Small Motorcycle Emergency Fuel Bottle (Grom Clone Gas Tank Fix-Fix?)

After having no fun working on my Boom Vader’s gas tank problems, I impulsively settled for another quick fix(My Boom Vader Gas Tank Is Leaking From Bottom, Again!?!). This quick fix took away my ability to see the actual gas level.  

This issue isn’t a problem; I use the trip odometer to figure out the time or next fill-up. However, after my first group ride at the Jersey Shore, I wanted to get an emergency fuel bottle for my small motorcycle.  

Warning, carrying spare motorcycle fuel might not be safe or legal in your area. Please follow all your local safety rules and laws.

First, What Happened With The Boom Vader Gas Tank?

I leaked, which I later found is typical for Grom Clone motorcycles.  

If you didn’t know, my Boom Vader Gen 2 125cc motorcycle is a grom clone motorcycle. Even though modeled after a Honda Grom, it’s not an exact match. One thing not an exact match for the Grom Clone is Honda Grom quality.

The gas tank on the Boom Vader has spot welds that are small and over-stressed when the gas level sensor is bolted down. This causes the spot welds to ‘pop.’ Often creating small leaks which I could only smell( My Boom Vader (A Grom Clone) Latest Motorcycle Review @ 400 Miles! ). Later the leak got worse with time. I tried a DIY solution to fix my gas tank leak but failed( My Motorcycle Gas Tank Leak Repair Job. ).

So…. impulsively I gave up and took my motorcycle gas tank to my local mechanic and asked to have it welded shut( My Boom Vader Gas Tank Is Leaking From Bottom, Again!?! ). As a result, I lost my gas tank level sensor.  

As I said, I used my trip odometer as a workaround for this problem. I calculated MPG( How Many MPG Does A 125cc Bike Get? My Boom Vader 125. ) for my Boom Vader motorcycle. Also, I verified I could go 100 miles between fill-ups. Easy fix, right?

My Spare Fuel Solution

What Changed My Mind?

At the end of the Jersey Shore group ride, I found myself further away from home than at the starting point of the group ride. I was initially taking back-roads and getting to the group ride lineup; I rode for 1hr and 45 minutes.

At the end of the group ride, I was 2 hrs and 24 minutes away from home. 

From home to the lineup, it took one tank of gas, and I filled up at home and filled up at the group ride lineup.

In the end, back home, I would have to fill up midway. I kept riding and riding home, following the GPS’s route and avoiding highways. My Boom Vader likes back roads but is not suited for highways.  

I found myself down the streets of Trenton, NJ. I am not a fan of cruising the streets of Trenton, NJ. I grew up in not savory areas of NJ, and by choice, I left. I’m not a fan. However, I have a college degree from a local Trenton college.  

As with any inner city riding, the movement is slow, with frequent stops at traffic lights. I made the mistake of not filling up soon enough and was low on gas per the odometer. Even though I was low on gas, I wanted to leave the city asap. 

So I changed the GPS to start using highways and was out of there. Soon I was up to a gas station along the way, and from the inside level of gas, I somehow must not have filled up to the top last time. I was low on gas, and the odometer had a few miles left.

I thought, what if I didn’t find the gas station or paid attention to stop when I did? Would I have to be pushing my bike on the highway, or worse, trying to find an open gas station in Trenton?

Sorry Trenton NJ Fans!

Like I said, not a fan of Trenton. I grew up in Union City and Jersey City. As I got older, I realized I was not inner city material. I left for rural America, leaving behind city living.

So I decided I was going to have to carry extra fuel.

How Do You Carry Extra Fuel?

I’ve watched enough adventure motorcycle YT channels to realize it can be done, and often those bikes carry gallons of extra fuel.  

However, the Boom Vader isn’t some litter adventure bike, and I have almost no room for myself on the motorcycle. 

So I asked myself, how do you carry extra fuel?

Well, I would need a container, but as I said, I used to see those gallon-plus fuel containers on the Honda Africa Twin or the Royan Enfield Himalayan. I figured I needed a small container that could fit in a bag or strapped to the side of the motorcycle.

Regular Spare Gas Can For Motorcycle?

I have a small gas can, one gallon, in my garage. I thought about strapping that to the back luggage rack of the Boom Vader, but then it takes up 100% of the back of the bike, and 1 gallon again is a lot for spare gas.  

My Boom Vader’s gas tank is only 1 gallon. Now I can double the range of my little 125cc motorcycle, but this amount is overkill and too large.

Plus, with the gas prices lately, I am asking for the gas tank to be stolen, back to the drawing board.

Can I put gasoline in a soda bottle?

I checked. A PET soda bottle will hold gasoline, and no stories of the plastic bottle dissolving or exploding. However, I don’t particularly appreciate putting dangerous chemicals into drinking containers. Bad habit to start. Also, what happens if the bottle overheats?  

I couldn’t find anything that said putting gasoline in soda bottles was safe in hot weather. 

Just because it can, doesn’t mean it’s safe to store gas in a soda bottle. I am skipping this idea.

Bottle Correct Soda Not Correct.

Found the solution. Camping bottles are used for storing camp fuels, which are the right size and material. The size makes them both small enough to keep on the bike, and the material makes them safer.

I was looking for an auxiliary fuel bottle sized for a motorcycle.

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Auxiliary Fuel Bottles I Found.

The world of small camp fuel bottles is large. Typically they are made of metal(aluminum) with a gasket screw-cap.

I found ‘cheaper’ solutions, metal bottles, colored and labeled for safety, with simple screw-on caps.

I skipped the ‘cheaper’ fuel bottles and went with MSR’s version.

Click for the MSR Liquid Fuel Bottle I bought.

The MSR Fuel Bottle For My Motorcycle

The MSR fuel bottle version has something different compared to its counterparts. They have a child safety cap.  

The child safety cap you find on medicine bottles. This made me happy.

Remember how I didn’t like putting dangerous chemicals in drinking containers? Well, in the ER, you hear stories. Children mistake water bottles for drinking that contractors put cleaning solutions into.  

Now auxiliary fuel bottles are brightly colored and covered with warning labels. Still, if a child got my motorcycle’s auxiliary fuel bottle, I wanted another layer of safety. A child safety cap is good for me.

So I bought a MSR Fuel Bottle. Check out the photos.

Once I got the bottle, I had to figure out how to carry extra fuel on the motorcycle.

How Do You Carry Extra Fuel On A Motorcycle?

For my Boom Vader motorcycle, I found not one solution but two!!!

First, the easy extra fuel carrying solution:

I now have a small motorcycle tail bag on my Boom Vader, and that tail bag is large enough for the 30 ouch MSR fuel bottle to fit in. It’s tight, but both sides have enough room to carry additional items.  

If necessary, my tail bag can expand a little giving me more room if I find I need extra storage later.

The second solution to carry extra fuel:

If you follow this blog, I wanted extra space for my TaoTao TBR7 motorcycle tool kit( Hawk 250 Storage Options For My TBR7? Burrito Tubes? ). Plus, my stock toolbox didn’t stay latched and didn’t appear watertight. So I installed a burrito storage tube for my tools.

When I bought the burrito storage tube, I got them cheaper by buying them in a pair. I didn’t get around to mounting the second burrito storage tube on my TBR7 motorcycle, so I tested it with the MSR fuel bottle.

It fits!

The burrito storage tube and the 30-oz MSR fuel bottle perfectly fit.

I can use the burrito storage tube if I want a separate storage container for the fuel bottle. Also, this motivates me to install a second burrito tube on my TBR7 since I might also want to carry extra fuel on it too.

Click for the MSR Liquid Fuel Bottle I bought.

My Thinking Out Loud, And A Win!

Just typing out what has been going through my head, and though you might be thinking the same. You ‘fixed’ your Grom Clone’s gas tank leak by having the level sensor area welded over and lost your fuel gauge.

Now you are concerned about running out of gas since you have no operational level, so you want to carry extra fuel. This is a simple solution.

Ideas Going Forward.

I might pick up a smaller MSR fuel bottle. Something that will fit in the Boom Vader’s tail bag better, and then use the larger one when I plan to go long distances, like back down to the Jersey shore.

Got Ideas?

Curious if anyone else found solutions to carrying extra fuel on their small motorcycle. Please share your experience in the comment area.

Ride Safe, Ride Fun!

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