Left for dead

[seanarthurmachado]

You're right Chuck, I've probably had a hundred bikes...MANY MORE motorcycles than you EVER have....., because I have the financial resources to have as many as I want...

Tornado, I'm happy you are successful in life, independently wealthy, and all that but a disagreement over a tank liner doesn't need to turn into a Johnson measuring contest.

Out of curiosity where would you find the pristine tank you would buy ?

I've heard of tanks being wielded for big dollars, and I imagine one could have a tank fabricated....but on casual glance I only see Harley Davidson tanks on the net as reproductions.

Do you have some source ?

[seanarthurmachado]

That was my thought. There were only x amount of tanks ever made, are all old, almost all used, and the odds of finding a perfect one would be next to nil.

You could be the richest person in the world but if the item isn't in existence then money is irrelevant.

Personally my old tank is in good shape, I would like to have a way to replace it if needed, but that's not likely to be a problem for a few decades.

Sean

[chuck hahn]

I have 1 extra on the shelf and often look for another. I have 3 bikes that use that tank and hoarding a few tanks is a prudent move should something happen to one.

[busa1300]

The tank would not be a (keeper) so to speak if I did line it, as I stated earlier.
But if I could use it to get the bike going, then I can get the rest of the bike dialed in....(while searching for a tank or another partsbike)...long winters here to be on the look out.
I scan Ebay on several different continents, as well as craigslist and auctions yahoo in Japan. There is no better tank out there at the moment that i would spend my money on.
I'm not worried about what it looks like, actually it's kinda growing on me with it's rat rod patina.
I have other bikes, that I want to look (and maintain to keep looking) as close to new as possible....but this GS1000 was left for dead for 25 years. So I think what ever I do to it will be an improvement. Tank liner is the only option now, and if someone here can help me find a better tank at some point, it's only one bolt away from being swapped.

Thanks for everyones input.... Even though I have been riding on the street for 35 years, I'm always open to learning something new.
(like lacing my own wheels)

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

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[83GS1100E_Tornado]

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[chuck hahn]

We arent talking about buying an entire bike for a specific part and you know it...but nice try. And the owner also state that if your looking for a nice tank expect tom pay a few hundred and up....so obviously he knows it also. See what the guys doing is just getting rid of the bike on the cheap...and his add seems to show he knows what hes looking at.

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

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[chuck hahn]

Check out Larrys gallery pics of both my E and C tanks...bet you cant tell which was the rotted out 50.00 tank that i welded up, filled in with some JB Weld, and did the Caswell kit on.

http://www.meticulousmotorcyclepainting.com/gallery.php

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

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[83GS1100E_Tornado]

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[Rob S.]

Yikes!

I think I'm going to spread some oil inside my spare tank.

[joe79]

One thing I do as a general rule is to not put anything in a tank for at least 7 full days. The instructions may say 24 hrs , but, the thickness of whatever settles down to the seams isnt what the thickness is say on the sides or the hump areas. The thicker areas may be skinned over BUT NOT FULLY CURED.....and thats usually where the eating or defects get a chance to start. A good week gives everything a excellent chance to be fully cured. We can haggle back and forth but the bottom line is that not a single tank of the dozens i have done for myself ( and others ) has ever exhibited 1 sign of fault.

And not a dig at what your approach is,..... but you mentioned a "restorer" . Is a 'restorer" someone that truely does what the eccence of the word means..which is to take something considered too far gone and RESTORE it ( to return to a functional and usable state ) or just someone that swaps out parts???? Like i said.....not a dig at what your solutions are..but I think of myself as a RESTORER because I actually get down and dirty and RESTORE parts

Heres that 50.00 tank that had the rear corner rotted out and i RESTORED it. Same tank Larry used for his gallery pics.

Nice job Chuck. Whats the name of the sealant you use? I've a battered old tank that I'll be using on a hybrid GS I'm building.

Like you I go for restoration as opposed to throwing money at a problem.

My rust free tank will always be better than your "restored" tank, why? Because I know what's under there. I want the best on my bikes. You do what makes YOU happy!

And I will always listen to the peasant who toils in the field when he warns of approaching storms, than the arrogance of the wealthy nobleman who believes expertise can be bought for a trinket of gold.

[chuck hahn]

On this skunk tank there were holes the size of your pinky finger in the back corner. I scraped the thin rust back to solid metal and then PATIENTLY took the MIG welder and Started making spot welds around and around the perimeter of the hole. Kept going round and round till it eventually closed up the holes.

Step 2 was to use the palm sander and sand the area to shape best I could.

Step 3 was wipe with soldering flux and heat it with a propane torch just so the solder would melt and put a layer of solder on to seal any micro cracks...and again sand it down. You can see trails on the tank where the flux ran down the side. All that above the corner is from the torch burning off the paint.

Step 4 was a further skimming of JB Weld..just because...LOL

Step 5 was the tank liner and sent it off to be painted.

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

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