41 Litre Long Range Fuel Tank

Fuel Options

Of all the aftermarket accessories that I planned on bolting to my bike, installing the Touratech 41 litre Long Range Fuel Tank was the one that I was stupidly excited about. I knew it ws going to visually transform my bike and provide an insane fuel range.

Lisa and I knew that we wanted to ride some pretty tough and remote areas of the world; areas where we knew fuel would be a substantial obstacle. In the planning stages of our journey we looked at a host of fuel carrying alternatives; Jerry cans, fuel boxes even plastic bottles of fuel strapped to our bags. After a little research it quickly became obvious that we needed a long term, serious solution. After discovering that the BMW Motorrad Dakar Rally bikes (back when they had a rally team) used polyamide fuel tanks we started to look at the Touratech tanks.

Strength To Weight

These amazing fuel tanks are incredibly light ( I can lift the empty tank off the ground with a single finger) and insanely strong. These two qualities alone start to validate the cost of the tanks. The Touratech tank is constructed from a material called Polyamide 6 (it was space age in 2003) an incredibly resilient nylon polymer. Look at most of the worlds top racing vehicles, both bikes and car alike,and many have Polyamide constructed fuel tanks, bumpers and components. I finally figured if it ws good enough for Dakar Rally racers then it was going to be good enough for me.

 

Resources, more info:

• US riders – Touratech-USA 41L fuel Tank Page
• EU Riders – Tourarech DE 41L fuel Tank Page

 

Durability

Here is a single statement that attest to this tanks durability: The tank on my R1150GSA is the same tan that was installed in 2002! It has survived both crashes and drops that would have either punctured or destroyed the BMW OEM fuel tank and carried me trough six continents and almost half a million miles. That's tough!

 

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I bought and installed my 41L Tank in 2002 and it’s still going strong. In the last 400,000 miles I’ve had more scrapes, drops, falls and crashes than I ‘d care to remember. This tank just takes them all in it’s stride. Simon Thomas, 2 Ride The World

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Fill Her Up

Having a huge on-road fuel range is not why we installed out long range tanks! Read on...when riding off-road, especially sand any motorcycles fuel economy will drop substantially, especially the heavier adventure bikes. It’s estimated that in sand only 30% of the power derived from the engine gets converted to forward motion, whilst most of the power gets wasted as your rear wheel spins looking for traction. My initial concerns about the sheer size of the Touratech 41L tank itself were quickly dispelled. After riding with it for a while you become accustomed and the tank doesn’t adversely affect the bikes handling. This is partially because the tank’s design means that fuel is carried lower than with the BMW OEM tank.

Now bearing in mid that the Touratech tank is lighter than the stock tank, installing it is also going to lighten the overall weight of the bike. Sure, it's a huge tank but just because you can carry 41 litres of fuel doesn't mean you have to. Why ride around with all that weight if you don't have to? So, when we're in developed counties where fuel is easily found we just fill up with 20 litres (5.2 gallons)

Worth The Bucks?

So, the big question really is whether installing the big tank was justified. Would we buy it again if we were setting out again, knowing what we do today? The simple answer is yes. But that yes is because of the type of riding Lisa and I love to do and the remote regions of the world that we love to explore. Just like motorbikes there is no one size fits all, but I know for sure that getting through some of the areas listed below woudl have been dicey without the Touratech 41L tank.

The Touratech 41l (10.8 gallon) Adventure tank has been essential in these terrains.

• Sahara Desert (Africa)
• Kalahari Desert (Africa)
• Bolivian Altiplano (South America)
• Amazon Jungle (Brazil- South America)
• Nepalese Himalayas (Asia)
• Mongolia (Central Asia)
• Silk Route – Pamir Highway (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)
• Outback Australia (Australasia)

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For Lisa & I our Touratech long range fuel tanks have been an essential upgrade to our bikes. We simply couldn’t have ridden to some of the remote areas of the globe we have done without them. Excellent bit of kit”. Simon Thomas, 2 Ride The World

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Specs & Detail

• Fuel capacity: 41 liters (=10.8 gallons)
• Allows for riding 400 miles and more.
• Includes all mounting hardware
• Includes 100-0014 since Jan 2005
• Original BMW petrol pump and fuel filler cap are re-used on the 41L tank.
• Cross-tube equalizes fuel level
• Made in Germany by Elkamet
• Material: Polyamide 6 Nylon
• Does NOT fit with H&B crash bars

NOTE: If you are considering a long range fuel tank, it’s also worth picking up the Fuel Pickup EXTENSION Kit. CHECK OUT MORE INFO HERE

 

PROS		CONS
▲ Single one tnak fuel solution		▼ Premium priced upgrade
▲ Bolts straight on without major modifications needed		▼ Potential rubbing area if installed with engine guards
▲ non-permeable.
▲ Can be spray painted
▲ Near indestructible
▲ Lighter than stock tank
▲ Designed specifically for R1100 -850 - 1150GS

 

 

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