Quick Release Gas Tank?

highdesert · Jan 18, 2010

Sure would be nice not to have to fiddle around unscrewing those nuts that hold tank on......................

grandpaul · Jan 18, 2010

Bah, who needs hold-down nuts? And what's that silly strap in the back good for anyway?

You can always drill the front studs and use cotter-clips...

Flo · Jan 18, 2010

Ha!, can't beat the BSA A10 & A65 tanks. Far better looking as well.
Whoops, I could be in for it now.

BrianK · Jan 18, 2010

Argh! I hate removing the tank. Or rather, I hate reinstalling it.

Cotter keys you say, Paul? Interesting....!

BrianK · Jan 18, 2010

Flo said:
Ha!, can't beat the BSA A10 & A65 tanks. Far better looking as well.

Flo, sorry to hear about your glaucoma.... :twisted:

grandpaul · Jan 19, 2010

By "cotter keys", I mean the type that resemble the letter "R". Make sure to safety wire them to the tank mount bracket.

lcrken · Jan 19, 2010

grandpaul said:
By "cotter keys", I mean the type that resemble the letter "R". Make sure to safety wire them to the tank mount bracket.

Also commonly referred to in the US as R-clips, hairpin clips, and hitch pin clips. Probably lots of other names too.

I've also considered ways to make the Commando tanks quickly and easily removable, but never quite got motivated enough to do anything about it. The tank on my featherbed comes off easily with a Manx style tank strap latch and two quick disconnect fittings in the fuel lines, and it would be nice if the Commando was equally simple.

Ken

travelerjerry · Jan 19, 2010

Myself I don't mind taking off the 4 nuts & washers. I want that tank to stay on. It seems that I hardly take off the tank that much. Probably I'm lucky that my Norton doesn't give me much trouble.

Now, if there were a easy way to change the rear isolatic. :x

daveh · Jan 19, 2010

You could try butterfly nuts, the 'wings' of which are drilled for a light spring to keep them finger tight. This works well on my Ducati single tank, which is mounted in more or less the same way as the Commando. You can also get quick-release fuel line couplers, but perhaps not for purists.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ ... =BIKFLCP06

swooshdave · Jan 19, 2010

daveh said:
You could try butterfly nuts, the 'wings' of which are drilled for a light spring to keep them finger tight. This works well on my Ducati single tank, which is mounted in more or less the same way as the Commando. You can also get quick-release fuel line couplers, but perhaps not for purists.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ ... =BIKFLCP06

On some bikes there is a cross over tube to feed both sides of the tank. You have to pop the tube off and let it spill gas on a hot engine to remove the tank. Let me tell you how fun that is.

My solution.

pelican · Jan 19, 2010

nice useable upgrade

daveh · Jan 20, 2010

swooshdave said:
On some bikes there is a cross over tube to feed both sides of the tank.

Swooshdave, do you have those Motion Pro quick-release fuel line couplings on your Commando? I wonder is the fuel pipe long enough to incorporate one on each side? Presumably it works well on your Bultaco.

swooshdave · Jan 20, 2010

daveh said:
swooshdave said:

On some bikes there is a cross over tube to feed both sides of the tank.

Click to expand...

Swooshdave, do you have those Motion Pro quick-release fuel line couplings on your Commando? I wonder is the fuel pipe long enough to incorporate one on each side? Presumably it works well on your Bultaco.

I've got an extra connector that I didn't use. I'll see if I end up using it on the Norton.

pelican · Jan 20, 2010

Would be nice if someone made a t-connector for a single carb, and you could just disconnect each side from the t

mcns · Jan 20, 2010

As far as the front nuts go just push down on the top of the tank while tightening the nuts with your fingers, when you take the pressure off they will be tight and when you take it off reverse the process as far as the back you should only have to unscrew one nut then swing the bar under.
It takes me under a minute to take a roadster tank off.
And the fuel lines on mine are just a push fit, I leave them about I inch longer so after a couple of removals you slice off a 1/4 inch and its snug again.

highdesert · Jan 20, 2010

I like your idea of pushing down on the tank and just hand tightening and loosening the nuts.

As far as the rear tank strap goes, well I took mine off 17 years ago so do not bother with it, the tank is held quite secure in the rear by
my corbin seat.

splatt · Jan 20, 2010

I know this sounds terrible, and I havn't done it, but you could cut a slot in the back of each mounting hole so you can slip the mounting rubbers each side of the mount as required. The mounting rubbers I got supplied would be to hard to push down to do the nuts up, are some types quiet soft :?: On an interstate you can notch the front side of the rear strap so you can push it into the stud on one end, already notched and then slip the other end in by pushing foward so you wouldn't have to remove the studs and rubbers, would work on a roadster to.

mikegray660 · Jan 21, 2010

i have an idea-one could use a ratchet wrench to remove the 4 bolts/nuts in under 5 minutes and the fuel line with a screw driver in a minute - :roll:

brilliant!

grandpaul · Jan 21, 2010

Personally, I remove the fuel lines at the petcocks and leave them in place on the bike.

Regardless of the method, you'd STILL need a screwdriver (for hose clamps) or a wrench (for spigot nuts), unless you go "bare" as mcns suggests.

Quick Release Gas Tank?

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