Easier fuel tank filling

[joethebike]

I have finally got sick of dribbling in the last litre of fuel into my 650 and fixed the problem by draining the tank of fuel, extracting the pump, blown out the fumes with my leaf blower and attacked the filler neck collar with a suitable punch. Where the tiny stock air hole sits in the collar I punched 5 5mm holes in the sheet metal, and the next fill up showed a perfect result by no longer requiring patient dribbling to fill the tank right up.

[UK_Vstrom650]

I had done something similar on my old XVS1300. Unsure why I didn't think of it for the Strom.

Obviously anyone thinking of doing this must be mindful of petrol fumes + spark = bang! as said above, ensure you clear all fumes and maybe a dab of grease on the end of the punch to reduce risks further.

[Joe Rocket]

I was about to make you an offer for the T350 but the I saw you're down under........... 

[kwackboy]

Did the same on my Vee , enables you to get nearly an extra litre in the tank .

[King Orry]

As UK Strom points out.. BE CAREFUL. 
Any petrol fumes may result in a nasty surprise should your drill/punch create a spark.
I guess another option would be to water fill the tank thus remove any unwanted vapours before any work.

[Freddyfruitbat]

Am I missing something here or does this issue not apply to my 2013 DL650 AL2?

I can't honestly say that filling up has given me any particular problems that I'm aware of?

[UK_Vstrom650]

If you want to brim the tank you can't due to the neck filler without going very very slowly.... Punching holes in the neck filler allows the air out and the fuel in quicker beyond the bottom of the neck filler.

[chris1200]

And I've'e never been in that much of a rush or ever tried to cross the Gobi desert. 

[Joe Rocket]

This worries me too. The extra space at the top of the tank (a safety feature) is to avoid overfilling the tank say on centrestand and then putting it on the sidestand. The Owner's Manual (Suzuki rear end covering maybe) says heat from the engine or leaving the bike in sunshine can cause the fuel to expand. That is very true of fumes at least!

Like Chris 1200 I don't see where the hurry is........... but everyone sees things differently. 

[kwackboy]

You are correct regarding the safety feature but as well as a breather the cap has a rubber seal to stop any leakage.
I did this mod purely for speedy fill ups when crossing Europe and for the extra mileage. If I brimmed my tank and parked it straight after I always used the centre stand even though my fuel cap didn't leak . Also I never had any issues when full In hot weather . 

[Barbel Mick]

An extra 30 seconds may mean life & death to some but to be honest, I've never thought/worried about it but it's another idea shared on the forum for others to consider. 

[Freddyfruitbat]

Still not really getting this. It must be me!

Here's my Glee's tank.  When I fill up, I stick the nozzle down the big hole (flagged with a biro) and squirt away at maximum to my hearts' content.  No restriction on flow at all.   As the level nears the top, I raise the nozzle until the tip is just at the level of the hole, ie where the biro tip is, and when the fuel is level with that hole, the pump cuts out and I deem the tank full.

So are you blokes (I'm using that term just to wind up FR as he apparently hasn't blocked it yet! ) topping off your tanks higher than that, then?  I don't know much extra petrol would fit in - certainly not a whole lot - but yes it would fill slower then (and I'd probably end up with wet feet).   And as I usually fill up at around 220-230 miles, range isn't really an issue for me on this bike.

[Joe Rocket]

kwackboy, I have no issue with others doing mods on their bikes and I can see the plus factor under their own parametres. If the tank's full to the brim then no room for fumes anyway.......

Might do that in F1 if those extra seconds were really important.

Still, I'm no expert so...... well.......sorry, with all my respects, I'm not convinced.

Like Barbel Mick said....... 'tis a good topic.

[UK_Vstrom650]

Yes Freddy it's about filling up beyond the bottom plate. You can do this very slowly - the petrol will fill the metal neck then when you pause, the petrol will slowly go back down the metal neck as it displaces the air gap. Putting the holes in the neck makes this process go quicker.

On my old XVS1300 this was useful as the tank range was around 130-140 miles so putting as much fuel in as possible on a long ride was always a bonus, but as said not such an issue on the Strom for my daily riding.

Some will find this mod useful, others not so much, but it can be a useful (& free) mod for those who need it.

[Freddyfruitbat]

Ah!

Out of interest, how much extra fuel will fit in between that bottom plate and the absolute maximum, then?  Will that be included in the manufacturer's stated maximum tank capacity?

[MartinW]

..... So are you blokes (I'm using that term just to wind up FR as he apparently hasn't blocked it yet! ) .....

Fixed it for him

[Freddyfruitbat]