Sometime (read this time last year)back I got a message pissing and moaning about the shitty fuel range of a certain KTM by 2 certain KTM owners. Drunkenly, I said I could do something about this without resorting to matches, petrol and marshmellows...
A member of the topbox brigade and sculptural artist mentioned above sent me the following photos of the grand design.
I dug the superior design system out ( stanley knife and cardboard) and after much rum and whisky came up with the real world practical design.
There's no simple 90 or 45 degree angle on this thing whatsoever, just to add complexity for no real reason you know.
A steel prototype was fabbed up and given to the sculptural artist and it was promptly discovered that no two KTM's are alike and character modifcations needed to be made
Design approved, It was time to build the real deal. In aluminium. I've migged 5mm plus ali many years ago, but never tigged it. I'd never used a tig welder in fact. No time like the present to learn, out and brought an el cheapo AC/DC tig welder ( unimig viper 185) and proceeded to create bird shit.
These tanks were basically made in 2 pieces, bottom piece bent up and top piece bent down. Well. mostly. one tank is different as it was bent up on the wrong side of the line, I'm blaming not enough lockdown alcohol which is being consumed at almost a truck load a day.
And then it gots serious. welding, machining, drilling and a tappin'
Access to under the pillion seat in a hurry was a requirement ( battery, fuses, ecu and cruise control boxes etc), so a quick release system has been setup using a base plate that hooks into the seat latch and releases the tank the same was as removing the pillion seat. Dry break connectors for fuel and vent lines to aid tank removal. To give a more secure tank in case of crashing, side rails/tie rails have been added with over centre catches and lynch pins or r clips to make sure the over centre latch can't unlatch...
Video: ( yes it's a link you'll need to click)
https://thomasingrey.smugmug.com/KTM1190-Aux-Fuel-Tank/i-H3J74Mq/A
3 bikes, 3 different paint schemes... ( good thing I'm a spray painter)
A lot of work for an additional 16Lt...
What's left to do?
make the lanyards for the fuel filler cap and the lynch pins on the overcentre latches.
Fuel line plumbing
Send them to another country as they're allowed to ride and we're not.. ( I live in melbourne, longest lockdown city in the world..)
A member of the topbox brigade and sculptural artist mentioned above sent me the following photos of the grand design.
I dug the superior design system out ( stanley knife and cardboard) and after much rum and whisky came up with the real world practical design.
There's no simple 90 or 45 degree angle on this thing whatsoever, just to add complexity for no real reason you know.
A steel prototype was fabbed up and given to the sculptural artist and it was promptly discovered that no two KTM's are alike and character modifcations needed to be made
Design approved, It was time to build the real deal. In aluminium. I've migged 5mm plus ali many years ago, but never tigged it. I'd never used a tig welder in fact. No time like the present to learn, out and brought an el cheapo AC/DC tig welder ( unimig viper 185) and proceeded to create bird shit.
These tanks were basically made in 2 pieces, bottom piece bent up and top piece bent down. Well. mostly. one tank is different as it was bent up on the wrong side of the line, I'm blaming not enough lockdown alcohol which is being consumed at almost a truck load a day.
And then it gots serious. welding, machining, drilling and a tappin'
Access to under the pillion seat in a hurry was a requirement ( battery, fuses, ecu and cruise control boxes etc), so a quick release system has been setup using a base plate that hooks into the seat latch and releases the tank the same was as removing the pillion seat. Dry break connectors for fuel and vent lines to aid tank removal. To give a more secure tank in case of crashing, side rails/tie rails have been added with over centre catches and lynch pins or r clips to make sure the over centre latch can't unlatch...
Video: ( yes it's a link you'll need to click)
https://thomasingrey.smugmug.com/KTM1190-Aux-Fuel-Tank/i-H3J74Mq/A
3 bikes, 3 different paint schemes... ( good thing I'm a spray painter)
A lot of work for an additional 16Lt...
What's left to do?
make the lanyards for the fuel filler cap and the lynch pins on the overcentre latches.
Fuel line plumbing
Send them to another country as they're allowed to ride and we're not.. ( I live in melbourne, longest lockdown city in the world..)