Before anyone asks, I chose a taildragger setup because I use the Wing for work as well as recreation. I have a company that provides motorcycle escorts for triathlons and other events, so I want to enjoy the benefits of the longer range while still being able to carry race officials or other passengers. Plus, having the pillion seat unobstructed gives me more room for baggage on solo trips.
I spent some time researching what sorts of taildragger setups people had done before me. Most of what I saw was the traditional setup like in the picture above, but I did find one photo of Lisa Landry's very sleek, almost OEM-looking setup that I believe was done in conjunction with Firecreek Accessories (?). Super tidy and way cool, but it wouldn't be the same design with my across-the-back light bar on the '12-'17 Wing (as opposed to Lisa's pre-2010 model), I don't have those kinds of fabrication skills, and I wasn't interested in spending that kind of money. So I decided to stick with a basic round aluminum tank.
The first order of business was to get dimensions. And so, utilizing the latest in CAD technology (Cardboard Aided Design), I fashioned a dummy tank, removed the rear fender, and tested for diameter and length.
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), and we had the idea to mount an NPT fitting into the top of the tank, way up at the front, and have the fuel spray in like a shower head. After I very bravely let Bryan be my test Guinea Pig, he reported that experiment worked just fine on his bike. Later, when he would sell that bike to buy his current one, I very bravely purchased his modified tank, moved the fitting a couple inches forward (owing to differences in hardware placement between different model years of Gold WIng), and transferred the pump and sending unit over from my tank.
