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Utterly Idiotic Touratech Fuel bottles - a frank review Utterly Idiotic Touratech Fuel bottles - a frank review
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  #1  
Old 11 Feb 2013
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I wonder where the Strom owner was planning on going?

I used to carry extra fuel on my outfits. 20 or so litres in the tank on a outfit that wil do 45 mpg on a good day, 30 mpg on a bad one is an unpredictable and rather short 130 -190 miles. Anywhere interesting I'd carry a 20 litre jerry can.

The Wee does 59-70 mpg and has a usable 21.5 lites, so 275-330 miles. I wonder where you can ride 270 miles without seeing a petrol station and then be saved by the 25 miles the little can gives you? Now a couple of 10-litre jerries under the panniers for another 250 miles, that's Australia or somewhere.

Is the 2-litre a way of avoiding Autobahn fines? Use the last 25 miles to get somewhere cheaper to be stuck?

Andy
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  #2  
Old 11 Feb 2013
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Exactly... Just strap a £5 Jerry can to the back of your bike.

This happens to be a 10L steel one which was too big. A 5L plastic one would of been better.





Something like this would of been perfect..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Litre-P...item2325390992

Takes up very little space as it's more vertical.
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  #3  
Old 20 Feb 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
Exactly... Just strap a £5 Jerry can to the back of your bike.

Something like this would of been perfect..

5L Litre Plastic Jerry Can - Water Diesel Petrol Fuel Oil Container With Spout | eBay

Takes up very little space as it's more vertical.
I agree Ted, i've used one of these cans off ebay for a while, there the correct shape, have enough capacity and cheep. Fits nicely behind the panniers on my XL
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  #4  
Old 11 Feb 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post

Is the 2-litre a way of avoiding Autobahn fines? Use the last 25 miles to get somewhere cheaper to be stuck?

Andy
I've carried a 2L fuel bottle on a number of bikes (and cars) for years - not the one under discussion but something I got from an army surplus store and it's got me out of the sh1t a number of times when I've misjudged exactly how far it is to the next services. I took it on the little Suzuki I used for the Elephant rally last week as a security blanket and knowing I had it reduced my sweat levels considerably at times. With an 80 mile range it was tricky at times to know whether to stop and put in 3L or continue to the next available fuel at 90km. It wasn't so much about range as range anxiety.
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  #5  
Old 11 Feb 2013
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  #6  
Old 12 Feb 2013
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I used two of the 2lt ones a couple of years ago trail-riding in the Pyrenees.

Ok, they were a bit of a faff to fill (took a little funnel) but the reduction in stress from knowing that I had some spare fuel was worthwhile. The standard DRZ(E) only holds 11 litres which with hard riding gives me a range of only about 90 miles. I bought them for their shape and size. I have used 1 & 2lt oil or brake-fluid bottles in the past but these seem a fair bit tougher.

I carried mine, one each side in the bottom of a £10 set of pushbike panniers, my mate made some webbing harnesses for his. I'm sure if you went into an army-surplus shop you'd find a pouch they would fit in. I had tried a 5lt can lashed on the back in the past but found it got in the way when riding serious off-road.

I didn't get mine from TT though, they were about half the price at HG.

Now that I have an "Exxon Valdez" sized tank (aqualine 28lt), I use one to carry engine oil and the other coolant while touring (oops sorry, I mean “extreme adventure riding”)
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  #7  
Old 14 Feb 2013
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Agree completely these are crap, why make a fuel container you can't fill from a pump. I curse mine everytime I have to faff with it. They were sold originally as spare fuel containers and at the time TT did not offer anything with a normal size opening.

Touratech equipement is grossly over priced, I now go out of my way to source alternative products, I guess they have to fund their interesting trips somehow !
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  #8  
Old 15 Feb 2013
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Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
I wonder where you can ride 270 miles without seeing a petrol station and then be saved by the 25 miles the little can gives you?

Andy
Andy, as it happens I live in France, specifically 300 miles down from the ferry ports. It wont be the first time I have landed only to find the petrol stations on strike or have no fuel. So for the last ten years or so I make a point of disembarking with enough fuel to get me home. Then being a cheapskate I use a 5 litre plastic fuel can Once I have run through 5 litres I usually empty the can into the bike tank then carry the empty plastic container which is easier than carrying it full.
There used to be a bit of a problem using UK cards at the automatic stations especially on Sundays. Mostly now that has been fixed, but still not everywhere.
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  #9  
Old 16 Feb 2013
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Originally Posted by oldbmw View Post
There used to be a bit of a problem using UK cards at the automatic stations especially on Sundays. Mostly now that has been fixed, but still not everywhere.
I can confirm this is still the case;as we found out going down through France last summer. We had five cards between us, two of which were "Euro Travel Cards" and still no joy at some pumps. Luckily I have a big tank now or it would have been a right PIA
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Old 20 Feb 2013
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  #11  
Old 22 Feb 2013
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Originally Posted by Stray Dog View Post
FYI, you'll probably find it's mainly Esso that's the problem
Most, if not all supermarket pumps will take a UK card.


Dog
We must have been very unlucky then because we did struggle on more than a few occasions.
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  #12  
Old 24 Mar 2013
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Well FWIW
They are cheaper from HG and are great for water.
For oil, i put it in a 500ml lucozade bottle with black tape round the lid, and refill the engine when needed, when the bottle runs out, i keep it, then when i go to the gas station, i buy a full litre of oil, put 1/2 of the litre in the engine,and the other 1/2 goes back in the lucozade bottle.
Petrol if you are really stuck can go in a 2 litre lemonade bottle, i havnt had one melt yet.
Sometimes you can get carried away with some of this stuff.
As regards the fuel stations with the wonky fuel cards, ive normally paid a foreign helpful motorist in cash, and they use their card for you,easy.
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