Bikesure_adrianflux

My S2R 800

I agree Alu tanks not cheap. I won’t argue they’re affordable or really make economic sense. It’s hard to argue that selling your bike and buying a bike with a steel tank is not a far more sensible option.. But if you want to keep your bike and want a definitive solution to the plastic tank issues it’s really the only way to go. I’m not convinced by carbon fibre tanks - if the resins are so long term fuel proof/tight why can’t we simply coat our plastic tanks with it and save lots of money? And they’re not exactly cheap either.

If you consider the hand made small scale nature of manufacturing bespoke aluminium tanks for motorbikes and the time and (largely lost so niche now) skills involved turning flat aluminium sheet into the very complicated shape of the monster tanks (unlike some more simple vintage motos) with the critical boss for fuel pump on the underside and all the other important bits on something that’s got to be long term fuel tight to avoid potential disaster on a vibrating motorcycle the prices start to look understandable. A well regarded guy in the UK (https://www.ettomotorcycles.co.uk) is stopping his bespoke alu fabricating business after many years as he just can’t earn an acceptable living at it. A guy in the USA also made tanks for the S2R a few years back (and they weren’t cheap either) but he discontinued them as achieving the necessary quality just proved too hard…So I don’t think alu tank fabricators are getting especially rich…

Unless they can be mass manufactured (not enough demand) or handmade in a much lower cost country (eg India/china) but still with the necessary quality and precision (unlikely currently) then it is Tecknorace or Beater… or live with plastic tank issues or get a different bike…
 
Have to agree with you Dave.I think if my plastic tank became unusable I would have to bite the bullet and get an aluminium tank in spite of the cost.It would keep the bike on the road and I have absolutely no intention of selling the bike.

Can't help wondering about the States,they seem to be able to build anything.I met some guys from Chicago last year when they visited the Isle of Man.They decided to build a replica of a 1920's 4 cylinder Ace motorcycle (based on a Henderson) and told me that you can get anything made in the States.Surely if you can copy a 1920's engine you can get a tank made?Just a thought!!

All the best for now

Kimbo
 
These people seem to know their way round an English wheel.

Might be worth a phone call or email? I bet they know how to charge though if they were at the hipster 2@ show.

I still think Carbon Fibre is the way forward, once you have a set of moulds the world is your marine crustacean.

Don't start pouring sealers into your tank... Quickest way to fek it right up for good!
 
I understand that their making “classic” style tanks, but there’s a YouTube video of a workshop in India churning out steel tanks with the most primitive of equipment….I bet they would give it a go if they were aware of the sensational prices being quoted above…..😛
 
Reply:

Hi Kimbo,

We did consider making Ducati tanks for the neo-classic range and also the Monsters in the past but we dropped the idea due to lack of interest at the time.

We could certainly help you with your tank but we would need an original one in good condition which isn’t distorted or swollen to replicate.

Would it be a one-off or batch order?



Kind regards,

Laurent

Laurent Amann
FD Eng MCI (Moteur à Combustion Interne)

Director | Design Engineer
 
Eek, I have had it for 10 years now and not been on here for a bit... Managed to keep it (and the 748/853) after the divorce and still loving it.

She's looking a bit tired now though, bit of lacquer peel on the carbon fibre bits but still gets to the edge of the tyres and put a smile on my face, even 2 up,

Unfortunately a lot of photos have disappeared but I will try and get it updated.
 
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