Reda Gas Can Review [Fill ’er Up – Portable Fueling]

The point of carrying extra gas is to have something to lord over your best riding buddy for needing you to come to the rescue when a gas stop wasn’t planned accurately. The next best reason is saving your own butt when you are on a desolate byway and don’t realize there is a strong headwind cutting your fuel mileage by 30 percent. I have done both, and helped several strangers, as well. When I extend the two-finger wave as we pass, I am telling you that I have your back.

The Reda Gas Can from Reda Innovations was originally designed to nestle into the rear of Harley-Davidson touring side cases. However, it fits in every hard side-case I have ever seen.

I have patiently waited for the newest Reda gas can version to receive its EPA certification. Although it took quite a while for all the paperwork to get in place, the new EPA-certified unit is shipping.

Measuring 6-by-7-by-9.5 inches (w x d x h), the Reda. It has an EPA-approved pour spout that is not stored inside the can. The can has a one-gallon capacity, though it should only be filled to about an inch from the top to allow for expansion.

The Reda gas can has an inverted mesh cone that extends a few inches into the container to help mitigate splashing during filling. If you are careful, patient, and pull the pump nozzle trigger a little at a time when filling the can, you can get about 0.8 gallons in without a back splash.

It is essential to review the instructions for using the industry-standard EPA-approved pour spout to get all your gas inside your tank and not on top of it. If you don’t rotate the green collar into the proper position, you will create a gasoline mess, as the green collar locks and unlocks the flow mechanism.

Remember, you are probably using the Reda can when you or someone you are rescuing is completely out of gas, and there is only about a gallon in the can. You most likely do not need to monitor your pouring progress. However, if you do lift up, the green collar will snap back to the closed position, and you will have to rotate it again to continue pouring. If you have never used this type of spout before, I suggest you practice with it empty.

Handling gasoline—filling at the pump, pouring into your tank, and disassembling for storage—inevitably results in gasoline touching something. Reda sells its Secondary Containment Bags for $1.65 each. The bag is 8 mils thick and contains the gas smell from accidental drips, splashes, or the spout once it has been used to pour gas.

I was meticulous on my first fill and didn’t get any gas on the outside of the can. I put it into my side bag with the lid closed for a week, and there was no gas smell when I opened the lid.

However, after use, there will be a gas smell—at least from the spout. Put the spout in a containment bag and the can in another, and you won’t have to worry about any gas smell in your luggage. Buy several containment bags, as they cannot be reused after containing any gas smell.

The most important thing to avoid when using a Reda Gas can is any distraction. Keep it clean, and remember to use it as part of your last gas stop so you don’t have old gas hanging around.

The original design debuted in 2006. It has since undergone several upgrades, with over 1.2 million units shipped worldwide. The latest version can be purchased from various motorcycle supply outlets, Harley-Davidson stores, or directly from Reda Innovations.

This isn’t my first positive experience with the Illinois-based company. A few years ago, I reviewed the Reda Helmet Lock and the Reda Jacket Lock. I use them both whenever I am riding a bike with a lockable hard bag.

Before owning the Reda can, I strapped metal fuel bottles to my bikes, strapped conventional plastic gas cans to my passenger footboards, and even strapped a 2.5-gallon plastic can to my passenger seat. Nothing beats the convenience of the Reda Gas Can for taking up just a little space inside my locked side bag.