difference to the OEM tank. Fits like a glove, uses OEM vacuum petcock. Free access to spark plugs, comes off as fast as the OEM tank. It is "only" 16 litres but fine for me and the low fuel consumption of the DR. I get between 250 and 300km out of it unil hitting the reserve (13l used). It does not interfere with steering, handling or seating position.
You should make new spacers from 10mmx1.5mm stainless hydraulic tubing for the mounting bolts, the ones out of the OEM rubber mounts are too short.
You also either have to get some fuel hose for an old fashioned venting pipe and stick it down the steering head or buy a breather non return valve.

Had a DR with an Aqualine Safari at the workshop last week. Well. If I want a fuel tanker I buy one. IMHO the tank is overkill unless you plan for the unsupported inner Mongolia traverse. The weight of more than 30 litres of fuel is very heavy on the front, influences the handling quite a bit and makes stiffer fork springs look like a good idea. The quality and fit for a tank almost twice the price of the IMS or Clarke is pathetic IMHO. Design and finish of the aluminium crossbrace is amateurish. The tank has a lot of hardly cleaned mould flash. Worst of all the tank does not fit at all onto the OEM mountings and the owner had already ruined the thread inserts for the mounting bolts in the frame by cross - threading them. I sorted the ill fit by cutting out the tank rubbers on the inside to allow the tank to sit further fwd. It's quite a mission to take the tank off (fuel lines from two petcocks, crossbrace) and you hope you've got a strong back or not a lot of fuel when you have to access anything hiding underneath.
The upper triple clamp also touches the tank when you turn the steering all the way :-\
Aqualine: Not for me. Else budget for fork springs and fuel line quick connectors if you need the range ;-)

The Acerbis was made for the older DR650RS afaik and is a bit of a mission to fit to the DR650SE. You have to make a bracket and modify the seat. Beddhist has done it (?)
I think the Acerbis is out of production (?)

Can't give judgement about the IMS, have not seen one in real life yet.
BTW: What's the metric volume of the IMS? Those US and imperial measurements are confusing ???

I don't think the vacuum system can have any influence on the fuel consumption. One of my DR's petcock is malfunctioning (stays stuck open all the time) without any influence on fuel consumption.

They're about 20 litres, give or take 1/2 L.

[QUOTE=lecap;217788]Can't give judgement about the IMS, have not seen one in real life yet.
BTW: What's the metric volume of the IMS? Those US and imperial measurements are confusing ?QUOTE]

__________________
Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...

Mine does not touch. Probably because I have not cut out the tank rubbers.

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The tanks are plastic - they do change a bit .. especially if fully loaded with fuel (never service the bike with a full tank! Realised that when I first tried to remove the tank) ... If you need to 'adjust' the tank .. remove the fuel and poor in hot water ... or leave it out in that nice hot African/Australian sun.
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I only fill the tank when I need too .. most of the time 20 litres is more than enough! But when you want 33 litres it is nice to have it there.

__________________
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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S