Acerbis Fuel Tank Upgrade

[random1781]

We've been getting crazy pressure build-up with the locking gas caps failing to vent. I finally asked Acerbis about this and they pointed me to this:

 

https://procycle.us/how-to/acerbis-locking-gas-cap-venting-fix

 

They also offered to replace the cap, but it seems like it's a pretty common issue, so I don't imagine another cap would make a difference.

[Oxxa]

2 hours ago, random1781 said:

We've been getting crazy pressure build-up with the locking gas caps failing to vent. I finally asked Acerbis about this and they pointed me to this:

 

https://procycle.us/how-to/acerbis-locking-gas-cap-venting-fix

 

They also offered to replace the cap, but it seems like it's a pretty common issue, so I don't imagine another cap would make a difference.

Does that mean all key caps dont have the hole necessary for venting?

[random1781]

1 minute ago, Oxxa said:

Does that mean all key caps dont have the hole necessary for venting?

I haven't actually taken mine apart to see how it all works. The cap worked fine for a few thousand miles, it's only been recently that it's become an issue. Maybe the holes to vent become clogged? It looks like the gasket is also supposed to function like a pressure release valve, but it leaks pretty significantly when I drop the bike, and it generally leaks directly onto the switch assemblies and grips when it does.

[Oxxa]

1 minute ago, random1781 said:

I haven't actually taken mine apart to see how it all works. The cap worked fine for a few thousand miles, it's only been recently that it's become an issue. Maybe the holes to vent become clogged? It looks like the gasket is also supposed to function like a pressure release valve, but it leaks pretty significantly when I drop the bike, and it generally leaks directly onto the switch assemblies and grips when it does.

Its very dangerous. Some guy low slided on asphalt and sparks made a big fire from the leaks the bike go all burned down

[Gary...]

On 5/15/2022 at 9:24 AM, Rider 101 said:

Definitely not E10; perish the thought. 98 or at worst 95 RON

...SHELL VPOWER okay to use?????????  

[Redbikejohn]

V power is the preferred fuel for me.  Its E5 so won't rot if left (although mine never is as its my day to day use).  It does give a bit better mpg when compared to supermarket fuel.  On my old bike (xt660z) I could definitely feel it wasn't happy with supermarket e10 fuel.

[Rider 101]

I wouldn't touch anything with ethanol.

All Aussie bowsers have a warning sticker " not for use in aircraft or outboard motors"

There is a reason for that!

[jdub53]

7 hours ago, random1781 said:

We've been getting crazy pressure build-up with the locking gas caps failing to vent. I finally asked Acerbis about this and they pointed me to this:

 

https://procycle.us/how-to/acerbis-locking-gas-cap-venting-fix

 

They also offered to replace the cap, but it seems like it's a pretty common issue, so I don't imagine another cap would make a difference.

 

Also mentioned earlier on page four of this thread: 

 

I'd done this very simple fix to the Acerbis locking caps on both my DR650 and T7 and never had a venting issue with either.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by jdub53

[Rabitt7]

Hello  has anyone used the guglatech gas filter M22006 on the acerbis tank ? 

[noskills]

I'm new to the site and I've gotten lots of info from posts.  I wanted to start out with, "Thank you all!".  Hopefully this gives back a little. 

 

This post is in response to the Acerbis tank pressure issues when using the provided aluminum check valve and Acerbis recommended fix of "take that component out". Read further if you want further details on the issues it caused me and their resolutions.

 

Mid summer 2023 I installed the Acerbis tank with the stock cap using Acerbis instructions and had horrible pressure issues anytime I was in the sun or it was warm out. The tank pressure caused a couple of issues that are named down further in the thread if interested.  I had a lengthy back and forth e-mail discussions with an Acerbis tech on how to resolve the pressure problems and here is where they landed for the fix.  Per US tech, " Acerbis Italy informed me that the valve is only for European Certification.  Id take that component out of the equation and run the line to the canister, as you mentioned".  

 

Since I had already burned up a lot of the Acerbis techs time I didn't bother him any further but this did bring up questions.  Differences on Euro 5 in EU vs US, purpose of this valve vs the valve right below it, what's different on the OEM vent vs the Acerbis vent that would require this valve, I thought I understood the charcoal system but maybe not.   I would have ripped the whole system out but I'm getting props from the wife for not having any more bikes burping gas in the garage. 

 

Tank issues that were caused by the high pressures.  

#1.  My tank pushed back out and was lightly rubbing on the Scotts steering damper.  This one was my fault.  I've had Acerbis tanks on a couple of other bikes and I knew they flexed. I should have initially formed more than 3/16th of an inch gap. I had to pull the tank, flush it with water and then reform. 

#2.  This one seems odd but it's true.  It appears the pressure stretched out the filler neck just enough to make the cap too tight.  When the tank was new, the gas cap was snug but threaded on with just a little resistance.  After about 2 months of expanding, the cap got increasingly harder and harder to put on. Before fixing, it took about 20 pounds of pushing and twisting to get the cap on. Measuring the diameter of the threads compared to the mating surfaces, I found that the cap was a very small fraction of an inch smaller than the neck. About an hour with a dremel and a caliper, I fixed this issue.  Before sanding the threads, Acerbis did send me both a locking cap and a stock gas cap and offered to replace the tank.  Both of the new caps were a fraction smaller than my cap.  I refused the new tank,  it just seemed wasteful as this issue seemed fixable.  

 

Acerbis was awesome with their responses and support! Love the product!

Edited January 27 by noskills

[Hollybrook]

@random1781 and others, I am about to modify the front of my tank to accommodate a Scott's steering stabilizer. Did you heat and press a vertical cylinder into the front of the tank, or did you attempt to shape it more closely to the edge of the steering stabilizer, which hits the tank about 1/2" below the top?

 

My steering stabilizer is just about touching the tank already, so I am thinking I need to get 3/8" of clearance at a minimum. 

[Rider 101]

I ended up doing mine with a piece of aluminium scaffold tube; about 50mm OD.

Takes a while to do but clearance with the Rally Moto dampener is better.

My heat gun is a decent Bosch and I think I had it on about 400°C

 

The Scotts should be very similar.

[random1781]

3 minutes ago, Hollybrook said:

@random1781 and others, I am about to modify the front of my tank to accommodate a Scott's steering stabilizer. Did you heat and press a vertical cylinder into the front of the tank, or did you attempt to shape it more closely to the edge of the steering stabilizer, which hits the tank about 1/2" below the top?

 

My steering stabilizer is just about touching the tank already, so I am thinking I need to get 3/8" of clearance at a minimum. 

Yeah the tank swells significantly in heat and when full, so the more clearance the better. We used a tire spoon and tackled it in thirds, and there was nothing exact about it. It didn't seem possible to heat the whole thing enough to mold it all in one go, but that might have been my impatience.

 

Speaking of that, the mistake I made was not letting it cool enough before removing pressure. It was something like 1 minute of beating and then 5 of pressure.

[Ede-DE]

4 hours ago, Rider 101 said:

I ended up doing mine with a piece of aluminium scaffold tube; about 50mm OD.

Takes a while to do but clearance with the Rally Moto dampener is better.

My heat gun is a decent Bosch and I think I had it on about 400°C

 

The Scotts should be very similar.

The welding temperature for PE with a heat gun should not exceed 230 - 280 °C. If you use higher temperatures the material will get permanent damages in it's structure.

If you do something like that again be patient and take your time. Rome wasn't built in a day.

[Hollybrook]

I worked as a plastic fabricator many years ago and am familiar with heating and molding plastics.  My question is more about exactly where you shaped the front of the tank.  Did you make a depression that closely mimicked the shape of the stabilizer, or did you push in the whole front to make a cylindrical depression?

[Rider 101]

I slowly  heated and worked the front into a shape that resembled the radius of the dampener plus about 10mm.

The process took about an hour. I was aware that overheating the plastic can damage it so I didn't hold the heat on 

to melt but to make it slightly pliable.

[random1781]

Mostly empty tank...