Long-Distance Endurance MT10 Project

[Warchild]

Initial inspections of the opening made by removing the fuel pump suggested that there is no possible way to get a hand in there to work a stubby wrench on the inside capture nut - that nut needs a fair mount of torque.

So I headed over to Ernie's place in Portland for him to just braze the fitting on.

When I arrived, we both thought it was a good idea to at least attempt the tried-n-true stat-o-seal approach, before committing to brazing. Ernie has super-long sausage-fingers compared to me, so why not give it a go? He stepped drilled that perfect 14mm opening, and working in a flex-head 3/8" socket driver, he almost had it, but he just could not seat the 20mm deep socket.

Turns out it was a 6-pt socket, which offered restrictive opportunities to bite at the capture nut. I suggested we try a 12-pt 13/16" standard-depth socket - once we tried that, boom, done in 5 minutes!

Leak free, aroma free... and absolutely no sealant of any kind:





The beauty of these clampless fittings can't be overstated. These are perfect for incredibly tight working area like this naked race-bike:






"Gates 4219BG Barricade Fuel Line is not meant for fuel-injection systems."

 

[Warchild]

Vent line exit - aft of the rear tire. I never expect to have an overflow situation, but one never knows... and if it does happen, fuel is not all over the rear tire.

 

[Warchild]

Tank almost ready for install and testing.

Best to have the female Quick Disconnect on the tank-side, allows easy removal of stock tank during future maintenance. The Jiffy-tite QD's are state-of-the-art, they are the LD Community's gold standard for aux fuel systems.

 

[Warchild]

The Final Connection: with aux cell black fitting coming up from below:





Routing the fuel line with gentle 'S' curves assures the fastest flow possible:






The Big Test: I put 2.2 gallons of White Gas in the Aux Cell, threw this red-handle brass ball valve forward, and averaged a 2.5 minute per gallon flow rate! That is DAMN fast for a gravity system!

 

[John_Atkinson]

Chiming in here with my $0.02.

Actually, spanning two different FJRs over the last 7 riding seasons, I've had great success using carefully installed, decent quality Chinese made TPMS similar to the one presented by the OP here. The only time I had any kind of leakage, it was a slow thing, and was positively confirmed to be caused by an aging valve stem gasket - not either of my TPMS external sensor heads. Have used 3 different TPMS units - all similar, and all bought on Amazon.

For ~ $50, I get piece of mind while ripping through remote mountain twisties in far away places (little to no population most of the time for me).
My current Gen III also has awesome "T" style double-headed valve stems, so that I never actually have to touch those external TPMS sensors even if I decide to adjust tire pressure for some reason (rare).

Cyclepath,

Any particular make/model of the T style double-headed valve stems you’ve used?

JA

 

[Bounce]

Tank almost ready for install and testing.

Best to have the female Quick Disconnect on the tank-side, allows easy removal of stock tank during future maintenance. The Jiffy-tite QD's are state-of-the-art, they are the LD Community's gold standard for aux fuel systems.


View attachment 3738

Seems more robust than the always-failing BMW plastic ones.

 

[Cyclepath]

Cyclepath,

Any particular make/model of the T style double-headed valve stems you’ve used?

JA

Hey John,

Well, I've had three very similar TPMS units since about 2016, and only really replaced the first couple just to try out a newer module with a different display.

Here's an example of what Amazon.ca still lists for sale (there are MANY Chinese made variants on the same design / layout):



Overall, don't think I ever paid over $55 for one of these in the past, and once mounted on sturdy metal valve stems, the sensors (little black caps) have never loosened on me. Their configuration modes are kinda like setting a digital watch - pretty simple. Used all of them in heavy rain and never had problems with moisture intrusion into the display unit.

I've seen other would-be better brand names on sale on motorcycle websites for 2 and 3 x the price, but am glad I never bothered with those other units. Note that I was tempted with the idea of buying a TPMS with just the wheel cap [sensors] which forces you to install an app on your smartphone - but after thinking about it, didn't want the bother of having to mount / waterproof / run even an older smartphone on my handlebar - and run accessory power to it throughout the day on my longer (~10 hr) ride days. So to me, this type of dedicated TPMS display unit makes more sense.

This example of a display unit is rechargeable with a USB cable, and my current one has all-day capacity for over 4 days on a single charge (after 2 riding seasons so far).

The sensor caps use little lithium batteries which are relatively easy to find / replace, don't cost more than a few bucks. They are only activated after you roll away on a ride; they don't use power while the bike is parked and your wheels aren't spinning. I've only ever had to replace the batteries in the sensor caps after about 2 years of use - so they aren't too fiddly.

Hope that helps!

 

[John_Atkinson]

Hey John,

Well, I've had three very similar TPMS units since about 2016, and only really replaced the first couple just to try out a newer module with a different display.

Here's an example of what Amazon.ca still lists for sale (there are MANY Chinese made variants on the same design / layout):

View attachment 3754

Overall, don't think I ever paid over $55 for one of these in the past, and once mounted on sturdy metal valve stems, the sensors (little black caps) have never loosened on me. Their configuration modes are kinda like setting a digital watch - pretty simple. Used all of them in heavy rain and never had problems with moisture intrusion into the display unit.

I've seen other would-be better brand names on sale on motorcycle websites for 2 and 3 x the price, but am glad I never bothered with those other units. Note that I was tempted with the idea of buying a TPMS with just the wheel cap [sensors] which forces you to install an app on your smartphone - but after thinking about it, didn't want the bother of having to mount / waterproof / run even an older smartphone on my handlebar - and run accessory power to it throughout the day on my longer (~10 hr) ride days. So to me, this type of dedicated TPMS display unit makes more sense.

This example of a display unit is rechargeable with a USB cable, and my current one has all-day capacity for over 4 days on a single charge (after 2 riding seasons so far).

The sensor caps use little lithium batteries which are relatively easy to find / replace, don't cost more than a few bucks. They are only activated after you roll away on a ride; they don't use power while the bike is parked and your wheels aren't spinning. I've only ever had to replace the batteries in the sensor caps after about 2 years of use - so they aren't too fiddly.

Hope that helps!

thanks Cyclepath, this is great feedback! Really appreciate the info.

Where did you get the “T“ style double-headed valve stems you’re currently using?

JA

 

[two wheels]

Spendy but the best as far as sealing and quality goes.https://wingstuff.com/shop/tire_valve_stems

 

[Cyclepath]

Oh sorry John, realize I rolled off on a [related] tangent there about the TPMS, but to this point haven't answered your original question re: "T" style valve stems. Back in 2020, I bought my current Gen III bike from a guy that had already done high quality farkles - and this was a small but important one.

Alas, though he literally handed me ALL his original purchase, maintenance, and accessorizing records when I bought her, I can't seem to find an invoiced item for those nice "T" style valve stems, sorry.

Someone else here must be able to recommend some for you. Good luck in your quest.

 

[Auburn]

I got my "T" stems here at Redhawk. Good price, product works well.

 

[Cyclepath]

Thanks for coming to the rescue Auburn - those Redhawk units appear to be the exact ones on my Gen III.

 

[user 213]

I must have missed something, but what caused the change in strategy for the aux fuel attachment to the main tank?

Warchild has man hands.

 

[Warchild]

Warchild has man hands.

Yes sir, that is correct. For me, the 67mm opening just said no.

But then, Mr "Sausage Fingers" Ernie Azevedo gets 2-3 of his sausages into that opening, then wrestles to seat the 20mm socket on the sealing nut properly with a flex-head 3/8" driver, where he could then work that flex-head and torque that baby to specs.

Mind you, he does all this blind, and only by feel. It is a matter of proper technique and proper tools; Ernie has both.

 

[Warchild]

While I still have the Driving Lamps to do, there is one other fairly critical item that is almost mandatory for a chain-drive Long Distance bike with no center-stand: an automatic chain oiler.

This kit - the Pro-Oiler. Not the most fun to install and configure, but once dialed in, you never worry about the chain again. The Pro-Oiler is GPS-driven, fully automatic, and damn spendy. However... Worth. Every. Penny.




This install is not going fast.

I have the critical nozzle bracket completed, so that's good. But routing the oil line... oof, that is going a tad dicey. Pondering it a bit more. Also, finding room for the small oil container - that's a problem. Big problem. Huge problem. That bottle may have to get mounted externally.

It's almost like they didn't intend for anyone to install a chain-oiler on this race bike.

This battle continues.

 

[Niehart]

I thought I saw you and the bike in my hood yesterday. Seattle metro area.

 

[Bounce]

Dale, Is that the Rev 2 or am I thinking of the Scott Oiler?

 

[Warchild]

Dale, Is that the Rev 2 or am I thinking of the Scott Oiler?

Scott-Oiler. This is the Pro-Oiler from the Netherlands.

There was better progress last night. The oil line routing is a concern on this bike. You basically have two choices: route it up through the shock tunnel - which is dicey - or, run the line forward and start the climb to the underseat area by turning upwards immediately in front of the swingarm pivot.

The twin nozzle placement went well...




And the line hugs the underside of the swingarm as it travels forward. The line retainer is epoxied on the swingarm, needed for this tough environment:





Routing the line through the shock tunnel proved to be too risky, so I am routing it just forward of the swingarm pivot, adjacent to the whirling front sprocket... what could go wrong?




The line looks closer to the sprocket than it actually is, it will be a solid 1/2" away after the zip ties are applied.

Now for Part II of this fun... all the electrical activities for this install.

 

[Warchild]

At some point, I am going to run out of room in this cockpit area.

This turned out to be an awesome mounting point for the Controller.

Thank you, Industrial 3M mechanical velcro!

 

[BigOgre]

Your knowledge here is vastly superior than mine but I'd have to tether that somehow. I just don't trust Velcro and its ilk to last, especially in the heat.

And I'll take this opportunity to say thanks for posting this build here. Not only has it been enjoyable to follow along but it's a damn cool looking bike too.