Large Fuel Tank For a Suzuki DRZ 250

At the time of writing this article there are no large capacity long range fuel tanks specifically designed for the DRZ 250 so the only option is to adapt an aftermarket long range tank (intended for a different bike altogether) and fabricating mounting brackets.

Choosing a Large Fuel Tank to Fit a DRZ 250

The fuel tank detailed in this article is intended for an XR400 and is a 5.8 gallon (21.95 litres) Aceribis long range fuel tank purchased from here: DRZ250 long range tank. It is not a perfect fit for the DRZ 250, but as you will see below it can be fitted without interference to the DRZ 250 frame or engine, and the final result is a rigid and reliably mounted fuel tank able to give you 400+ kilometres range.

Fitting a DRZ 250 Large Long Range Tank

There are three items to address when fitting the long range fuel tank to the DRZ250, these are:

1.    Creating 2 new mounting brackets
2.    Increasing the frame packing to accommodate for the larger internal diameter of the tank cavity
3.    Modifying the tank strap clip

Creating the DRZ250 Fuel Tank Mounting Brackets

I have seen some pretty average large tank mounting attempts using inadequate materials that I personally wouldn't trust on a one day ride let alone a multi-day adventure ride. If you're contemplating a long range fuel tank then presumably you'll be heading off into remote areas which is probably the last place you want a tank mount breaking and giving you grief. The tank mounting described below uses sturdy 6mm aluminium plate for the two front brackets that provides reliable and durable support.  There is a pattern below that helps with the measurements of this bracket.

Preparing the Foam for Packing the Frame

The internal diameter of the fuel tank cavity of the XR400 tank is larger than the DRZ 250 fuel tank.  I used 3 strips of dense foam rubber (50mm X 10mm) to create a profile to fit this cavity perfectly.  The foam rubber used should be dense enough so it does not compress over time, as this will affect the fitting and potentially cause inteferrence. I purchased my foam rubber from a local rubber store and paid $10 for 1 metre - cheap as chips. These strips are overlaid with the original grooved tank support strips making zip tying tidy and easy.

In the pictures you will also see I have made some aluminium end pieces to stop the zip ties from unevenly pulling into the foam rubber. These were made from aluminium angle that I had lying around.  If you don't have any, it is available at most hardware stores and is only around $10 for a 1.5 m length.

Once the foam has been cut to size and the aluminium end pieces have been created, long length heavy duty zip ties are used to secure the foam to the frame.

Modifying the DRZ250 Tank Strap Clip

This is an easy and quick task.  Simply drill a new whole to match the tank hole arrangement, then cut off the excess and tidy up with a file. Done.