I decided to install the bulkhead into my stock tank since everything was going so well with my Galfer SS brake lines.

I didn't really do a write up since I just used this page: http://www.fjr1300.info/howto/bulkhead.html

Very simple and straight forward.

I took this picture so I could tell the orientation of the fuel pump upon reinstallation. 

Print it out if ya need it.

I mounted the 1/4" NPT 90° fitting to the bulkhead and ran 1/4" fuel line from the barbed end to a small Motion Pro dry break.

I connected the dry break together and pumped come compressed air into the tank.

No leaks that I could hear.

I found some very cool dry breaks at Moreland Hose but they were just too big.

I bought two 'cuz they were so nicely made but I used the small plastic ones instead.

I filled the tank past the bulkhead with fuel and so far it's all still inside the tank. I guess that's one in the W column.

Here's a pic of my tool tray. You can see along the left side subframe rail the small inline fuel filter.

Everybody brakes my shoes about using this filter but it only has to filter the shit from my fuel cell before the stock filter does it's job. Plus I think it looks cool. That's the fuel line just coiled up under the passenger seat until the fuel cell is done. I hope QWACKA is ready to hit it soon.

I just got done building, well more accurately, QWACKA just got done building my FJR 1300 Givi mount Fuel Cell.

It's 22"W x 17"D x 3"H  

Should hold 4.85 gallons.

I went with a Pingel petcock, then a dry break, a tiny filter under the seat, another dry break under the tank, then the bulkhead all on ¼” fuel line so I don’t go over 11.5 gallons

It's made of 1/8” aluminum with baffles inside to divide it up into 6 small compartments to eliminate fuel slosh.

Here are a few pics of it while we were building it.

As always, click to enlarge.

And here are a few as soon as it was done.

Right now it's at the powder coaters getting hit with some wrinkle black.

Same color I did the Givi rack and with the flat black Givi Chucka box it should be invisible once it's all bolted together.   

  OK I got it back and mounted with only a little drama.

Put everything back together and cleaned up all the tools and was getting ready to push her back in the garage, that is until a saw the puddle!!!

I disconnected the dry break under the tank and added the male side to it and blew air back to the cell.

The filter under the seat was gurgling.

OK I guess that DOES need petroleum Teflon tape.

Added that and blew into it again and it held.

Then I realized I put the filter on backwards!

CRAP!!!

Took it all off again and re-Teflon taped it then MUSCLE FUCKED* it and snapped the nipple off of the out side of the filter. I never liked the idea of plastic nipples but I couldn’t find brass ones and I guess it was ok since it didn’t crack the glass part of the filter.

(* Thanks Warchild!)

I was using ¼” line but I had an extra 5/16” nipple so I squirted some WD-40 on there and slipped it in.

Made sure it was correctly orientated and re checked for leaks and I was golden.

I’m gonna fill it tomorrow and see how much it holds for sure.

OK I just got back from a little spin.

My stock tank was already on reserve so I just filled the cell and it took 4.752 gallons. The FJR holds 6.6 for a total of 11.352 plus the line. That means as long as my line holds less then 18.944 ounces (which it does) I’m under the 11.5 gallon limit so that’s perfect.

Since I had an almost empty tank when I filled the cell so I flipped the petcock on and took off. The bars on the gauge climbed very slowly. That’s good since I can flip the switch at 100 miles and not have to worry about over flowing the stock tank.

I’m going to get a more accurate estimate of the flow rate this week.

I’ve fielded a few questions so I’ll post them here.

One question was about the internal baffles and how I cut them for fuel flow.

There is one baffle that runs from left to right.

Then there are 2 front, and 2 rears.

I cut all of the baffles.

The center left/right piece is cut on all four bottom and top corners.

The 2 fronts are cut on both bottom corners.

The 2 rears are just cut on the front bottom corner. (No real reason).

It "should" flow in any position but we'll see.  

OK I’ve been playing with filling it and riding around with different levels of fuel in it.

First I rode around with 1 gallon in it then with 3. Today I filled the tank and cell for the first time so it was all topped up and I headed out for about a half hour to see how it would be.

With 25 MPH winds it was no more unstable then normal!!!

I have been testing with transfer rates and it transfers very slowly which I think is good.

Every 5 miles today I opened the petcock for 10 seconds to try and get the gas outta the cell as soon as possible. At about 35 miles the first bar on the gauge disappeared. That is real close to when it normally disappears. If I get a chance I’d like to run a tank through but since I won’t be able to before the Palmetto Ramble I think I’m going to put a gallon in and actually time how long it takes to empty.

The more I know the better chance I have of being able to get the cell emptied without overflowing the stock tank.  

Well, I'm back from the Palmetto Ramble. It was the first big test of my Givi mounted fuel cell and I have to admit it worked flawlessly. I did some trial and error testing of transfer rates and this is what I came up with. I opened the Pingel every five miles for one minute. The first bar on the gauge disappeared at just shy of 50 miles. Once it disappeared I would open the Pingel and leave it open until the bar came back on then I would shut it. I would continue this until the first bar stopped lighting back up. This was happening at about 200 miles. From then on I would just leave the Pingel open and the cell would be empty and I'd start working on my stock fuel supply.

On the ride to and from the Ramble I rode with Gregg Burger on his '04 BMW GS so we were stopping for gas between 240 and 280 depending on how brisk the pace. The day of the Ramble I left with a full tank and I rode for about 7 hours before I stopped for gas. I didn't need it but I needed a receipt so it just worked out. 

That cell worked out to be a thing of beauty.

I’ll keep y’all posted.

This page was last updated on:

04/04/2005