ST1300 Tail dragger fuel cell -- Anybody built one?

I couldn't find a fuel cell forum but I'm sure Mellow will find somewhere to move this thread I have a fuel cell over the pillion seat that works great, but I am considering building one as a taildragger. Does anyone here have one or have seen one? I am looking at a cheap cell from Jegs http://www.jegs.com/i/JAZ-Products/547/250-004-NF/10002/-1 and am pondering how to connect it to the bike. I'm thinking the cell would bolt to an aluminum plate which would in term bolt to steel straps running to the bike. The lower end straps could run to the muffler hanger bolts. Not sure where a good upper mounting position would be. This would be a 4 gallon tank so 32 lbs of gas plus a bit of weight for the bracketry and cell itself (polypropolene). I want the cell to be rock solid.

Pictures of a mounting system will get you my eternal thanks.

Bob

I've thought about this a lot too Bob. I have a trailer hitch that should do the trick I think. It mounts to the exhaust hanger and 2 rods run up to the rear subframe and are connected with U bolts. I know it's sturdy enough to tow 300 lbs so surely it will support 30 lbs of fuel. Won't 4 gallons put you over the 11.5 legal limit? I guess I should get started on this project myself.

playinatwork said:

Won't 4 gallons put you over the 11.5 legal limit?

Click to expand...

Back when I was considering a fuel cell for my ST, I had an email exchange with Warchild. Even though the advertised capacity of the ST is 7.7g, he claimed they have never measured one to be more than 7.3-7.4. He basically said I was ok with an off the shelf 4g aux tank. Might still have that email somewhere.

I'll agree with that Ken. I've filled mine up after pushing it to a gas station twice and the most I could get in it was 7.25 gallons.
This might be getting easier Bob. I just noticed that one of the Jazz fuel cells is just about the perfect size to fit in a car battery tray. Bolt the tray to the trailer hitch and start plumbing.

T-

The fuel cell with foam will actually be 3.75 gallons and the ST1300 DOES NOT hold 7.7 gallons, it holds 7.2. Tom Austin of the IBA tested the ST capacity and the IBA says it 7.2. So 7.2 + 3.75 = 10.95.

Tim,

Where do the rods to the subframe connect? Those rods will carry the weight of the cell since the bracketry going to the exhaust hangers would carry the weight of "pulling" the trailer. On a cell they are only going to control side to side movement. Anyone have a diagram of how the trailer mounting systems attach to an ST?

Can it be as simple as this? I found a pic from the inside of this set up and the guy has metal straps around the frame that run down to the top side of the bolts that you see, so the weight of the cell isn't hanging from just plastic. I imagine the straps will stop downward movement pretty well, but upward movement??