 | The Ron Smith EZ Tank For Gold Wing 1500
December 1, 2002
We are now offering a "naked" Gold Wing 1500 cell at a substantial savings. Same as the original version except no cover. It is powder coated and uses welded tabs on the cell for the attachment straps.
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The EZ Tank adapts easily on Gold Wing 1800
My Gold Wing Had To Stop Before I did!!
Easy solution; get a fuel cell (auxiliary tank).
When your spouse rides you need to stop more often. Not wanting to give up saddlebag space by mounting a permanent tank was a prime concern. We couldn't find an auxiliary fuel tank that could be removed or installed easily.
Several weeks were dedicated to researching existing commercial systems and working on basic molds and dimensions for a storage system.
The end result was that, even with the quality and cost of tanks now available, they did not fit our requirements so the design and assembly was started.
The goal was to design around the following criteria:
1) Center the weight and eliminate operational differences when either
full or empty.
2) Leave the saddle bags and trunk available for all necessary goodies.
3) Keep fuel smells away from storage compartments.
4) Keep the capacity well within the Iron Butt Association 11 gallon limit. (At that date, now 11.5)
5) Allow for complete opening of the trunk and side pockets in the passenger
area.
6) Minimize any modifications to the bike.
7) Must be quickly installed and/or removed.
8) Gravity flow system.
The total modifications to a Wing includes:
1) Drilling two holes into the trunk for installation of the aluminum mounting
bracket and rear strap quick disconnects.
2) Replacing the two front grab handle bolts with longer bolts, extenders
and washers to keep the front straps in place.
3) Drilling and welding an elbow into the fuel assembly plate on the top of
the main tank.
To date, baffles or foam do not appear to be required. Tests include
navigating the slow figure 8's, slow sweeping corners, quick twisties and
some bumpy construction zones. The only noticeable different occurs at
stop lights. Then the fuel movement can be felt. The gravity flow system works well if the auxiliary. tank is used first. The stock Honda cap (in good working order) will not allow for overfilling or spilling excess fuel from the vent tube but does allow for the "replacement" of fuel consumed from the main. The fuel gauge will stay on the full mark until the auxiliary. is empty and then register fuel remaining in the main.
One problem we have noted is that the gravity flow system may stop
functioning
when elevation is increased over a short period of time. The system will
restart when elevation is reduced or you can simply "burp" the tank by
opening
the main cap part way for a few moments.
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