oil tank rear mount strap

Saturday I rode 142 miles to the Dardanelles on Hwy 108 (California) to join up with the club for a 10:00am ride start over Sonora Pass. Great ride as always, but after returning home noticed the rear oil tank mount broke (again). I now have two oil tanks in this condition and it is the third or fourth time I've had to do this repair. Having tried the stock rubber mount and also a suggestion to use the larger exhaust rubber mount - both have failed. The difference on this trip and as always is the engine vibration frequency. I was running above 4000 rpms cruising at an indicated 80mph - 750 with 21T counter sprocket, all other gearing and wheel/tire size are stock Would like to hear others success to prevent this failure.

Are you breaking rubber mounts (separating) or is the strap breaking near the weld? Mine did this every 2000 miles until I braced the strap to the filler neck. Of course you need to be sure the rubbers and tank are installed unloaded so there is no pre- stress on front or back, ie the tank must sit in place without having to pull the mounts into place. Bigger mounts like exhaust rubbers or Harley oil tank mounts won't solve the strap breaking though. Ludwig's clamp is a great idea. This is my brace on a spare tank, crude but effective, stops the strap bending with fore/aft vibration and puts the load into the filler neck which is strong....http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp32 ... tbrace.jpg

I believe that Colorado Norton Works and probably others do a reinforcing oil tank mod.

I made a very heavy duty tab from much heavier metal for my back tab. Then mounted it with a stock rubber mount. No problems so far.

I made a very heavy duty tab from much heavier metal for my back tab. Then mounted it with a stock rubber mount. No problems so far.

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Also did the same and improved life but it still broke. I realised if I went any heavier the bracket/tab mount would no longer be the weak point, the weld would and bracket would start ripping out of the tank like the bottom mounts can do.
Strange thing is when I bought a spare tank a couple of years ago the original unmodified/unrepaired bracket was in place. But, in 600 miles vibration broke a part that had survived maybe 10's of thousands miles in another machine!