Modern Vespa

Have read a lot about carrying extra fuel. Seems there are two applications. Carry extra fuel for long range as in Cannonball run, or run dry and need enough to get to the gas station. For the latter I will have a can of Trufuel 4-cycle in the pet carrier.

OFG

As long as you have it, you won't need it.

But someone else might.

For less than the price of 2 Trufuel containers, you can buy a fuel container that is designed to take a little punishment. Those Trufuel cans are great for putting on a shelf, but I would not want it rolling around in a top box. Just sayin'...

Sheesh. Just fill up soon after the fuel light comes on. You can go at least 30 miles on the so-called 'reserve'.

The GTS tank holds like 2.5G and the gas light comes on around 1.75. I've had it come on even earlier.

Unless you're touring on the moon, extra gas isn't worth occupying your brain space, let alone your underseat space.

I have a camping fuel half litre bottle under my seat, just in case or for someone else.

On my Goat-Tracker© I have a 3 litre-ish plastic gas can bolted to the bike as I go hidding in the hills and although every village sells gas in bottles the shops are not always easy to identify.

I see nothing wrong with having a can of Trufuel in the pet carrier.

I tend to, somewhat obsessively, fill-up prior to any longish ride. I've actually ran out of fuel twice over the years, once on a Royal Enfield 350 that seemed to have just a half-litre reserve, then on a BMW K1100 which was quite thirsty when pressed. Each time, fortunately, I was able to walk to a local garage, purchase a cheap polythene fuel can and refill. I now have a collection of them in my garage...oh memories!

The LML's tank holds just six litres, so despite 100+ (imperial) mpg, I still like to have a fall-back position for use in remoter parts where fuel stations can be few and far between, especially since my breakdown recovery insurance excludes fuel exhaustion! So, in the capacious glove box, amongst the toolbag, lock and other stuff, I carry upright an old U.S army alloy drinks canteen, which holds about a litre. I replenish it often, pouring the older fuel into the lawn mower!

So far, I've never needed it.

OFG, contact the MFG to be sure this fuel is O2 and catalytic safe for your Liberty. It is designed for outdoor power equipment and I know of no MFG that recommends it's use. Purchase a fuel container and fill with pump gas, rotate your stock every now and then and you will be good.

While riding on the roads in the Eastern US, there is no need to ever carry spare fuel.

You are never more than a few miles from a gas station.

I have had a few times riding in the Western US to need extra fuel.

They were all on Cannonball Runs and mostly to stretch range, but a couple of times the distance between stations was greater than the range of the scooter.

While riding the Cannonball I found it best to carry a spare that would fill an empty scooter tank, doubling the range.

This year I was riding a new GTS that has had it's fuel tank capacity reduced to 2.1 gallons (I have put 2.6 into an old GT).

At Cannonball speeds, range was limited to as low as 100 miles.

I used the spare almost every day in the Western US, but could time gas stops at stations in the East.

My choice was an old 2 gallon tank with an old filler nozzle held onto the rear rack using ROK straps.

It fell off on a washboard dirt road in Arizona before I found a better way to strap it down.

Bill

Yebbut - that's not Alabama.

Not every gas station , even in Alabama, has ethanol free premium gas. Lottolearn makes a valid point about the suitability of TruFuel 4 cycle for scooters though I've used their 2 cycle in power equipment for many years. Might as well spend the money on the MSR bottle and carrier.

OFG

I still don't understand why (except for very understandable principles w.r.t. energy in vs energy out and the carbon cycle) people make such an enormous fuss about non-ethanol fuel. All engines produced in the last twenty years are totally happy with it, the cost per distance travelled is less than the non-ethanol versions, and it is ubiquitous.

Ethanol is hydroscopic. Water has no place in a fuel system. Might be more energy efficient but I'm not using gas containing ethanol if at all possible.

OFG

Erm - actually water injection is a well-known way of getting greater efficiency from an ICE engine...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_injection_(engine)

A bit of absorbed water in the ethanol does no harm in our scooters.

Been a fuel months since we had an aux fuel tank thread...

When do we get the pic of the bike that has the fuel tank in place of the top case that gets reposted every few months?

Search is dead.

So, ethanol will bind to the water and remove it from the fuel system before it builds up to worrisome levels? That's awesome news.

It's definitely not true that you don't have to worry about availability of gas stations on the east coast-- my folks live in (very rural) northwestern PA, there are areas you have to drive 20+ miles for gas and no guarantee it's gonna be a 24/7 gas station.

I keep an aluminum fuel can (about a quart) to take along on longer rides. It mostly lives in my Liberty 150's topcase; that scooter, while wonderful in every other way, has a WOEFULLY small gas tank and is a raging nuisance to fill. I actually DID run out of gas with her once, shortly after I got her and before I figured out how to properly fill the gas tank. Since our rides are often over the mountains with scarce gas stations, I like the extra assurance that it's there.

Likewise in CA - but the reserve in the tank gives you 30+ miles, so wot-me-worry.

A remarkably large number of the models Piaggio makes and markets in the US can go further than 20+ miles on a tank of gas.
It's strange to read that there are people who let some crackpot ideas about Ethanol in fuel dictate their travel plans. There was a banner above one station that claimed ethanol free gas gave you up to 25% better mpg. And it was only a dollar more per gallon.
Before you take that hard right turn to Crazytown, ask yourself if cars last longer and are more reliable now than when ethanol wasn't in gas, and if you actually know anyone with a modern, as in 30 years old or newer, car who had reliability issues with their vehicle that can be directly attributed to ethanol in the gas they used (yes, I know this will bring out a lot of very incoherent anecdotes that cannot be proven, but nonetheless "feel" like they might be true). If you take apart a modern engine, the combustion chambers are remarkably clean, compared to back when High Test had Ethyl, but not ethanol.
There are places where the only gas for a hundred miles is sold out of plastic jugs on the side of the road, and strained into your tank through Mr. Coffee filters. Is it ethanol free? Don't know. Is it high octane? Probably not. Is it even gasoline? Hope so. Is it worth passing this up and camping in the middle of nowhere until someone comes along with the perfect gas for your vehicle? Depends on how many lions you saw on the road, how tall the trees are and how fast you can climb in the dark while being pursued.
Overpriced ethanol free gas is just another way of getting more money out of people who read something somewhere about something they know nothing about, and it sort of made sense. I doubt you will find oil company engineers who will drive out of their way or pay extra to put ethanol free gas in their vehicles.

Well that is certainly one point of view re: ethanol in gas. Cars are driven daily and the ethanol containing gas is replaced very often. However, I for one, will continue to only use non-ethanol gas in everything else. Your choice, my choice.

OFG

I like ethanol. I use grain alcohol, [everclear] to clean my smoking paraphernalia, rinses clean.
Works good as a degreaser too
No worries about contact or fumes

Surely there are some kinds of fumes if you're smoking?

On my last 2 Cannonballs, I had an auxillary tank plumbed for extra fuel and and a MSR bottle as emergency. I do keep a MSR bottle strapped to the underside of my rear rack on the GTS as standard practice. It's relatively convenient, discreet, and protected in that position.

During SCBRs, the Aux tank was used all the time, and the emergency fuel was accessed a couple of times for others in need.

On this last Cannonball, my support van hauling my scoot to California needed my MSR bottle to get them to a gas station!

You never know when that liter of fuel might save your (or someone else's) day.

Ah, there it is ^ Took longer than I thought it would, must have still been at the pump refilling

Oh, yeah? Well, I drove a 1980 Buick Regal with a 305 out of a Chevy Blazer in it for years, and I know for a FACT that it ran better on non-ethanol gas. At least I'm pretty sure. I think. If I remember correctly.

FTR, pouring water in the carburetor after the engine is warm will free up those pesky valves.

You'll obviously get better mpg with non-ethanol as it contains more energy by volume - but nowhere near enough extra to compensate for the extra price!

So the mpg argument is spurious.

EXCEPT ... ahem.

I love this channel.

To answer the original question. I go for large tank and a long range, not small container that can only get you few miles further.
It's an obsession of mine. If the bike/scooter cannot reach at least 200 miles on a tank it's off my list of possible purchases. Not because fuel stations are too far apart, but because I hate to have to stop there few times a week when only commuting, or few times a day when traveling. When I stop I want to enjoy the long distance view from a mountain pass, not a truck parking lot at a fuel station.

Happy to oblige...

That's the route I went for touring. My Super Tenere is comfy enough for hours of riding. So, I wanted to have extra to keep from cutting a good ride short on occasion.

On my Vespa I find I welcome an empty tank as a chance to stretch my legs is needed. However, I've been places where I wanted to keep going, but had to look for gas instead. Maybe I mount a cupholder on my rear rack to hold the MSR bottle, LOL.