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Larger fuel tank on older V-Rods

7K views 66 replies 22 participants last post by  rattletrap 
#1 ·
Has anyone put a larger fuel tank in their pre-2007 bike?
How did it work out?
 
#29 ·
Thats about what i get with my stock tank too..I have a UE Tank still in the box in my closet..after 130 miles or so its time to get off for 5 or 10 minutes anyway for a coffee/soda and just stretch..whats a 5 gallon tank gonna get me,another 70 miles or so?
 
#8 ·
Ricks on my 03 as stated previously one of the best mods you can do to the pre bigger tank models.

1300 bucks doesn't sound right to me who quoted you this price. Buying direct from Ricks in Germany is a breeze and you will get quick delivery.

With a bit of preparation a competent mechanic can do the job easily. Plenty of How To help on the forum. No idea what a stealer might charge but a guess budget for them to tell you its a day's works at their labour rates. If you don't feel confident to do it yourself a good local bike shop will have no issue carrying out the work.

Best of Luck with this

Skin
 
#11 ·
U.E. is made in the USA! Buy American when you can. Put the U.E. in my bike it was easy. No problems. Thnx to josephthreedogs. :D Being a Vet. I am a lil bias I guess, but I always prefer USA than EU :stac: or taiwan :stac: or china :stac: or japan! :stac: Just me. Just my .02
 
#12 ·
I just heard back from Rick's. The tank is $649 (special price they say).
Based on what I've seen on various sites it looks like Rick's tank is easier to install and allows me the keep the ignition switch in the same place without having to relocate it.
 
#19 ·
Install the UE tank, then go with keyless digital guard dog ignition. Best two mods. Can ride 170 ish before stopping for gas, though I prefer to stop about 150 and always have more left in the tank than I thought I would. With the digital guard dog I don't worry about the keys flopping around on my frame and scratching the paint.
 
#15 ·
I had the UE tank then sold it. I missed it so much on long rides I bought another one. For less than the cost of Ricks, you can buy a UE tank and do the '06 ignition mod to put a better switch up at the front of the frame. There is a great how-to for this mod on the forum.
I ordered my tank directly from Robin at UE without his ingnition relocation kit for $374 delivered to my door.
 
#16 ·
Where can I find information about the '06 ignition mod?
I see there are some complaints about the seat release button when you re-locate the ignition.
Where is the button? I kinda like the ignition where it is but that would mean using Rick's tank instead of the UE tank.
 
#18 ·
No, that is for the UE relo kit. This link right here is the awesome mod using HD parts:
http://www.1130cc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29574&highlight=relocate
For the seat latch you can run the cable wherever you like and put a pull ring on it, or just put a rubber grommet from Autozone in the post hole. Both solutions work well. The biggest advantage of this mod is not having to leave the key dangling from the switch while you ride. I would do this mod even without a tank upgrade.
 
#20 ·
With my U.E. relo mod my keys dont hit the frame or anything. Not sure pday thats what you were refering to or not?
 
#21 ·
My concern with the stock ignition switch is that eventually your key may fall out on the road, possibly thousands of miles from home. Always carry a spare. I'm sure glad I did.
 
#25 ·
#27 ·
I appreciate your support of 'made in America'.
I obviously like 'made in America' because I bought a Harley-Davidson.
However, this time I'm buying Rick's tank mainly because it's made of the same materials as the OEM and because it appears to be a much simpler install.
 
#30 ·
I agree that after 130 miles it's time to get off the bike. However there's not always a gas station right there when you're ready for it.
So sometimes you've got to get gas whenever you can or run the chance of running out or having to get off the highway and start looking for gas while everyone else keeps going.
When I ride with my friends who ride Road Kings I'm always conscious of the fact that they are not ready to stop for fuel when I am.
The larger tank makes sense for me.
 
#31 ·
:them: The main reason I went back to a 5 gallon tank is riding long distance with a group. Nobody likes to be the guy with the shortest range.
 
#32 ·
The install should be the same, I can't see any difference between the two as ur putting something of the same size in the same location. I can't figure out why everyone says one is easier over the the other? Can't seem wrap my head around that. But I am not the "sharpest" tool in the shed?? :D
 
#33 ·
What really put me off the UE install was this video - see link:-



This guys seems to be having a bitch of a time installing the tank.
In comparison when I spoke to Rick's guys they say none of those things - siren, ingintion, grounding bolt, etc etc - have to be touched.
Rick's tank is slightly smaller - 4.9 gals as opposed to UE 5.2 - so maybe that slightly smaller size makes it easier to install.
 
#59 ·
What really put me off the UE install was this video - see link:-

This guys seems to be having a bitch of a time installing the tank.
In comparison when I spoke to Rick's guys they say none of those things - siren, ingintion, grounding bolt, etc etc - have to be touched.
Rick's tank is slightly smaller - 4.9 gals as opposed to UE 5.2 - so maybe that slightly smaller size makes it easier to install.
The big difference between the two tank installs is the Ricks tank instructions don't tell you about most of the problems you might encounter, With the Unlimited engineering instructions they are very explicit about ALL problems you might encounter! You do need to bend down the lower plate to make room for both tanks. It is also a VERY good idea to remove any weld zits that might be on the frame because the tank WILL expand after several weeks and rub on the zits and chafe through the tank causing a leak! Pick up a paint kit at Harley that matches the frame to touch up the ground off paint points. It comes in two nail polish size bottles. One with the color the other is clear coat.
If you ever intend to go with a 200mm rear tire on a 180 mm tire bike I recommend removing the saddle bag mounting brackets under the rear fender because they WILL rub the tire and cause damage to it with the larger tire. You only need them if you intend on installing saddle bags. I didn't know this and had to remove the whole rear end and gas tank a second time to remove them!:banghead::banghead:
 
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