Fuel can

[Cloudswiper]

Thinking of getting a little standby can as an insurance when touring.
I have had some daft experiences of crawling down French autoroutes in full aero-tuck to get to the next fuel stop (having thought I'll be OK until the next one...)

FuelFriend brand looks good.
Any experience of them here?

[Waldorf]

No, but I share your experience of running on empty in France!

I carry a 1.5 litre Primus metal fuel bottle in my topbox.

[blackmoon181]

been there a few times... when i first started commuting on my Vespa LX125 and didn't know the range well! fortunately its pretty easy to push. i've own a trangia 1L fuel bottle which i transfer to all bikes and had for years. gets the job done. i used to have it jubilee clipped underneath my topcase on the BV350 when touring around scandinavia but never used it in anger. came close though. these days i keep it in a seperate "tool tube" attached to the pannier mount for my NC750X. I know 1L won't get me far but haven't ran it dry in years. mentally its a nice thing to have though. it has been used more for rides with mates or the odd passer by who has run short.

I know there is a company who sells a pet carrier shaped fuel tank which you can splice into your existing fuel line for the GTS's .

[Data]

My fuel warning light on the GTS comes on after anywhere from 125-140 miles from tank full depending on how I've been riding. I think I have somewhere between 25-30+ miles of usable fuel left in the tank at that point. The furthest I've ridden on one tank is 163 miles before I got a bit nervous and ducked into the first garage I saw coming up. I'd sure like to find a reliable but small fuel carry bottle. If I stick to 60mph the bike does around 89-92mpg depending on wind and temperature. It's ok at 60, I just amble along enjoying the sound of the motor and admiring the scenery. I go to Birmingham a couple of times a year (total miles in a day 375) and need to refuel twice. So it's not bad. But some extra fuel with me as insurance might be a good thing. But a two litre bottle might be better for me. I'll let you know what I find.

[wightegi]

I have a 3 litre plastic fuel can that I bought in Super U in France a couple of years back , it can be refilled from a petrol pump and it has a filler spout inside ,I used it the other day to make sure I did not run dry testing the range on my Xevo when the fuel light comes on 20 plus miles before I went for a refuel .The can is square shape and can stack one on top of another .




sitting in a frying pan ...well why not gives an idea of the size .

[newscooter]

I have a 3 litre plastic can that has ridden with me for years. I think that it's a Touratech one and the neck is large enough to take a pump nozzle. I have two smaller ones but they can't be filled without using a funnel !

[Scootles]

I have a couple of Fuel Friend two litre bottles - see through and a wide neck that a petrol pump nozzle fits into. I strap one, or both, to a bracket on the inside of the top box. You can buy a little screw on nozzle which makes decanting into the tank less messy. I did a four day trip in Scotland using only one of them. I didn’t need it but it was nice to have that extra 30 miles or so in hand.

[Scootles]

Quick photo with pourer attached.

[steve_h80]

An alternative is to carry a syphon tube with you. If you run out chances are another bike will stop to help and won't mind donating a litre or two to get you to the next garage.

[Cloudswiper]

Thanks guys - lots of great suggestions.

Wightegi - when you fry your petrol can do use use organic olive oil?