Kawi2strokes.com Forum

This has got to be unsettling for anyone with a collection of old bikes with gas in the tanks Plenty of sob stories on failed seal jobs too. Doesn't sound like keeping tank full is good, what about keeping empty-with a dessicant bag inside, only fueling to ride then drain afterwards? Are tank designs with round bottom seams better than the ones with pinched type? The micro-water droplets would be more spread out instead of concentrating in a seam line! I want a solution or I'm selling off my crap while the prices are nutball!

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KTW- 151 posts___2nd gear___Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:42pm

Water in gas is nothing that was hidden from the public, I have known it forever. It is really from the storage tanks at the gas stations. That's why tanks rust or rust out. I don't know how to avoid the problem, draining like you said, or I hear there are some additives that combine with the water (as the alcohol does)

I just line tanks myself. Sealers that fail are usually not prepped properly, or the Kreem stuff that falls out most of the time. i would only have to take an educated guess that the flat pinched seams would be the worst for collecting water.

I understand not all tanks will leak, but why take a chance, it's only 45.00 bucks or so to line one. Who knows how something was stored or used for 30 or 40 years? I just know I would really be pissed if I bought something that expensive and it rusted through....

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Twist the throttle, tilt the horizon, and have a great time. What triples are all about...........

This is somewhat unlikely to happen though .......that you would actually buy something that expensive

Hal, you owe me a keyboard! I'll never get all the coffee out!

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We don't need no stinkin' Cams!

I have taken a lot of fuel tanks that were properly dried out and sealed up, then stored, nice and clean inside, no rust, with bad paint on the outside, and made them "full on original" with correct graphics and paint, for one heck of a lot less money than what these particular tanks are going for now.

I haven't sold any of them, they were done for my restoration bikes in the collection, and I am very picky in doing resto work, has to be top notch, first quality, and historically correct, or I will do it over again, or, not use it.

NOS stock, great condition, fine and dandy, NOTHING I can't reproduce for a considerably lower price. There are others on this board that do excellent resto work as well, and their prices are well within reason for the resto parts.

really? a lecture on the free market? come on. The collector parts market is def its own animal, and throwing ebay into the mix changes it. when ONE tank sells for 1400 bucks, that doesnt mean all tanks are now 1400 bucks. it means soem idiot paid way too much for it... false inflation. The next 4 or 5 tanks might sell for close to 1400 bucks, but after a while it will settle back down again to the true market value. Saw this with DG heads a few years ago for rd's. they were up to 1k a a set! then, the guys who were buying them finally stopped paying that much for them because it was asenine. they are back down to 450-550 per set.

Hey, i hope you find some idiot to pay over 1k for that tank. thats just ridiculous but good luck.

incidentally, that 69 motor and set of windowed carbs I have? guess what i paid for all that. ......... and, fwiw, im simply do doing a parts trade for the bridgeport motor to agood friend. i could ebay it and make more $ for sure, but i feel that just hurts the hobby.

O.K. My 10c, there are Two easy and good ways to store a gas tank :

1, Fill it to the brim with gas

2, Empty it of all gas and pour a quarts of engine oil in (I think this is the best method)

I have seen these methods used and the tanks have lasted decades with no ill effects
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And as to the restore/Ebay deal, I have every part to build a N.O.S. '72 H2, Once built the bike would command $20,000 in Europe, In parts I would get $32,000 from Ebay . . . I am building it!

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Always remember, there will be greater and lesser people than yourself . . . you can learn from either!

Sealing tanks sucks, and if its 100% rust free inside, I wouldn't bother.

BUT... how do you REALLY know????

Ive had tanks that looked nice and shiny when looking through the filler hole, only to find there were iddy-biddy pinholes in places not visible (usually near the petcock/lowest rearward portions of tank). The only way one would know if these pinholes were there would be to fill the tank with fuel and then put some pressure to it. I dont think a borescope would even have found them as they are SOOOO TINY.

All it takes is one little pinhole to ruin that beautiful paintjob...and it happened to me on one of my RD350's.
So now, I just seal ALL of them. The 2-part Caswell seems like the only stuff (at this date) that stands up to modern fuel.


I only got into triples for the money. I think all of you guys are idiots.

















see you at mid-ohio!

There are ups and downs in the value and that is due to the inconsistent supply- perceived rarity. Regardless of if the sales price that is what the market will bear at the moment.... Sorry to sound like a lecture but this is not a mystery and there is no need to guess. Sellers do not cause inflation on parts prices nor do they cause arts to be rarer than they are so coming down on CB for this reason is not right. He is just taking advantage of the rarity that has occurred and selling when he sees that there are high comparison prices. The recent $10k Denco H1 is a perfect example- it did not sell. Just like the tank set won't sell if it is priced above what the market values it at.


PS- I keep all my tanks full of treated fuel. I use Stabil.

It is important to recognize that folks are attracted to Triple boards for a variety of reasons. Some are purely motivated for the profit potential while others are here for the love of the bike. Just as some are interested in a perfect nut & bolt restoration while others prefer a total modded bike.

Everyone won't agree with everyone else's opinion or preference.... and there is nothing wrong with that. But, it is important to respect that others are entitled to their opinions and reasons for being here... each contributes in their own way, no matter how much we might disagree with their position. It isn't likely that anything can be said that will change one's opinion.

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Answers are here: http://kawatriple.com/