I won’t run out of gas again… (I hope)

[TXBootScoot]

Next week is the Heart of Texas Rally. I ran my NC750X the last two years. Excellent event and a ton of fun. Highly recommend.

With that said, it was SSSSOOOO WINDY last year and I ran out of gas 100 miles earlier than I normally fill up. I had a 1 liter gas bottle and only needed to get like 20 miles up the road to the nearest station. Ran out of gas—AGAIN! Had to flag down a truck and get a ride for about 1 mile (I could see the station sign from where I stood stopped and fuel-less.). Refilled my gas bottle, got another ride to the bike, got a call from the rally master, “TXBoot, are you ok? I just got a call from another rally rider saying he saw your bike on the side of the road.”

“Ya, I was hoping the 5 minutes to get gas and back would allow me to not let it be known I ran out of gas twice today.”

With that said, this year, I had a plan. And it involves “More power!” - Tim Taylor, Tool Time (grunt noises)

Just kidding. It includes more fuel! I have a buddy who is a fellow IronButt member. We actually did the Ride Around Texas ride together (kind of—we went opposite ways and waved at each other in Big Bend National Park). Anyway, he pulled this off his bike and we installed it on mine:

 

[TXBootScoot]

This came off a Harley he rode a bit, but he just upgraded to a Pan America and wanted to swap it out for a square/rectangle tank and then put a pelican case on top of that. Therefore, this round tank was free to use.

He made me a deal, if I buy a sheet of aluminum for him to design one for himself, he would give me his tank and help me get it fabricated and installed.

So, I did what any sane motorcycle nerd would do:

 

[TXBootScoot]

He then designed a version of Dales Rack (I think that’s what it was called) and helped me make it easy to swap back out for the rear seat:

 

[TXBootScoot]

It also made sense to add a quick disconnect to make it super easy to swap to back seat and/or aux tank.

Already put half a tank through it as we tested it. Has been working great! Filled up both tanks today. Excited to see new range!

 

[TXBootScoot]

I spent this weekend finishing prep on the bike, cleaning it, and working on my route planning.

You can find more about the rally here: https://www.heartoftexasrally.com/

There will be a SpotWalla on the rally too. I’ll try to remember to post the link so y’all can follow the antics.

 

[dduelin]

One of our members ld_rider completed the Iron Butt Rally a few years ago with a similar set up. There's been another one or two auxiliary tank installations that I can't recall the forum member's name.

Yours is much more well done than the one I did to make 250 miles @ 80 mph fuel stops possible during a 2015 BunBurner Gold attempt on my NC. I mounted a 1.6 gallon Acerbis tank on a plywood platform that replaced the rear seat. I plumbed the fuel line into a fuel cap for the stock gas tank. Gravity fed. The Acerbis has an on-off valve in line to the stock tank. After burning off two bars of fuel gauge I opened the valve and watch the fuel gauge climb to full.

 

[TXBootScoot]

I actually spent the last two weeks reading through all the old posts here for ideas. I loved reading the IBR posts and the different NCs running in it. Would love to get the ability to run it one day… kind of hard with wife young kids at home.

I’m hoping to run a BBG with this set up this year. That is one ride I’ve never done any any bike yet. Several SS1000s (two on a Vespa GTS). Kicking around the idea of 50CC this year. I have meetings in CA and this might be a good excuse to try this ride.

 

[TXBootScoot]

@dduelin - isn’t it fun to switch the aux tank lever and watch the gas go up. It feels like magic—creating fuel and range out of nowhere… but it’s just science, my good Watson.

 

[dduelin]

The 11 day IBA rally ship has sailed for me but I think I have another SS1000 or BBG in the future. I wasn't successful in the 2015 attempt and the last time I checked no one had done a BBG on an NC.

 

[TXBootScoot]

The 11 day IBA rally ship has sailed for me but I think I have another SS1000 or BBG in the future. I wasn't successful in the 2015 attempt and the last time I checked no one had done a BBG on an NC.

No one? I was the first Vespa in Texas… maybe I’ll get the first BBG?! Going to look now and check!

 

[TXBootScoot]

I see someone finished a BB Silver in Brazil in 2021 on an NC750X and then again a SS2000 in 2021. A bunch of SS1000s (mostly outside of US) and a couple of SS1600Ks. Sure enough, unless someone has done one and just not had it approved yet, whoever does one on an NC will be the first certified BBG! The race is on to see who will finish it first!

 

[davidc83]

What is bbg?

 

[TXBootScoot]

Bun Burner Gold - it’s 1,500 miles in less than 24 hours in order to be certified by the Iron Butt Association.

 

[CamaroEric]

Love it. I did the same long ago. Roughly 8 gallons and a 400 mile range. Vacuum feed to the main tank so it sucked the aux gas into the main tank as I rode!

 

[CamaroEric]

BTW, make sure it's vented! I don't know if the NC tank is vented from the factory.
You just need a tiny tiny pinhole in the cap to allow for vapor expansion.

 

[davidc83]

Bun Burner Gold - it’s 1,500 miles in less than 24 hours in order to be certified by the Iron Butt Association.

Dang. I did 1054 miles in 17 hours back in 2014 for the butt burner ride on my nc700x. That was with an 1.5 hour stop at a DQ outside Pensicola and 45 minute stop in Lake City to get dry from a super rain storm. Don't think I want to do that again, but who knows.

 

[TXBootScoot]

BTW, make sure it's vented! I don't know if the NC tank is vented from the factory.
You just need a tiny tiny pinhole in the cap to allow for vapor expansion.

Yep. I ran the vented line down the back pannier rack to get that (and any excess fuel) off the bike and onto the ground behind the tire.