New to BMW motorcycles - most specifically to airheads. Found a low mile (30K) '85 R80RT for a bargain price. Has been stored inside and ignored for 5+ years. The fuel tank is rusted badly - like right through. SO - I need a replacement tank. I figure the likelihood of finding a solid tank in Colorado red is highly unlikely (prove me wrong?). I didn't even investigate a new BMW tank (in primer?) .... this is not a restoration. Ebay shows scads of replacement tanks - apparently all coming from India.
Just a bit leery of sending $400 off to a third world country in hopes of getting something that will fit AND it would be nice if it were liquid tight.
So! What I'm asking is if anybody has purchased a tank manufactured in Delhi - what their experience was? TIA
PS - I did try to search the forum ..... reference to India gas tank didn't bear any fruit.
I have seen the classic 60's Triumph tanks made in India and they are very, very nice. I did not buy one, and a US-based seller was selling those on Ebay. On the other hand, I took a chance on a rusted tank. The paint job was $650. When the rust gave way 24 months later, it was an additional $750 to get the new tank painted to match the fenders.
I'm with you, wait for a US seller. But neither do you want to have $1300 in paint jobs.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
gas tanks typically rust out along the bottom seams and around the petcock hole. This damage can be repaired, the tank relined and then painted. OTOH I recently sold two tanks on ebay that would have fitted your bike, were rock solid with good OEM liners and both needed paint, one severely. They went fast in the $350 to $450 range. I have one left to sell, excellent everything that I will probably ask in the $500 range for. Will not fit your bike. Typically used eBay tanks need at least relining and people don't want to deal with it.
Gas tanks have been an issue on two of my recent Airhead projects. On an '83 R100T I spent $$$ to have a very nice Datona Orange paint job done, only to find pinholes in the bottom of the tank when I put the first gas in it. (it didn't leak before the paint job) I used a reseal kit from Caswell that was easy and worked well. On a '92 GS with a very rusty tank, an independent BMW specialty shop farmed out the reseal job to a guy who really @#$%& it up. Plugged the internal vent line and didn't clean at all before adding sealant. A couple of hundred miles later the sealant starts falling off and there's fine rust powder in the carbs even downstream of the inline filters. I've now rigged up a truly Rube Goldberg arrangement using my old South Bend metal lathe and some fabricated bracketry to rotate the tank slowly with some crushed stone inside acting as "tumbling media" . If it works, I have two other tanks in need of the same treatment.
Advertisement
