Carrying extra fuel on the KTM 690 Enduro R [updated 17.3.2015]

The tank is too small. No way around it. It's fine when commuting and roaming around the countryside on the weekends. but any adventures that take place on the outskirts of civilization will soon have you wanting for a bigger tank. For now, I'm not interested in installing safari/rally tanks due to the cost and the limited actual use. For the occasional adventure ride an auxiliary fuel canister will suffice. I know Rotopax has an excellent product for this particular need, but I wanted to try something different just for the hell of it. Oh, and because the Rotopax solution is rather pricey ($ 85 for 1 gallon pack + mount). Kolpin makes something similar to Rotopax but according to internet wisdom the product is noticeably inferior to Rotopax. The containers some times leak and the mounting hardware is plastic instead of metal (like with Rotopax).

PLAN A

Primus fuel bottle (0,6 l)

Plan A was to buy 2 drink bottle holders that would presumably hold one 1 litre Primus fuel bottles each. That's only 40-50 kms of extended range, but I calculated that it would be enough to get me out of trouble if it came to that. Northern parts of the country don't have that many gas stations and some of the distances are a bit too close to the max fuel range with the standard tank.

I bought the drink bottle pouches because I didn't feel comfortable packing the bottles in the bags with other stuff such as food and presumably the pouches would give me several options for mounting the fuel bottles. After fiddling around with the pouches I came to the conclusion that another solution was needed. For the pouches to work the bike really should have luggage racks. There seemed to be no (elegant) way of mounting the pouches on the tail rack in a way that would satisfy me. I could get the bottles mounted just fine, but I didn't like how much I had to compromise with all the rest of the stuff as a result.

PLAN B

A friend of mine stumbled on a German site called www.fuelfriend.de/ that seemed to have a reasonably priced (14,95€ for 1,5 liter bottle) solution to the problem. The bottles are square shaped and have a groove in the middle for mounting straps. Two 1,5 liter bottles equal one 1 gallon Rotopax so the end result is the same as with one Rotopax, but price is less than half of the Rotopax set.

The build quality of the containers is very good.(as you would expect from a product made in Germany).  I tested the containers with water and found no leaks. Subjecting the containers to hundreds of miles of vibration and bumps will be the true test, but everything seems good so far.

I ordered two different kind of nozzles for the containers,but I think I will only be packing the long one fro the upcoming trip.

Mounting

I tied two containers together with a "dedicated" strap and attached the package to the rear rack with another strap. I wish the Nomadic rack had more mounting holes machined into it. It works fine as it is, but a few more would be much better as you almost always end up wishing you could have stuff mounted an inch or two the other direction. For now it seems I will have to loosen the mounting strap and move the containers a few inches back in order to get the tank cap open. Not a big deal since I will have to move the duffel bag out of the way each time too.

FuelFriend tanks on KTM 690 Enduro R

UPDATE [17.3.2015]

After installing the RR racks and Perun moto rear rack the carrying capacity is greatly improved. I can now mount 4 FuelFriend cans very conveniently. 2 at each side on the RR racks and 2 on the rear rack. The extension plate comes in handy if you want to mount two on the rear rack.

For now I sill settle for 2 cans attached to the RR racks. This way I can get the weight of the extra fuel pretty low compared to mounting it on the rear rack. I'm also pretty confident that 2 cans will be enough for my needs anyway.

FuelFriend mounted on a RR rack

One Fuel Friend on top and one on the side

2014 Enduro R fuel breather hose and ABS wiring recall

The problem area / hose in my bike

KTM USA has sent out a technical bulletin stating the following

 During routine production checks, KTM discovered that the fuel tank vent hose could be

routed incorrectly on some 2014 690 Enduro R models. This could cause the hose to

become pinched by the seat and not vent properly as intended.

» The original 900mm length hose is too short for the new routing, therefore a new 1000mm

length hose must be installed connecting the Fuel Cap flange to the EVAP Canister. The

actual hose and routing need to be changed on all affected models linked to this bulletin.

» Additionally the ABS Power Cable, which connects to the battery + terminal, may not have

a red color wrapping to indicate that it is the power supply cable.

» KTM is requesting all affected retail unit customers be contacted to have this repair

performed as soon as possible. This repair can also be performed at the next service

interval or workshop appointment. 

>> THE BULLETIN [PDF]

The breather hose was an issue on my bike and the recall should therefor apply to euro bikes too. The ABS cable issue is a non issue in my opinion, but I guess it is liability thing if they don't fix it. Neither of the problems require immediate action, just pay attention when putting the seat back on.

2014 690 Enduro R fuel economy

So far my personal record is 223 km (or 138 miles) before the reserve light comes on. That equals a consumption of  4,26 liters per 100 km which meas that you get 23,4 km per liter (or 55,2 miles per gallon). I made no effort save fuel, but I didn't ride like madman either.

On a slightly related note, I haven't once managed to insert 9 liters of fuel to the the tank once the reserve light comes on let alone 9,5 that should fit in there given that the reserve tank should be 2,5 liters. This leads me to believe that the warning light comes on a little early and the actual consumption may be slightly less than what I've calculated.

KTM foam rubber for tank cap [765.07.008.060]

Honestly the need for this particular "power part" has not presented itself yet, but I ordered it anyway when I ordered the luggage and other stuff. It supposedly prevents debris entering the tank when the tank cap is opened. It was only 6 € so I went for it.

After installing it, I'm not terribly convinced that it will actually do much good. If the bike is encrusted with mud and crap when you open the cap you will get debris in the tank regardless.

690 Enduro rear rack (Nomadic Rack)

I've started to investigate farkling for the bike I don't even own yet. One of the must have farkles in my opinion is a rear rack. After looking at various options from SW-Motech, Touratech and the like I decided on the KTM 690 Dual Sport rack by Nomadic Cycle racks. It looks sturdy and unobtrusive. It's priced rather reasonably at $89. The only negative is that no one seems to sell in Europe.

The rack is drilled to accept Rotopax mounts which will allow to carry the reserve fuel easily and elegantly.

EDIT

The rack arrived today. Looks well made and sturdy enough.