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Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:54 am
by Thiessen90
Hello All, I am looking at purchasing a 2006 Boulevard S83 and it would need to do some touring. Just wondering how many of you deal with the smaller tank and the fact it only has an average 125 to 150 mile range by the averages I have seen? I saw the Leatherlyke bags seem to be the popular choice for bags. I did read here about the tour tank, just wondering how many people actually use one?

Thanks

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:33 am
by WintrSol
Thiessen90 wrote:Hello All, I am looking at purchasing a 2006 Boulevard S83 and it would need to do some touring. Just wondering how many of you deal with the smaller tank and the fact it only has an average 125 to 150 mile range by the averages I have seen? I saw the Leatherlyke bags seem to be the popular choice for bags. I did read here about the tour tank, just wondering how many people actually use one?

Thanks
At my age, I find stopping every 100 or so miles gives me a chance to stretch, and visit the can. I just watched the trip ODO, to judge when the next stop was needed.

That said, I did have the 1 gallon Tour Tank mounted to the luggage rack on my VS800, to give an extra 50-60 miles on longer rides, if needed. I needed it more than once. I mounted it with a self-sealing quick disconnect, so I could leave it in the garage when I wasn't traveling.

Never had those bags, but had similar ones. I replaced the soft leather ones with semi-rigid bags, and they didn't move around as much in the wind.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 3:25 pm
by Thiessen90
You wouldn't happen to have any photos of it? Or which luggage rack you used? I have been having a tough time finding one. Seems there are not as many made for this bike.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:37 pm
by WintrSol
I don't know if they are still available, but Suzuki used to sell a rack that fit inside the sissy bar supports; you can just make it out in this picture:
Image

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:28 am
by Thiessen90
I do see a few new ones on ebay but they are all listed as being for c50/m50 or intruder 1500's. Not sure they would fit. But that would be ideal to find that.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:42 am
by Thiessen90
Can I wager if it fit on a late model Intruder 1400 which is the same bike, that it most likely fits on mine?

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:38 am
by WintrSol
The kind of rack I bought required the sissy bar, which the newer bikes didn't have. I found a sissy bar for my '05 on ebay that came from an older model. Seems the owner didn't want it, and basically traded my non-sissy bar hardware for his; fit perfectly. Does your bike even have a sissy bar? If not, you'll have to go with an different type rack, and make sure it can support the weight of the tank with fuel in it. As far as fit goes, I don't think that part of the bike changed from when it was introduced, except for removal of the sissy bar.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:44 pm
by Thiessen90
Mine does have the sissy bar. And I did in fact track one down and looked up the factory part numbers and it's a match and will fit.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:21 pm
by navigator
Thiessen90 wrote:Mine does have the sissy bar. And I did in fact track one down and looked up the factory part numbers and it's a match and will fit.
Just make sure it has all the pieces, Main rack and two side pieces that the rack bolts to. They slide inside the sissy bar uprights.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:48 am
by WintrSol
There is a warning to go with this: if you look closely at the photo, most of the tour tank, as mounted, is above the main tank on my 800, and I expect it would also be on the 1400. When I used mine, I kept the petcock closed on the main tank for the first 50 miles or so, then opened it, to keep the main tank from overflowing. Note that some 1400 riders have mounted the tank below the oil cooler, with a small electric pump, so they could switch the pump on during a ride. Since mine had a radiator, this was not an option.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:25 am
by Luis_o_98
why not just hook up the main fuel line to the reserve output on the tank and the 1 gal to the reserve line. that way you go through the whole main tank then switch over to your add one

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 1:21 pm
by WintrSol
As long as you can switch to reserve while riding, that would work for me - my 800 tank didn't have separate taps, so I couldn't try that approach. You would want to remember to ride in the reserve position for a while, so the fuel doesn't go stale.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 9:18 am
by Thiessen90
Thank you all for your opinions. The extra tank won't be done right away may just carry some extra fuel for now. But it is greatly appreciated as I have never had the s83 before.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 9:24 am
by Thiessen90
My plan however was always to have a way to shut off the extra tank so it wouldn't cause an over flow issue.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 11:07 am
by WintrSol
My tank has a valve on the bottom, but the only times I used it was when the bike was parked. Can't get to it without getting off the bike. :putput:

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 3:31 pm
by Pvt_Nemesis
There was a post on the fakebook page for a custom carbon fibre 20L tank ~$500 US found here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435956119795967/

Contact is intruder.bbnt@gmail.com

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 5:27 pm
by Thiessen90
Thank you, that information is greatly appreciated

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:05 pm
by Pvt_Nemesis
No problem - If you get any pics please share as Im dying to see what these bigger tanks look like myself :rock:

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 6:57 pm
by Thiessen90
Ya I will have to see what I end up doing. First thing will be to get the bike in prime running condition, maybe add some pipes and jet and tune. The bigger tank will probably be a year away. After everything I have read about the carbs on this bike and the small to work in spaces and carb sync, I will probably have it all done professionally.

Re: Boulevard S83 Touring setup

Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:27 am
by Leckbass
I bought one of these last year to put I size the saddlebag. I haven't had to use the extra gas yet, but I will say after a year of caring in the saddlebag, there's been no leakage and no gas smell at all. When I fill the portable tank, I add a drop of fuel stabilizer.

http://www.reda-innovations.com/reda-gas-can