7) The Gas Tank Challenge

Everything depends on the tank

The size, position, and shape of the gas tank really can make the look of a bike. So it is vital you spend time thinking about it. So I have spent hours and hours stressing over what to do about the tank. First there is no standard tank I can buy that will fit on this bike.

I have cut the stock air filter box down and installed a customized K&N air filter to lower the overall profile. Than I needed to purchase a tank that was wide enough to fit over the frame.  The tank is a Wide Bob Stretch tank form a Harley Davidson. I did buy a Harley split tank off Ebay hoping it would work.  But when I looked into mounting the spit tank and finding a dash that would fit it got very complex.  So I went to the local Harley dealer and spent three hours going through catalogs to try to meet my needs.  I needed a tank that was a minimum 14 1/2 inches wide, maximum 19 inches long, 5 gallon capacity, fit a dash with mechanical speed-o and have an installed level sensor. Believe it or not this does not exist. So what will I have to compromise on was the question.  There were no 5 gallon tanks that could take a mechanical Speed-o. Late models that were the larger tanks all went electrical speed-o, and if you wanted a level sensor you need a late model as well. So I settled on a 4 gallon stretch tank which is 21 inches long and 16 inches wide and no fuel level sensor.

The 16 inch width gives me the frame clearance needed but the 21 inch length means I will need to modify the seat pan.  But with this tank I was able to buy the right dash and electronics to go with it. So now I need to make it fit the bike. Here are a couple photo shopped pictures looking at the tank profiles.

The left photo shows a level tanks and the right is tapered. Subtle changes can make a huge difference in the look of the bike.
So now I need to cut the belly out of the tank to fit the frame and lower it a minimum of 2 inches over the frame. This will get the tank to a starting position and allow me to see what else is necessary to find that optimum final tank position and look. I laid out the potential cut lines and took the tank to a local fab shop to see what they thought and to get an estimate.

 

It goes without say they have never done anything like this before. They were kinda excited but also hesitant. I left with the tank and I am waiting for their call. I hope they call soon and I hope the estimate is reasonable. Even though what I am asking for may not be.