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Long Distance Steup Help

I was picking up parts at the HD dealer the other day and had a couple ask if they could sit in my sidecar so being in no hurry said sure. They were contimplating a sidecar VS a trike and I explained my choice and why... Anyway the next morning I was cleaning the rig and found a cell phone and called the nice lady that sat in my sidecar the day before and arranged to drive back out to the dealership to return it. In meeting up with them they explained they were buying the new rig (I think trike) to do the ultimate coast to coast from Key West to Prudhoe Bay and I should join them. Fate was the first thought in my head. After a discussion with my wife she said figure out what it will cost, talk my teanage son into riding in the car, and go for it. So let the upgrades begin...

I know I need additional fuel since my 4.8 gal gets me 120 miles or less at highway speed. If we plan to stop every 150 to 200 I am ok, but will need I think a 275 mile range on the haul road. I have decided to install a 3 gallon rotopax for emergency and put a 5-8 gallon fuelcell in the trunk with a remote fill cap on the rear or side of the car and set it up as a transfer tank to pump gas into the main tank. I have read the pro's and con's on gravity vs pump and am ok with the potential failure since I will never be a competative IBA rider. What I can't figure out is the best way to set up the pump and iniline shutoff valve. I know the pump will go in the trunk, but I think I need a shut off valve, however, do not want to have to stop to transfer fuel and can't find a place I can safely reach to put a valve. Anyone ever fool with an actuated valve or electric one? Will the pump act as a valve or could gravity drain the main tank out the aux tank vent?

Also, Is it safe to put an optima or similar vent free battery in the trunk next to the fuel cell. I really want to keep the clean look of the bike and sidecar vs converting to a full adventure hack on a harley.

With a trunk tank you will need to pump the fuel. Why not pump into the stock tank. That's the simplest. I doubt that you will be riding 275 miles without stopping for a few minutes anyway.
A ventless battery is OK as long as there is no chance of a spark and it is well secured.
Space for an 8 gal. fuel reserve and battery depends somewhat on what sidecar you are working with.
When I ran a reserve tank I just used a 3/8" fuel line with a ball valve shutoff.

L.

Since I would only go 100+ on a tank I would like to flip a switch when the idiot light comes on and fill the main on the fly. I understand I can T into the lo pressure crossover on a EFI Harley tank. Its a CSM sidecar with a good size trunk and I can fit a 5 gal tank with a battery or 8 gal without and still pack gear on top of tank if I add a filler to the side of the car.. I am still planning what is best.

Would the ball valve go before or after the pump? Someone suggested a marine bulb for a external gas can. They have a ball valve built in and could hand pump a little gas if the electric pump failed.

I had an unregulated spare tank setup on a pickup in the past and a few times mistakenly pumped gas out of the overfilled main tank and onto the ground. Not something I would like to have happen "on the fly" on a motorcycle. Think this out well. Fuel pump pressures, tank valving, vapor line isolation, overfilling safeguards, etc. A fuel injected system is different than a carbureted system.
Better safe than dead.

L.

I realize that it takes a little mental disipline to manage the second tank but here is how I did it.

1. I experimented to know how much gas was used up when the low fuel light came on ( when you hit reserve).
2. Never put more fuel in the aux tank then that amount.
3. Determine how much time it takes to move that fuel into the main tank.
4. Plumb a Tee into the bikes fuel line (In my case with FI system it went into the fuel return line)
5. Plumb the valve and the fuel pump between the Aux tank and the Tee. (the pump I used was from a Ford PU because I had one)

Now---
1. The fuel light comes on. Drive a few mins. more
2. Open the fuel valve and turn on the pump switch.
3. Drive the number of miles that equals the mins. ( we are riding sidecars, we are not flying)
4. Close the valve and turn off the switch.
5. I'm ready for an other 120 miles but I have to stop to pee anyway.

I installed a tank in my top box and gravity fed the fuel into the main tank. I made it so that when the low fuel light comes on, there is not enough fuel to over fill the main tank. I used a 12 volt normally closed solenoid valve from AFC. Hooked it to an accessory terminal so that I could only operate the valve when the ignition was on. This also prevented anyone else from switching the valve on when I was not aware. This is the link to the valve I used.......
http://www.afcvalves.com/mod111.html
It works OK. The only drawback is that the fuel transfer is rather slow. Tank is not mounted high enough to get sufficient head pressure. I think I am going to add a fuel pump to the system to speed up the fuel transfer. Will be a good winter project while the white stuff is on the ground.