fibreglass tanks

always only ever used steel petrol tanks
so whats your opinions on fibre glass are they plagued with problems or is that just a mith because im still on the hunt for one and to be honest for design and price theres seems to be far more fibre than steel to choose from and cant justify spending 500+ on a alloy one

Hi Miffa, fibreglass is fine, they are actually just as hardwearing as steel or ally, damn site cheaper and easier to fix! I've had quite a few over the years and would swear by them, would have had one for the Honda but I went down the route of modifying what I'd already got (which personally I think has come up quite well)

As it started out, complete with rust patches, scrtached pin striping, locking flap (which didn't lock) and horrible metal tank badges!



And on it's way, frenched in the flap, extended the filler tube to accomodate the Monza cap, just waiting for a few coats of clear laquer to finish it off

The only problems I know with fiberglass tanks is when you have fuel additives like ethanol. The alcohol in the ethanol melts the fiberglass. However I think that's only a problem here in the States. You can coat the inside of the tank with a special coating to stop this but if you miss a spot... Oops! Ducati got it wrong with some of their Monsters and now have recalls.

Flatlander is right, ethanol does have a habit of eating the tank from the inside. Our petrol in the UK is quite low in ethanol, but a good dose of a propritary sealer such as Petseal or POR-15 sorts it anyway, take a look here http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-tanks-products/por15-motorcycle-fuel-tank-repair-kit.html

cheers for that chaps tracking one on ebay at the moment
heard that the sealants can cause problems of there own but that kit looks good
have heard Red Kote is good

the percentage of ethanol in the UK will be going up in the next few years, tho I'm sure I heard that the date for raising it had been put back, as normal its a Euro thing

I have used Caswell GT1750. And found it easy to apply and gives you a good thick coating. At sixty quid its not cheap. But if you have shelled out or made your own fibre glass tank then I think it's worth it.

i got this info from sales@burtonbikebits.net

Ethanol in Modern FuelsThe addition of ethanol to modern fuels is now widespread across the globe. This is having a disastrous effect for many Classic motorbike, car and marine enthusiasts in part due to the use of fibreglass fuel tanks and also non ethanol resistant carb parts and other rubbers/plastics. Referred to as E5 (5% ethanol) or E10 (10% ethanol) etc. It is generally said in the fuel industry that 15% is the maximum percentage for use in non-modified vehicles.

In USA many states ethanol is a minimum of 5.9% by law, but some states use 10-15%. This is usually labelled at the pumps.

For Europe, from 1st April 2009 EU directives to decrease the proportion of automotive fuel derived from non-renewable resources were introduced. Many fuel retailers in the UK are selling up to 5% ethanol currently. A new 10% ethanol fuel will be on sale in 2011 which will apparently be labelled. Retailers do not currently label their standard unleaded with it's ethanol content as it could be anything up to 5% depending on the source. It is no longer just supermarkets who add ethanol!

In Australia a legislation limits ethanol content to 10% but pumps must be labelled.

Effect on Fibreglass Tanks
The first signs to look for is the carburettors starting to gunge up with a sticky yellow substance. This is caused by the resin in the fibreglass starting to melt away into the petrol.

You may then start to see the fuel tank bubble and blister before eventually springing a leak.

Effect on Steel/Alloy Tanks
Steel tanks can corrode much faster due to the ethanol attracting moisture

Steel/Alloy tanks coated with old fashioned sealants will also be affected as the ethanol will eat away at the sealant and drag it through the carbs in the same way.

What should I do if my tank has been attacked by Ethanol?
The first thing to do is drain the fuel from the tank as soon as you can. We would then recommend thoroughly washing the tank out with hot soapy water (fairy liquid is best) and then dry with a hair dryer or similar.