The two major pieces eliminated were Janus aux tank and the second 50 Cal ammo can pannier. The well made aux tank fabricated by Janus, was cube shaped and tall. It was difficult for me to swing my leg over the tank to mount the motorcycle. Most significantly, it held only 3 gallons of fuel. I need a fuel endurance range of 300+ miles at a moving average speed around 60 miles per hour. That's at least 6 gallons of fuel at the anticipated 50 miles per gallon. I have ordered a new brick-shaped 4 gallon aux tank that measures 15" long, 9" wide and 7" high. Low profile with a soft cargo area on top.
The second 50 Cal ammo pannier idea was scrapped and replaced by a soft luggage option to carry maintenance items. The weight of an empty can is a little over 6 pounds. The weight of all the maintenance tools and spares is just under 7 pounds (6lbs, 14oz). So, by going to a soft pannier that weighs less than a pound, I bring the weight down on the left side.
The existing right-side 50 Cal ammo pannier is to be used for my personal gear and route planning hardware, combined weight of 4lbs, 10oz. It is waterproof and lockable. About 11 lbs for the right side load.The current configuration is ready for the next series of road tests. I used the first 500 miles to break the bike in at various speeds and conditions. The next 1,000 miles will be ridden at more typical long-distance road speeds. In other words, I want to establish a consistent ride pace at the anticipated cruise speeds around 60 MPH. I am planning a series of "Run Out of Gas" (ROG) test using the 2 gallon main tank with a 1 gallon RotoPax, tucked under the tailbag.
I'll cover the ROG series of drills in a separate post detailing the ride pace statistics for each fuel range cycle of the main 2 gallon gas tank.
Janus Farkles - A Work In Progress
