Modern Vespa

post deleted by Salima

It sounds like you have an intersting trip planned! Where I live, finding yourself in the middle of nowhere, without a station within easy reach, would be a challenge. Just the same, I would error on the side of caution in your situation and bring the extra gas. Pushing a scooter for miles has got to be less fun than riding! Do a search for "auxillary gas tank" or something similar and you should find out options.

A couple of people have replaced the battery cover screws with screw eyes.



You can then use bungie cords to tie a one gallon gas can to the hump.



Dave

post deleted by Salima

i take those hard plastic camping water bottles, fill them up, and toss them in my bag on the rear rack. one bottle will get you 60 miles or so.

I'm blushing!!
Dave

If it's not red and designed for gas it's not legal to fill and transport gas in. Will you get busted? Probably not....but after 56 years of being a contrarian I've learned to eliminate as many contentious and potentially problematic short cuts as possible.

Please use containers designed for fuel storage.!

On my SF->LA ride along Hwy 1, I worried it might get a little dry between Carmel Valley and Cambria (I made it OK though). But just in case, I went to REI and got a camp fuel bottle. I made a funnel out of a small PVC bottle, and carried it in the pet carrier with my other stuff. I looked at the Nalgene bottles, but worried they might interact with the gas.

+1 MICHEAL MOORE. SALIMA you could get a couple of them and that's what they are used for so no worries on the getting busted. I used them backpacking and think they would travel better than the red gas containers. No chance of accidentally getting a hole in one of them like the red ones. They also handle heat better than plastic. Plastic tends to get softer if it's hot and they sit in the sun. Metal's much better. Sounds like a great trip

Brilliant solution, Chetwynder!

On the Cannonball last year, most of us carried an extra gas can with bungee cords. The longest we had to run between stations was 110 miles though. I think that was in eastern Oregon. You will probably end up finding a station along the way but the extra gallon is well worth the peace of mind.

Also someone mentioned a while back that it is not good to get too low because the gauge (or something else, I forget) is cooled by the gas.

That would be the fuel pump that resides in the fuel tank.

Dave

I just use a red plastic gas container with a bungee like others here. Works just fine.

I also bought a camp fuel bottle, but I haven't used it on a trip yet. If you want to fill these up, make sure you bring a funnel.

I looked into auxiliary tanks at one time, but I found them to be a very expensive way to solve a very simple problem.

from poster and mileage junkie Mike Lynch:

2004 GT-200 "Auxiliary Fuel Tank".
2004 GT-200 "Auxiliary Fuel Tank" - Part two.

The problem with adding an auxiliary tank on a GTS is the location of the fuel pump. Because the pump resides in the fuel tank you have to some how get the fuel into the tank, you cannot simply tap in to a fuel line as you would on a carburetor equipped bike like the GT.

Dave

+1 for the eye hole screws. I think I may have been a pioneer in that field.

Here's my bike halfway through a saddlesore 1000 ride.

The problem with carrying extra gas is when you park your scoot and some asshat decides to torch your bike. I like the REI bottle because it's something you can possibly store under the seat or carry in a bag and walk with. Personally, I wouldn't leave a scoot unattended with gas strapped to it.

The only catch is being limited to 1L. If cruising in remote areas, that's not much of a buffer! For urban areas I agree with you and feel safer with the MSR or REI gas bottle stashed.

Save $5 less than REI..
http://cgi.ebay.com/MSR-33-oz-Fuel-Bottle-New_W0QQitemZ300152590223QQihZ020QQcategoryZ87136QQcmdZViewItem

post deleted by Salima

I carried a plastic 1 gallon container in the pet carrier on a long distance trip last summer. (Also carried a funnel.) Air temperatures were easily over 90 degrees; don't know how hot the engine got. Never had a problem with the plastic container. Never needed the extra fuel, either. But. like Bobo said, it's well worth the peace of mind. It also gave me the opportunity to help out a motorcyclist. Creating good scooter karma and goodwill with a biker - can't beat that.

Pretty pricy solution. I'd consider a 1 gal safety can strapped as others suggested. I believe this one can even be locked. Although being familiar with the back country around you I can't imagine anyone torching your scoot. Unless of course you had some stickers on your scoot deriding LDS or some other silly politics.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2AX29

Trigger mechanism enables the pouring of small quantities of liquid. Leaktight, self-closing cap prevents spillage and automatically vents to guard against explosion. Dual-density flame arrester protects against external heat sources. Justrite's unique design includes a current-carrying carbon insert imbedded into the can for proper grounding.

Some duplication, but here you go:
http://www.nyscooterclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3166

Salima,
Where's your gas tank located?

Bobo,

You forgot to mention that a few of us JD, Styrax, and myself were outfitted with auxiliary tanks mounted on the back rack. It worked for my ET once I figured the optimum time to start using the the auxiliary tank.

post deleted by Salima

Not a problem. Just imagine if these things were like Pintos?

Spock if you lived on the east coast you would be too young to even remember Pintos ... they are all rusted and gone ... even the ones that did not go boom.

And Mike, I know you guys had amazing fuel rigs for the Cannonball. I left that part out cuz people were looking for simple temporary solutions. Yours was definitely bigger!

Yeah, getting more mileage from the derriere was harder!

I ran out of gas one time. If I remember right the last bar on the gas gauge when it starts flashing means you have less then 30 miles left. In the Dakotas last September I used my extra gas can twice.

post deleted by Salima

Late to the thread, but not too late to the task...I kept a regular .5L plasitc water bottle filled with gasoline, in my pet carrier, for probably three, four months, with never a problem. Just to be prudent, I recently replaced it with an aluminum bottle from REI. That, of course, is even safer (but the water bottle was better to pour into the tank).

I tested the gas gauge on my GTS and posted about it. IIRC, two bars meant 24 miles till no bars, and from there it were another 40 miles or so until empty.

Not sure if any of this is helpful. Quantities are just too small, for long distance rides through no-gas-station territories.

post deleted by Salima

Salima,
If I had planned a trip into "uncharted territories", so-to-speak, I would also want more fuel. I think BurgerBob's solution below is tried and trusted. If you search for his contributions, you can find some other helpful suggestions too.

One interesting thread of his is this:
My recent trip pics

These are used on small boats. It's a flexible nitrile fuel bag. It would probably fit in the pet carrier and it's rated for 6 gallons, but you could put in 2-3.

http://www.imtra.com/product/pumps_tanks/nauta_holding_tanks/portable_outboard_tanks/portable_outboard_tanks/fb521100.htm

Description: Portable Outboard Tank
Maximum Capacity: 6 gal (25 liter)
Dimensions: 16.5 x 9 x 10" (42 x 23 x 25cm)
Tank Material: Nitrile
Warranty: 1 year
Included Fittings: FTP610; FTP700
Spanner Wrench: Included (FTP010)
Weight: 4.000 lbs.

The thing to worry about in general with extra fuel over just a few oz. is sloshing.

I know I'm looking at an extra fuel tank (for no reason heh), and for stability's sake I'm gonna get the kind with foam in it to help prevent that sort of nonsense.