Author Topic: Cafe Tanks (Read 14134 times)

78_SaltLick · « **on:** July 04, 2006, 10:21:51 PM »

Where do people get those tanks that have the indentations on the side for your knees? i have a 74 cb550 and although i do like the orange sparkle tank, it needs a paint job (a little faded on top) and was thinking one of those cafe tanks would look cool on it. Those cant be stock tanks, i dont think. There are a few on here ive seen, there is an orange one, and one that paulages has on his bike. Ive seen a few others. So where do people get those? God forbid on ebay?

cbjunkie · « **Reply #1 on:** July 04, 2006, 10:44:04 PM »

paulages made his with a hammer - and so did i...

look up paulages - he has a thread with a lot of nice photos of it happening...

paulages · « **Reply #2 on:** July 04, 2006, 10:52:13 PM »

cb---is yours finished? are there pictures on here?

scunny · « **Reply #3 on:** July 04, 2006, 10:53:36 PM »

here's paulages thread
http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=6254.0

cbjunkie · « **Reply #4 on:** July 04, 2006, 11:03:41 PM »

the tank itself is finished - the seat is not - so, i am using (for now, for the summer) my stock tank and seat...

i used a SS tank, which is longer than the stocker - it looks really good but until i make a seat for it i'm using the other setup - i just really like riding it...

i don't have photos up yet - i have lots, but haven't figured out how to get them all up - something to do with the resizing - i'm working on getting them into the gallery and getting a link on the sig line below

plages,
how's your's running?

adams77 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2006, 05:58:31 AM »

I used an F model tank too. But I decided to go with a hard line instead of smoothing in the dents. I cut out the offending sides and made new ones to weld in.

If you go this route be forewarned that the metal is thin and you will need to weld carefully!

DME · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2006, 06:23:40 AM »

Quote from: 78_SaltLick on July 04, 2006, 10:21:51 PM

Where do people get those tanks that have the indentations on the side for your knees? i have a 74 cb550 and although i do like the orange sparkle tank, it needs a paint job (a little faded on top) and was thinking one of those cafe tanks would look cool on it. Those cant be stock tanks, i dont think. There are a few on here ive seen, there is an orange one, and one that paulages has on his bike. Ive seen a few others. So where do people get those? God forbid on ebay?

Ebay is your friend if you don´t want to make your own tank, that is.
After I had finished my tank I spotted the tank in the picture below on Ebay. It´s a NOS steel cafetank, made especially for CB750.
It´s 4½ inches longer than a stock CB 750 K2 tank and it slips straight on and uses the stock petcock!
Never even painted and has still the old price- and information stickers on it.
Brought it home from Germany at a price of ca 180 US dollars.
Bargain? I think so!
Thinking of having it zinkplated, should I ever decide to use it....

So, search Ebay high and low, the stuff is out there.

Cheers
Daniel

ProTeal55 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2006, 06:26:24 AM »

Quote from: adams77 on July 05, 2006, 05:58:31 AM

If you go this route be forewarned that the metal is thin and you will need to weld carefully!

I 2nd that comment. I had a old tank that I wanted to weld in a flush-mount gas cap, and not knowing how think the metal was went to town with my trusty Miller (welder). I ended up warping the hell outta the tank , and ended up tossing it because it was beyond repair...
Just buy one - it is easier...

CBJUNKIE --->
1. Do you have some pics of your completed tank ?
2. Wanna knock some into my tank over the winter for some $$$ ??

Andoo · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2006, 11:32:09 AM »

Thats a nice tank DME... Wanna sell it? =P

cbjunkie · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2006, 11:37:06 AM »

pt - i would do it - i dont' know if you want to go the bondo route - it adds a lot more weight than i thought it would...

the pix will be up...eventually...there's only so much time i'm willing to sacrifice here at work

ProTeal55 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 05, 2006, 12:20:12 PM »

Quote from: cbjunkie on July 05, 2006, 11:37:06 AM

pt - i would do it - i dont' know if you want to go the bondo route - it adds a lot more weight than i thought it would...

We'll talk closer to the end of the season...

DME · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2006, 12:38:04 AM »

Quote from: Andoo on July 05, 2006, 11:32:09 AM

Thats a nice tank DME... Wanna sell it? =P

Sorry, but this one´s a keeper! For now, at least......

Cheers
Daniel

ieism · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2006, 05:10:36 AM »

Or you can sell your kids on ebay, and use the money to buy this here:
http://www.thetankshop.com

I've seen this tank in a Moto Guzzi shop, they are much better than kids

One tank costs much more than my whole bike though.

bill440cars · « **Reply #13 on:** July 06, 2006, 09:01:50 AM »

Quote from: ieism on July 06, 2006, 05:10:36 AM

Or you can sell your kids on ebay, and use the money to buy this here:
http://www.thetankshop.com

I've seen this tank in a Moto Guzzi shop, they are much better than kids One tank costs much more than my whole bike though.

I heard that!! They look tough but, kinda blows building a bike on a tight budget all to hell!!
I'm leaning towards DME's tank idea myself. It looks cool

, doesn't have the extra weight of
more gas and yet you don't have to modify the frame to mount it either. Later on, Bill

78_SaltLick · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2006, 10:42:57 AM »

These are some of the coolest tanks around, but i just cant cought up $500 for a tank. go to this link then click on BCR custom gas
tank originals.

http://www.benjiescaferacer.com/forsale.html

paulages · « **Reply #15 on:** July 06, 2006, 10:58:09 AM »

cbj--the bike has been running great all summer until a few days ago. it was starving a little at high RPMs and the plugs were showing lean accordingly, so i raised the needles one clip. first ride, it took off at WOT like it hadn't before, but still seemed a little off. i synched the carbs, but think i didn't tighten a locknut well enough or something got off again because now it is running like #$%*. me and the DTR boys took a ride up on mt. hood, and it felt like the carbs were badly out of synch the entire time.

oh well, more wrenching...

volthause · « **Reply #16 on:** July 06, 2006, 11:17:26 AM »

Quote from: 78_SaltLick on July 06, 2006, 10:42:57 AM

These are some of the coolest tanks around, but i just cant cought up $500 for a tank. go to this link then click on BCR custom gas
tank originals.

http://www.benjiescaferacer.com/forsale.html

i've had serious wood for that "black whale" ever since i first saw it... that bike has a super sweet tank.

huili · « **Reply #17 on:** July 06, 2006, 02:57:25 PM »

Saltlick, those tanks you saw on that site all look oversized, here is a crazy idea that might help you make one of those. Spray some Great Stuff foam on you tank, then you can shape the foam to the profile you want with sand paper, put alunimum tape just over the foam parts to protect it from desolving, then fiber glass over it making sure you over lap enough to contact the metal on your tank, when you are done you can leave the foam there or just drill a small hole in the fiberglass and put some acetne in it to desolve the foam either way it shouldn't be too much weight. Then just putty and sand for a smooth finish, it will be just like a shell over you present tank. If at some point you don't like it you can always sand the whole thing off and you will have your original tank. This is just a crazy thought haven't tried it yet but once I have the money to get a spare tank I'll try it.

paulages · « **Reply #18 on:** July 06, 2006, 05:49:56 PM »

i've been considering the same idea. i have a few tanks laying around i want to experiment with. i would like to actually increase fuel capacity as well, so i'll probably play around with weld-stretching a tank or two also.

adams77 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 06, 2006, 06:05:39 PM »

I have a couple of the F model tanks and I was going to cut out the knees like I did mine, but what would be more appealing to a buyer, the cut out or the dented in version?

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #20 on:** July 06, 2006, 06:31:24 PM »

I got a tank from Evan Wilcox. (feel like I'm at an AA meeting) I can't stop spending on tanks. I sent him my stock 400 tank so he could get the mounting right. The SOB didn't do the design we talked about and come up with his own. A friend really likes it, but as I've been trying to track down a short, I haven't had a chance to really look at it.
I also just got a Gols Star tank for my W650 that cost less, but the attention to detail isn't as good as EWs. Looks good though. That's from the www.W650shop.de There's the Tank Shop, and V-D Classics in France.
Speaking of tanks- what ever happened to Chrometank? Did his new girlfriend kill him?

prsman23@hotmail.c · « **Reply #21 on:** July 06, 2006, 07:04:09 PM »

I got this one off ebay. Great tank fits almost perfectly. Just weld on some "c" shaped metal to aline with the rubber tank mounts and fit in a petcock and you are ready to roll. I waited till he put one up for auction and got it for 85 or 90 shipped.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Wards-Fuel-Tank-260-or-360-Orange-Or-Yellow_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35609QQihZ002QQitemZ4535086465QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Roach Carver · « **Reply #22 on:** July 06, 2006, 08:00:31 PM »

Chiming in late, but I copied dme's tank idea. Tacked two tanks together. cut out knee inserts. beat the hell out of the inside tank and then put the cutouts back on and bent them in also. the way i did it wil require mucho grinding and bondo.

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #23 on:** July 06, 2006, 08:14:25 PM »

I just heard from Benjies. He has tanks for 500/550s, also. NOW then- does anyone know if the 400 and 500 frame is similar?

Geeto67 · « **Reply #24 on:** July 06, 2006, 09:36:04 PM »

if anybody wants a knee pad style tank on the cheap, the old cx500 tanks are a pretty close fit.

this is a really rough pic off ebay but you get the idea:

here is one on a bike so you can see the indentations a little better:

I've not run one with a stock seat so I don;t know about those fitment issues, but I have a couple of friends who used them on their cb450s and I helpd another friend put one on a 550. They are pretty short tanks so I imagine you would be close with that tank.

Another good tank to use is a cb350F tank:

Still a pretty short tank so probably not good for a 750 but not bad for some of the other smaller bikes.

The best is that both of these tanks are less than $50 on ebay, so you can expirement with them.

News:

Author Topic: Cafe Tanks (Read 14134 times)

Andoo

huili

prsman23@hotmail.c