Triumph Trophy SE Accessory Shelf Update

I'm experimenting with the shelf. I moved both GPS's up on to it. I'm heading out the Gerlachfest tomorrow to give it a good test. I've made up a second prototype and sent it to an evaluator. If his testing goes well, I'll be in production soon.

Here is a shot showing the mount configuration. Valentine V1 is tucked in between the Zumo and the 2820. Spot moved to the triple tree Ram mount.

Somebody asked, "How do you see over all that stuff?". This picture is with me sitting on the bike, camera held at eye level and pointed to my highway speed focal point.

Tank with Gas Saver Vent

The project got finished up and shipped today.  Some folks had asked to see the finished job so here are some pictures.

There was some discussion about whether this 1 quart overflow tank could be filled with gas during a fill up. This would effectively increase the capacity of the tank. Since several organizations limit the total combined capacity to 11-1/2 gallons this catch tank might be considered part of the tank capacity.

While it is theoretically possible to fill this tank, it seems impractical. You'll notice that the overflow tube is very small. I blew into the vent line and the air flow was pretty slow. Fuel flow would be even less. Since there is very little "freeboard" (distance between the top of the vent tube and the top of the filler neck) it would seem that trying to fill this tank would take a VERY long time.

That being said there are cheaters in any sport and somebody might try it. Personally, I'd say "let them". The time penalty for filling this catch tank would far exceed any benefit gained by an extra quart of fuel. :-)

This is an overall shot of the tank.

The client is going to fabricate the mount to the bike. You see two plates bolted to the base of the tank. These can be removed so his mounts can be bolted to them.

This is a close shot of the vent fitting coming out of the bottom of the tank.

Here you can see the overflow tube just poking into the filler neck.

The lighting is a little weak but you can see the catch tank just below the filler neck.

Thanks for looking. Feedback and comments are welcome.

Spilling Gas and $ [Fuel Cell with Gas Saver Vent]

As anyone who has ever worked with fuel tanks knows, proper venting is critical to the operation of the tank. Modern vehicles have sophisticated venting systems with fuel vapor recovery canisters, external vent lines, an external liquid/vapor separator, multiple moving parts, springs, and floats. These systems are frequently tied into the computer of the vehicle and can impact operation and/or performance if they don't function properly.

With secondary (i.e. auxiliary) fuel tanks the venting systems are very rudimentary. We typically use non-vented caps so there is no spillage in the event of a tip-over. To allow for air to offset the fuel as it is drained, we use a simple vent line located at or near the highest point on the tank. In addition to allowing air to enter the tank, this vent line also functions as a fuel overflow should the fuel expand beyond the capacity of the tank. Since we typically want a secondary tank to be as compact as we can make it there is generally little or no room for expansion. Therefore, we commonly find that some portion of our gasoline ends up on the ground. Not only is this environmentally unsound but, at the price of gasoline, it can add up to a significant expense.

I have tried various methods to prevent this gasoline from being vented overboard but in every case all I managed to do was complicate the system and cause venting problems. All that is about to change.

I just finished up a cell for a client that had a unique twist. He requested an overflow tank mounted internal to the tank. It's his design and a really neat idea, I wish I would have thought of it.

Following is a description of how it functions.

This is the CAD view of the catch tank.

Here's how it works:

• Overflow Operation:
• The overflow is a small tube that exits the top of the overflow tank 
• It extends into the filler neck and goes to the bottom of the overflow tank 
• As the fuel expands in the main tank it flows into the overflow tank. This overflow tank is engineered to hold most of the expansion expected from the 5 gallon tank.
  
  
  
  
  
• Vent Operation:

• The vent tube starts at the top of the catch tank and exits the base of the catch tank and extends through the base of the main tank
• When the auxiliary tank drains a vacuum is created at the overflow tube causing a low pressure in the catch tank, the low pressure is offset by outside air entering the tank via the vent line
• Fuel in the catch tank will be siphoned back into the auxiliary tank 

This entire assembly is mounted inside the secondary fuel tank providing a nice clean exterior. Here is a picture of the finished catch tank mounted in the secondary tank. 

In this particular case, the client asked for a straight filler neck so it was easy to make the overflow tube extend into the filler neck. 

Since most of my tank builds use the side mounted filler with a 90 degree bend I doubt that I could mount a system like this on the inside. I will experiment with making this external on tanks with a bent filler neck.

I will be offering this as an option for current and future clients.

Thanks for looking.

Mike

Triumph Trophy SE Ram Ball Mount

I've been working on this and posted previously. After consideration I've reworked the design a bit. Rather than use aluminum which would require some type of finish (anodize or paint), I decided to make them out of stainless steel. The plus here is that the standoffs can be tack welded to the crossbar. That way the bits are harder to lose.

 This is a picture of the forward mounted ball. It is harder to make since the bolts need to be modified to clear the Ram bracket.

















This entire kit is available for purchase.
$40 for everything pictured and that includes shipping in the CONUS. International first class postage adds about $10.

I'm working on version 2 of the rear mounted ball. It is priced at $35.

30 day money back if you're not satisfied.