Indian made petrol tanks.

[ME 109]

I'd be a little hesitant, without seeing one.
The housing for the front rubber mount looks wrong

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-BMW-R100 ... 4ac03e917b

[Ross]

From memory the front mounting on that tank looks right.

[SteveD]

It looks like the tank wouldn't sit straight..a bit wonky and the opening to seat onto the frame (protected by the rubber thing) doesn't look right either.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Hmmmm, I don't know if it's the lighting, or the sanding marks, or what, but the tank looks fairly lumpy to me, and would probably take at least a thin layer of bondo to "straighten" it out.

Having said that, it looks like a remarkable job. I picture this Indian guy, squatted down in front of his shop, hammering the sheet metal into shape with a few assorted hammers and a shot bag. And for that it is a remarkable job I think.

I have to wonder, are those tanks that thin on the ground where you guys live? I haven't been looking for used airhead parts for a while now, but the tanks around here were available, although, if you weren't careful, you might end up getting one that wasn't worth a damn.

A few years ago I went to prepare one such tank I had bought. But I noticed a bit of a rusty spot on the bottom, by a fuel outlet. (You're probably way ahead of me at this point.) Checking it out I noticed that indeed the tank had rusted through at the spot. Removing the paint on the bottom of the tank I soon discovered that the whole tank bottom was a disaster. It was rust city on both bottom "cheeks" of the tank.

I called the tank non repairable. A short while later, at one of the rallies at my place, the talk went to the stud welders used for automotive sheet metal bodywork. It just happened that I had one of Harbor Freight's finest stud guns occupying shelf space somewhere. So we pulled it out. I put a couple dents in the tank, and then we used the stud welder to pull the dents out. (Bondo ready out that is.)

That tank is still around here, and if at somebody wants to see the process again we can put a couple dents in the tank and we can play body shop guy again.

Disclaimer: The tank really was beyond recovery. One would have had to "re-bottom" the whole tank.

Drifting to an entirely different topic, I've seen that gawd awful American Chopper show a few times. And as part of the abortion they were creating there were a couple times I saw them fabricate a tank. But not quite. I would see the guy (Paulie?) with a piece of metal, and a shot bag, and a rubber hammer start beating on the tank to get the shape required for that particular theme abortion. It was interesting, and I wanted to see the whole process. But all I ever got to see was Paulie starting to hammer on a piece of metal.

Later I figured it out. They never showed the tank nearing completion because it was ugly as hell. And the finished product was half sheet metal and half bondo.

Boy, have I digressed or what?


Ken

[ME 109]

There are tanks available over here Ken, I posted the Indian tank because I hadn't seen them before.
I bought a tank from German ebay 12 months ago for about $250 delivered. No dents, no rust, and....the correct original paint for my bike.

There is a hand cranked machine consisting of two large steel balls rolling together that is used for forming curves in sheet metal. I think the harder the balls are forced together the greater the curve results.

[russphoto]

That's called an english wheel.....

[SteveD]

Yeah, tanks are available in Oz, but they cost a $squillion if they're in good nick with good paint. Usually they then need to match what you want. Jeff got a good deal.

I have a spare with a dent in it, by the right knee. The paint has creased unfortunately. One day I'll do something about it, but for now it's a very usable spare. We have a nice friendly bloke at my sons footy club that's an auto painter. I might ask him what needs doing to it and how much I can do myself.

[Ray from Indiana]

The tank doesn't look new to me.

Looks as though somebody put a body grinder to an old, black tank. Maybe its just my old peepers.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

The tank doesn't look new to me.

Looks as though somebody put a body grinder to an old, black tank. Maybe its just my old peepers.

I clicked on the link where the tank(s) are advertised for sale. That's where I'm getting most of the following:

That tank is really strange. Some evidence points to it being an old BMW tank that's had a hard life and then been shined up with a sander. Other evidence shows some crude (original) fabrication, which I can't imagine BMW would have ever done (or rather accepted from the company who built their tanks).

That front tank mount is an abortion. Unless it's the perspective of the pic, it simply looks VERY crooked. I can't imagine that part of the tank fitting the BMW frame right. Then there are the seams where the tank top is welded to the bottom. It looks like the tank shown had the two pieces of metal placed together and then the seams were simply welded together on the edges. It definitely is a fusion weld of some kind. OEM tanks, on the other hand, I'm pretty sure used a rolling "spot" weld process. (I know what the real name for the process is.) In any event I went out and felt the edge of my R100/7 tank and the flange was very thin (the thickness of two sheets of metal) and the edge was uniform, definitely not oxy acetylene welded (again in my opinion). And then there is that rear tank maount. Looking at the two holes for mounting the tank there is clear evidence that at least that rear braket has spent some time on a motorcycle. You can see where the rubber mount rubbed against the bracket. And then there's something I really can't explain. Looking at the bottom of the tank you can see that deep "V" where the two bottom pieces of the tank join. That would be consistent with that same rolling spot weld process I talked about. But the joker in the deck is that one spot, close to the rear tank mount, which has clearly been welded from the outside of the tank. It simply looks like a bead of weld. And in that same "V" there is what looks like a lot of crud, the kind that you can't get to to clean up if you're repainting a tank. That says old tank.

So I simply can't make up my mind, other than to say I would never buy that tank at any price. And to think that there are 7 of those tanks available. WTF!


Ken

[Roy Gavin]

Funny how the BMW tanks are $385- and the Enfield Cafe Racer tank is $155-
I have seen one of the Enfield tanks and it is OK for the money.
The owner added a coat of brazing to all the tank welds,like most old British tanks had, and off course a sealer to the interior.
Paint was the normal system for bare tanks, and that normally includes a decent coat of spray putty.
The finished job looks good and matches the rest of the bike, which is isnt saying much , but if you look at the parts prices on the tank suppliers Ebay site you will know why.
Next step up is $800- for a similar looking alloy tank, so you make the choice and pay the money.