Will a 86 GS550lf gas tank fit 83 GS850 frame?

[Kip]

I have a 83 GS 850 missing tank and was wondering if anyone knows what the difference if any on the frame if I were to fit a 86 GS550lf gas tank on it.
There is one on ebay and it has a nice tear drop look to it. Problem is I dont want to buy it if it is going to look like crap. My bike has a few mods to it now and just looking for a tank that would give it a cool look.

Any idea guys?

[duaneage]

No way in hell will it work. The 850 is much larger and the mounts are in a different spot. Tanks are pretty specific to year make model, you might be able to go back or forward a year but it must be the same model. L model tanks won't fit G's and the katanas are unique as well.

[bwringer]

Are you dealing with an 850G (standard style) or 850GL (cruiser style) model? Just to help you compare, the 850G tank is rated at 5.8 gallons, and the 850GL tank is rated at 3.4 gallons.

If the 550 tank is quite a bit smaller, it might look a little silly. Then again, the tiny tank look is all the rage these days.

A bigger problem will likely be the mounting points. Anything is possible with a machine shop and enough determination, but it may or may not be worth it to you. It's going to be pretty hard to find an 850 tank, so you may decide to go for it.

[kalessin]

Just to widen your possibilities, the GS850GL and GS1100GL tanks do interchange.