Touratech 41 Litre Tank

I'm compiling info on the usability of Touratechs 41 Litre fuel tank and would welcome input/criticism/praise from anybody who has experience with this piece of kit.

Goose.

I am thinking of getting one of these tanks for my 1000 GS so would also be interested in the answer. One thing I've noticed when looking at these tanks is that quite a lot of the tank seems to be below the level of the fuel tap so I would guess that the usable fuel capacity may be less than the 41L quoted as the bike may not be able to get at all the fuel in the tank.

I could be wrong, has anyone who actually owns one got any comments on this.

Also the touratec and Acerbis tanks look virtually the same. Is it a case of the same tank with a different badge?

Paul

The usable capacity is why I'm collating info. I'm currently involved in a small war of words with Touratechs Herman Schwarz as I discovered the hard way that the fuel pump doesn't reach the last five litres. This coupled with the filler cap neck preventing the tank being filled to the brim (another two litres) and the usable capacity is in fact 34 litres.

The filler cap neck is easy enough to remedy but the pump is positioned to close to the tanks wall to fit an extension.

I have a thread running on the Horizons Unlimited web site under BMW Tech and have found several others with the same problem, so I know it's not just me fitting it wrong.

Still, 34 litres is better than 26 (or 24 as it is).

If you find a way to modify this I'd like to know about it.

What are you planning anyway, we're currently in Botswana.

All the best, Goose.

41 litre Tank / Hepko B crash Bars.

After having the tank off, I notice my left tank lobe was wearing away and after inspection notice it was rubbing on the top of the left hand crashed bars. Problem resolved with Rubber wedge.

Watch out for it !!

Simon

Simon

Is your tank Touratech? If it is, have you encountered the capacity problem the rest of us seem to have?

Goose.

I have been running one of these tanks for 4 years. The extra range is very liberating and the extra weight is only noticeable when wheeling the bike into the garage when the tank is full.
I fiited the Touratech float that came with the tank but the red light still comes on at between 300 and 350 miles. I know I can do at least 80 miles on red (have never run it out) but when it gets that low you can hear the fule pump whining a bit so I tend not to do that unless I have to. If I run 80 miles on the red light I can get 37 litres in it.
I noticed that on another thread someone mentioned a Touratech part ("Part no: 05-100-0014-F, 32 euros. It's not in the catalogue or on the web site, which seems pretty daft given that the fitting instructions are dated July 2003.").
Ref the H & B bars - I recently took off my OEM BMW bars and bent them a little as I noticed that one side was just touching the tank when it was full.

I had a TT 41ltr and couldn't get any more than 30ltrs out of it (ran it out of fuel, refilled 30ltrs). I binned it and put a 30ltr BMW ADV tank on (ran that out of fuel and put 29.84ltrs in).
HENRY

The 41L tank is seriously a top kit! Especially if doing lot of travelling and communiting every day.

My GS will be written off and the 41L tank is broken after the crash, but if there will be any larger scale investments to the next GS i get, then sure it will be the sweet tank.

Yes, if you don't have the TT "enlargement" kit (read: the tank has pump sucker hoses from previous 22L tank) then it only uses 34-35 litres out of it. TT sells the "enlargement" kit for it for 50 EURos, then it uses 38-39 litres out of it which is respectful range - 700km or more on travelling, especially if crossing Iranian deserts

Cheers, Margus

If you were only getting 30 litres out of it then it sounds like the pump could have been fitted 60 degrees out from its proper position so the scavenge pipe would have been sitting way too high?

The sender was fitted correctly. HENRY

And just as a inquiry. Why if the effin tank needs dedicated parts to get the effin fuel out doesn't it come as part of the VERY EXPENSIVE KIT?
HENRY

Henry Mawson said:

And just as a inquiry. Why if the effin tank needs dedicated parts to get the effin fuel out doesn't it come as part of the VERY EXPENSIVE KIT?
HENRY

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Not expensive, 50EUR, and i think they give it one package if buying the new thank, i think this kit was missing only from older generation tanks (the one i had). Not sure, though.

Tank itself is ferking outrageosly expensive though - 990EURos(!) But worth it in long term practice indeed...

But if you don't have the "efficency kit" with the 41L tank and don't want to spend 50EUR i can show you how to do it yourself - plain easy. You just need to extend fuel-sucker pipes in the tank and you're done

41 litre tank

I've had a 41 litre tank for years, just filled it at the weekend with 32 litre of fuel and 2 bar left on the guage. I modified the float arm years ago and get about 350 miles before the light comes on, have done 41 bmw miles on the light and still didn't run out.

www.touratech-usa.com/docs/09-100-0014-1.pdf

Anyone checked this link out ?

www.touratech-usa.com/docs/09-100-0014-1.pdf

Apparently this is the way to get hold of the last 10! litres in the tank

I get my 37 litres without any non standard parts (the tank did however come with a new float and lever). I am going to get a one way valve for the balance pipe as leaving the bike on the sidestand with low fuel level causes all the fuel to flow to the opposite side of the tank to where the fuel pump sits. If Henry's tank balance pipe was blocked (or a one way valve was fitted the wrong way round) then that might explain 7 litres being left in one side of the tank?

I'm planning a long trip next year and thought about getting a larger tank (I'm on the standard 1150 gs 24l number right now). Having looked at the prices of these tanks, I've decided to leave it as standard, and instead to spend the money on Ally panniers. Two of thge manufacturers (Caja Sahel and Bernd Tesch) can make the panniers with inbuilt reservoirs for fuel or water (eg 10-13l per side) So even if you only use one side for fuel and the other for water, you get an effective tank range of 34-37 litres. This is close to the Touratech quantity, equal to the ADV tank, but you get the added bonus of not having a huge, top heavy tank on your bike, all the time, but can spread the weight of you 50-100% fuel capacity increase around the bike for a better centre of gravity.

That's definitely the way I'm going...and it still works out cheaper than the extortionate touratech item.

It seems that from Jan 05 the above mentioned kit has been supplied with all new tanks:
http://www.touratech-usa.com/shop/search.lasso?SearchTerm=100-0014

Hello Warthog!

Spending money on ally panniers is always better idea. Better to be with in one piece after the crash raher to have fuel ended somewhere middle of nowhere.

You thought the same way i did - Tesch and Caja are the few only options for strong panniers. Though, i'd never carry fuel with any of the panniers, considering it a bit too dangerous if you travel fast indeed (1000+cc enduros). Aside the centre of gravity - your bike already carries too much weight on the back - if you start loading huge amounts of water and fuel on the back then you CERTANLY need to buy Öhlins rear suspension with the strongest spring option or you'll end up somewhere rear original suspension werekked going through some potholes etc. That's why it's great idea to have rather bigger thank balancing the front and taking away the weight from rear - try it, load the bike all the stuff, and accelerate with nearly empty tank - the front end is very keen to rise up very quickly leaving you without steering control. That's why i use that Touratech VP tankbag too with side-bags, to give some additional weight to front, also makes CoG lower for luggage. And to talk about speciefically 1100/1150GSes, then the rear frame mounts on gearbox are keen to brake with huge load on the rear.

Well, what i'm trying to say we all have our speciefic views about the methods how to load the bike, but sure i'd firstly consider having better weight distribution for safer riding and dynamics. Simple principle - try to make centre gravity the lowest possible (put the most weighty stuff the lowest position, lighter stuff more up etc), close to centre of two wheels (to the engine) as possible and distribute the weight equally as possible between front and back, left and right.

And... Travel light and simple as possible! If you have long-term experience, then in the end you don't need at about half of the things (!) you first though you'll need on the long road!

For solo-travelling two medium side panniers, slight tank bag should be more than enough, maybe small roll of stuff on the back too.

We did 2-up 5 weeks to Iran and amazed most of the motorcycle people how less stuff we got per two-upping. And in the end there was even some stuff we didn't needed...

Less stuff will cause you less problems and less things to be responsible indeed...

Hope this helps.

Happy and safe travels, Margus

Warthog said:

I'm planning a long trip next year and thought about getting a larger tank (I'm on the standard 1150 gs 24l number right now). Having looked at the prices of these tanks, I've decided to leave it as standard, and instead to spend the money on Ally panniers. Two of thge manufacturers (Caja Sahel and Bernd Tesch) can make the panniers with inbuilt reservoirs for fuel or water (eg 10-13l per side) So even if you only use one side for fuel and the other for water, you get an effective tank range of 34-37 litres. This is close to the Touratech quantity, equal to the ADV tank, but you get the added bonus of not having a huge, top heavy tank on your bike, all the time, but can spread the weight of you 50-100% fuel capacity increase around the bike for a better centre of gravity.

That's definitely the way I'm going...and it still works out cheaper than the extortionate touratech item.

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