MotorcycleJazz - Acerbis

Acerbis Sahara Tank

Lots of leg for your scoot.

by Martin Hackworth

Photos: Martin Hackworth, Matthew Murphy, Acerbis

The Acerbis Sahara high-capacity fuel tank is a necessary tool in the arsenal of the long-distance dirt bike warrior. The polyethylene plastic is very rugged, installation (on most bikes) is reasonably simple, and you'll rarely have to worry about running out of gas again.

We've mounted Acerbis Sahara Tanks on both a Honda XR650R and a KTM EXC 530 with excellent results in both cases. The XR installation required some work to accommodate the aftermarket radiator braces but nothing that couldn't be fixed with modest fabrication ability.

On both bikes we found that the forward riding position on the seat is affected by the wide profile of the Sahara tank - but it only takes a few rides to get used to. There are cutouts that help position your knees and comfort isn't really compromised after you get used to the width of the tank. You'll notice handling differences with a full tank of gas with a lot more weight near the front wheel. One really nice feature of the tank design is that a good deal of the fuel sits very low. Unless the tank is completely full most of the fuel actually rides lower that it would in most other tanks (and certainly the stocker). An additional benefit is that it is easier to lift any dropped bike equipped with a Sahara tank off the ground because of the few inches of additional lift supplied by the tank.

Advertised capacity is 24 liters (a little over 6 gallons) but we have no trouble getting over 7 gallons into either tank. In bright daylight you can see the fuel level inside of the tank from the outside. The kit that accompanies the tank comes complete with a cap, dual petcocks and aluminum mounting hardware and the tank will accommodate a dry-brake system for racing (the tank on the XR is so equipped).

Both tanks have been thoroughly crash tested and have held up to extremes of heat, cold and vibration without any problem. We feel that these tanks, in addition to their high capacity, are particularly rugged - and excel with respect to the competition in this regard. Range on the uncorked XR with the Sahara tank is well over 200 miles in non-race conditions.

Acerbis Sahara specs:

Price Paid: About $275.00 - Pocatello Power Sports
Colors: a variety depending on application

The Good: Refinery capacity.
The Rad: Size matters.
The Gnarly: Lots of weight over the front wheel.

Acerbis website

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