South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

Well now missus, how do I deal with a magically expanding plastic fuel tank that won't fit ?

Dremel, belt sander and chemical metal was my solution to mine when it did the same.

Vacuum cleaner wedged in the fuel filler

TLS-Moose wrote:Vacuum cleaner wedged in the fuel filler

...but I might die, son.

freezer

Managed to bodge it with some tap washers and a very large screwdriver. Just hope it doesn't get any worse. If so then the dremel or rasp / file will be required.

Are you suffering from Ethanol damage?

I believe that Ethanol is the cause.

That sucks. My track bike developed a leak on QC coupler over winter. Have they started doing it at 10% yet?

FInally, got the thing back together ready for Santa run. Just the tank and seat to go...

aaaaarrrrrrggggghhh..had to use a wood chisel and hammer to enable fixing bolts to engage.

The KTM suffers from the tank expanding, the front bolt never lines up but doing up a ratchet strap in a straight line between the front of the tank & pillion mounts will pull it back in line.

Won't work on mine.

The front extremity is forced forwards into the large nut that holds the yoke. It needs trimming at the front lobe to allow forward movement.

The rear (2) fixing points are pushed backwards past the bolt holes and need to have bits removed in order to get the bolts in.

Sounds painful either direction

Can you get a replacement tank, in metal if poss, off an earlier model? Or just a second hand one off a certain site?

Asitappens, due to my cunning plan of buying another the same, I have duplicates of everything except the engine bottom-end. That includes a 2 week old rear and a 20% worn front.

Unhappily, my original tank has expanded as well.

MellowYellow wrote:Won't work on mine.

The front extremity is forced forwards into the large nut that holds the yoke. It needs trimming at the front lobe to allow forward movement.

The rear (2) fixing points are pushed backwards past the bolt holes and need to have bits removed in order to get the bolts in.

That's what's happened to mine, front of the tank touches the top yoke when the front bolt is removed, would line up closer if I undid the rear bolts.

How does your tank secure at the front, can you see the fixings once in place? Or likewise the rear of the tank, if you can't see the front mounts can you see the rear?

It's the front bolt that's the final fit on mine, I leave all the rear bolts securely in situ, run a strap around the front of the tank (immediately behind the top yoke), then have a straight pull through the rear footrests then tighten up the ratchet strap until the front tank bolt lines up. Pop bolt in, do up tight & stand back as you release strap - actually the strap wont spring off as no tension in it once bolt done up.

Guess you could do the strap thing pulling the rear of the tank forward by putting the straps through/around the forks?

Hope this makes sense??