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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 8 Oct 2006
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Location: Quorn, South Australia
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Xr 650r
I'm building my '03 XR into a deep wilderness RTW'er.

I recently purchased the Acerbis Safari tank set-up(23Ltr front, 13Ltr underseat + seat). I bought this second hand.

I've heard a disturbing report that the underseat tank has a tendency to split! Has anyone else heard of this or have had experience?

Also, has anyone actually taken these to the limit of mileage? I've heard its 650 km's +, but I would like to know for sure.
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  #2  
Old 9 Oct 2006
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yup, the seat tank splits. for extra adventure, the fuel can then ignite and, if you're as unlucky as Bertil, you only find out once the fire has taken hold of your luggage, jacket and burnt through the strap of your rucsac. still, he survived the adventure so all is well and I'd avoid them like the plague. you may also struggle to fit luggage and reach the ground. soft luggage increases the risk of cracking the under-seat tank where it touches the sub-frame

that said, you've bought it now ;-)

range depends on terrain, but I'd plan on 17-20kpl unless its either all sand (13-17kpl) or all tar (20-22kpl).

with 24 + 13 litres, you need to do 17.6kpl to hit 650km. ie that's not unreasonable, but I'd plan on doing some less demanding legs before you commit to needing it!! can you rig the reserve on the main tank to somewhere around 7 litres so that you know where your point of no return is? (ie 7litres in front and 13 behind to get you back home (if the rear hasn't split yet))

enjoy your trip - great bike, but I wouldn't rely on the sahara underseat!
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  #3  
Old 12 Oct 2006
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Cheese & Crackers! Thanks Rich, you really didn't have to scare the Begeezus out of me like that did you? I mean, all I was really worried about was actually running out of fuel in the tank, not roasting my royalty as I'm riding!

Anyhow, perhaps it could serve as a water tank then? I don't like the idea of only having 23Ltrs of fuel onboard though. A few years ago, a mate of mine poured boiling water into the plastic tank of his WR 426. He then proceeded to pump the tank with compressed air. The resulting increase of capacity when it cooled was an extra 2Ltrs. That 2 litres may come in real handy some day. Has anyone tried this with a large capacity Acerbis(or similar) tank? If so, how did the final fitment go?

I have also just bought a Mikuni TM40 pumper carb for the 650. It is said to increase fuel efficiency(not to mention power). Does anyone have experience with the mileage from using this type of aftermarket carby?
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  #4  
Old 12 Oct 2006
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water is good ... unless its all leaked out by the time you need it!
it really depends on your plan. if you're going to need, say, 500km range then you need 25-30 litres. I've found plenty of places where 500km range is useful, but you get to meet more locals if you have a shorter range!

personally, I'd prefer the IMS tank (and not fret about the diaphragm pump). mine started life at 26/27 litres, but stretched with the weight and sun's warmth so it took 29 litres :-) you can supplement this with fuel bladders of 8-10 litres.

or there's a 45 litre alloy tank from switzerland ... that should do for 1,000km!
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  #5  
Old 13 Oct 2006
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Ok, your still putting the wind up me. All my water leaked away? Sheesh! What are you trying to say Rich? Only the biggest fool would utilize the underseat Acerbis tank?

As for the 45Ltr alloy tank, the thing that worries me is if you drop the bike...onto a sharp rock! Alloy is not as forgiving as plastic, I have personally had to walk a very long way due to a perferation in the bottom of my 'alloy' tank. At the same time I was coming down with chicken pox. I thought(I wished at the time) that I was a dead duck.

Also, a 45Ltr tank up front in one hit!? I think it might be comprimising the whole reason for using the XR-R in the first place - the ergonomics and handling(even though any long distance tank will affect the ergonomics, but 45 will be espescially drastic).

Hey Rich, you mentioned 8-10Ltr fuel bladders, can you elaborate on these, please?
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  #6  
Old 13 Oct 2006
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IMO, the sahara underseat option is one thing for rallying and quite another for going out on a limb without support. we had alloy rear tanks on our XRRs - 11 litres for water (thinner on left for airbox hump) and 13 for fuel. there are pics at www.overland-solutions.com. the side skin was 3mm to protect against rocks and I tested the protection very hard one afternoon! the real issue for me was welding alloy boxes - I lost all the water from the left when the bottom seam unzipped :-( fortunately, we weren't in the bush at the time.

there's no simple way to give a good bike (eg XRR) 500km range plus water and kit for several days. but most people don't really want to anyway! if you DO want several days autonomy the handling and weight will be compromised, but not too badly. if I were to get another XRR, I'd take a close look at the 45l tank - my XRL was fine with a 43l tank. as you say, keeping all your fuel in one place sounds risky - but even if you distribute fuel, you still have to get it to the carb and that's one of the Achilles heels of the Adventure - the tap is vulnerable.

bladders ... there's a good thread http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-gas-can-5231. I tested and used ortlieb bags with flush Nalgene lids so that they fold away to nothing. 8/9 litres storage for about £20-30.
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